I want to thank Skyscape and NetGalley for providing me with this copy in exchange for an honest review

It's been a while since I don't read Dystopic worlds, so I was kind of worried about how I was going to feel about it, but at the same time I was excited because guys, this book sounds sensational. And I enjoyed it!, fills me with nostalgic feelings, and I remembered why I used to enjoy this genre so much

3.7/5 Stars

In this dystopian world, society is going through a critical moment because resources are very limited and only those of the upper class can enjoy some privilege. With United States on the verge of collapse, the government imposed the Rule of One, which doesn't allow couples to have more than one child and in this way is expected to reduce the growth of the population. This rule has been followed for decades, but the head of the Texas Family Planning Division himself has broken it, and now he must keep his twin daughters safe by teaching them how to live as one. Until one day everything comes to light


As I said before, I really enjoyed the plot of this book, I feel that it captures very well the essence of a world that is on the verge of collapse and of that struggle to survive and to take care of those you love no matter what. I really like how the authors combined the sci-fi aspects of the story with the dystopian and created a world that felt very real, from my point of view. I usually have difficulties when reading about technology in books, because honestly it's a point of sci-fi with which I find it difficult to get into, but in this occasion I really enjoyed that aspect, I think it's very well thought out and I was able to see it very clearly in my head.

One of the things that I enjoyed most was the relation between the sisters, it's very special that this book is also write by twin sisters, I feel that it's very unique and I loved that, besides they captured the relationship in a unique way, obviously. It also seemed to me a very good idea to divide the books alternated between the points of view of Ava and Mira, who are the twin sisters protagonists of this story, since it was very interesting to know their individual thoughts and desires, so it was much easier for me to get to know them. My personal favorite was Mira, I felt a bigger connection with her, I felt really bad for everything that she had to happen, I know it wasn't easy for any of the girls to have to live 18 years of their lives hidden and going out one at a time to the surface, but Mira, besides, has never had an identity as such herself.


Another thing that I liked a lot and I think that adds an original point to the story, is the fact that the girls belong to a privileged social position, where they have never lacked anything, so see how they then manage to surviving is even more interesting because of this. The dialogues are generally very good too, I feel that they contain a thread of reality that was great to read.

On the other hand, I would have liked a greater explanation or go a little deeper with respect to the world building, I would have liked to know better what was happening in the world, with more details. I feel that the idea is great and I really like it, but I still have questions about it, which is why I would have liked it more. Maybe we have it in the next book, or at least I hope so.


It was quite fast and easy to read, but it has moments when the plot becomes somewhat slow since there's a lot of travel, walking and searching, and this makes that not much happens for a period of time. In the end, I feel that they tryed to give the plot a unique and unexpected turn and although it was good, I don't feel that it makes much sense, even so I think that many of you could find it brilliant, and leaving that aside, I can see a clear potential for the next book and I'm interested in finding that out


I recommend it if you like dystopia with a touch of sci-fi, it's quite light to read and the plot, although it can be slowed down from time to time, doesn't become boring and I haven't lost interest at any time. If you also like good and real relationships between sisters and survival, this is a book you can't miss .

I really like the premise for this one. The story follows two twins trying to survive in a world where it is illegal to have more than one child. The twins are Ava and Mira. Mira is basically faceless and nameless since she has to take on Ava's identity. I can see why she felt lost in her sister's shadow a lot. I thought the problem with this one was that the story dragged a lot. The beginning was interesting with the switching of identities, but I thought the part where they were found out and had to run for their lives happened a little earlier in the book than I would have liked. Because of that, the world building was lacking and I wasn't able to really connect with either twin before they were running for their lives. Both twins sounded exactly the same to me and it was hard to figure out who was who. I was a bit confused by the one child policy act. They never stated how it was enforced. They kind of hinted at what happened when a woman had twins, but they never said how they made sure women wouldn't get pregnant for a second time or what happened if she did. That was some of the world building that was lacking.

