Title: “The Rule of Three”
Author: Eric Walters
Reviewer: Cyrus, Gr. 8
Score: 4/5
“The Rule of Three” by Eric Walters is a dystopian fiction novel about a nation-wide power outage and its implications for ordinary people. The book is told from the perspective of sixteen-year-old Adam Daley, a high school student who wants to become a pilot. This entertaining book takes the reader through many twists and turns, from Adam discovering his next-door neighbour, Herb, is a retired government agent, to the police station being overrun by a mob. I think this is an exciting read, and I think most people would enjoy reading it.
The book begins with Adam and his best friend, Todd, attending school when the power outage hits. However, this is no ordinary power outage. All forms of modern technology linked with computers are suddenly not working. This includes most cars, but Adam’s car is so old that considering it has no computer systems on it, it is unaffected. After Adam picks up his younger siblings, Danny and Rachel, Adam’s neighbour Herb asks Adam to drive him to the local pool shop. Once there, Herb buys two thousand dollars’ worth of chlorine tablets, which he plans on using to decontaminate water for drinking. Adam realizes that Herb is expecting the power outage not just to be fixed in a few days. Soon, reality sets in, and Adam and his neighbourhood must find ways to sustain themselves during these crazy circumstances.
I would recommend this book to people who enjoy actions books above the age of 12, considering some of the content of the book. However, this fast-paced novel is probably better suited for those aged 12-15. Overall, I think that The Rule of Three is an exciting yet interesting read, and I hope you enjoy reading it.