Once the twins were running for their lives, I had trouble staying invested in the story. You would think their adventures on the run would make for a more fast paced story, but not so much. But towards the end, there was some relatable conflict between the twins and the story started to get way more interesting and fast paced. I also loved that the focus was on the relationship between these two sisters, I just wanted MORE relationship development between the two of them. The end was also pretty great, so even though this one was just okay, I look forward to reading the next one in the series.

The Rule of One
Ashley Saunders and Leslie Saunders
Sky Scape
5 stars

Set in a dystopian future, the Rule of One delves into the devastating effects of the policy of One Child One Nation. Multiple children in families is against the law but twins are even worse. Ava and Mira are identical twins saved by their father when they were born. Ava, the child who gets to “live” and Mira the child who technically doesn’t exist. Their mother died in childbirth and their father, an employee of the government which propagates One Child One Nation, saves them both and places them on a destructive path. They spend their days swapping back and forth, one going to school one day and the other going the next. They have fallen into this arrangement easily and all goes well until the day their father hosts a dinner for the Governor of Texas, the spearhead for the Family Planning movement, and all goes awry. The governor’s grandson, Halton, has studied the twins’ movements in school and discovers their secret identity as twins. After a horrible confrontation between Mira and Halton, the twins are forced to run to freedom. Little do they know they are destined to create big change if they can make it to safety. Their journey is riddled with danger and strife which forces them to split and survive on their own. Will they make it back together and will they make it to freedom?

This story was very well written. The book is organized by each sister getting alternating chapters to tell their story. It’s fast paced and exciting. While the story is set in a dystopian future, it is not so out there to not be believable. The authors paint a country with walls bordering the south from Mexico and the north from Canada. This is so reminiscent of how the world is today and it shows the scary next step in the progression of walling ourselves off from others. The ending certainly leaves you wanting more. This review hopes there are sequels in the future.

Many thanks given to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an Advanced Reading Copy (ARC) to review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I found this title, rather wordy, adjectives and nouns thrown in everywhere. That being said, the writing style was great, even with too many describing words.
I found the pacing to be quite odd, it would change from super fast, to slow then even slower. This made it hard for me to keep reading at my regualr pace and to enjoy the book.

The book starts off with an interesting concept. In a future where the government only allows one child per family, a set of twins are born to one of the people in charge of family planning. The sister’s live their lives interchangeably, like the Olsen twins on full house. But when their secret is discovered they have to run, leaving everything they know (including their beloved father) behind.

The over-militarized dystopian future has become so commonplace in YA that it is almost boring now. Instead of adding to the book, it nearly takes away from it. Books with this kind of setting have to have a tremendously good plot and characters to overcome the stigma.
I believe that Rule of One does. The sisters are likable and their relationship to each other is authentic (the book was written by twin sisters after all). The chapters alternate between their perspectives, so you see things from both point of views. The action is well written and keeps you reading, and the plot is driven with very few lulls.

What mainly stood out to me in The Rule of One is the twin sister relationship between Ava and Mira. The book is told in their alternating perspectives. While at the beginning it was difficult for me to tell them apart, what I appreciated is how their own internal differences are brought out as the book develops. As they realize they don't have to pretend to be the same, their point of view chapters become more individualized, as they change into their own people.

Ava and Mira have always been drilled into being the same. Sharing their experiences so they can masquerade as Ava Goodwin. The Rule of One is set in this futuristic dytopic society where not only are people supposed to only have one child, there is severe climate change. The resources of the world are scarce and the government has turned oppressive. Ava and Mira's very existence not only goes against every law in their world, but are a symbol of resistance against the current government.

I've wanted to read The Rule of One since I read the synopsis months ago. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Skyscape publishing I received a copy to review. It only took me a few hours to finish the entire book.

Twins Ava & Mira Goodwin are the main 18 year old characters in a dystopian future where the government decrees each family can only have one child, everyone is microchipped & only government Guards have guns. Definitely not a world I'd like to live in.

I SO look forward to book two. ;)

In The Rule of One, Ashley and Leslie Saunders create a dystopian world that is sooooooo different from the United States I currently live in. Climate change has drastically affected the environment making the earth a difficult place to survive. The leaders of the USA promote an “us vs. them” narrative that even includes walls on all our borders. Shockingly, the government is even controlling reproductive rights!! I mean, come on! That is a truly terrifying dystopian future that is THE EXACT WORLD WE CURRENTLY LIVE IN! Is this non-fiction? Hold up, in the book the government has scent-tracking drones, food is 3D printed, and every person has a microchip implanted in their wrist that stores all their personal information. PHEW! The book is not real, but it is close enough to our current MAGA country that it was truly terrifying!

Due to harsh living conditions and overpopulation, for the last 75 years the United States has been adhering to the Rule of One: each family is only allowed one child. The Goodwin family appears normal: dad heads the Texas Family Planning Division (the enforcers of The Rule of One), mother passed away in a home birth, and Ava Goodwin is 18, smart, and bound for success. Accept they have a secret: Ava has an identical twin sister, Mira. Ava and Mira take turns every day switching between who gets to be “Ava” and go out in the world, while the other must hide in a secret room in the basement. Obviously this is not a spoiler to say that even after 18 years of successfully fooling everyone, the secret is revealed and the twins are exposed. Ava and Mira must run for their lives from a government that seeks to erase their existence!

The story is fun and fast paced, there never is a dull moment. The book kept me up past my bedtime many nights because I just needed to know what happened next! The book felt familiar, very must so if 1984 and The Hunger Games got together and had twins. Like many successful dystopian books, the created world is just close enough to our current world to be relatable but different enough to make us think: “well, maybe this could happen!” Is it kitschy that Ashley and Leslie Saunders are twin sisters writing a book about twin sisters? I don’t think so! I enjoyed the relationship of Ava and Mira and the twin elements in the book, I think it made the book special and different from other stories in this genre.

The Rule of One ticked a lot of boxes for me:
1) Dystopian future not so different from our own: check
2) Obvious digs at our current trash government: check
3) Cool future technology that created a fully formed world for the story: check
4) Strong female lead: this book has Ava and Mira, so check check!

If you like dystopian YA and want an engaging read, then look no further! Also, book two in the series (The Rule of Many) is scheduled for publication in 2019!!

Written by twins, about twins. Interesting side note...

Enjoyed this quick YA novel, very much like the flip flopping between the two twins through the book. Great world building, and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Thanks NetGalley for the preview.

The United States has become a military state ruled by fear and oppression. The Rule of One is a strictly enforced policy that allows each family to have only one child. Eva and Mira are twins and have lived their entire life as one person. While one twin is out in the world, the other is hidden. Their father is the head of the Texas Family Planning Division and it is his job to enforce the rule that he has broken. When the twins are discovered, they have no choice but to run. They are determined to find their way to safety before the government tracks them down.

This was a fun read. I really enjoyed the dystopian world created by the authors. The character development was strong and I felt connected to the twins. I wasn't overly fond of the ending because it doesn't have any closure but, since this is book 1 in a series, it works to get people to move on to book 2. I know I'll be on the lookout for it. I recommend this one for Dystopian fans.

I received this book through Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Netgalley.com, to Skyscape, and to Ashley and Leslie Saunders for this opportunity.

Thanks for the early review copy!

I picked this because of the cover. It was well-written with a unique plot and interesting characters. I recommend this book to fans of YA science fiction

The synopsis for this book sounds promising. A future American dystopia where the population needs to be controlled. Sure, it might end up being a bit preachy (read: a lot) but there's definitely going to be some fun adventures and take down of of a dystopian government system! Action and adventure right?

Not so much. There's mostly a lot of walking in this book, I suppose it's setting up for a sequel, but it's not particularly interesting. There's a lot of fun world building at first, but the "adventure" starts a little too fast for my liking. It definitely would have benefited from exploring more of Ava and Mira's world before turning it upside down. From the brief snippet we see they have no friends, their father is a jerk, no discernible hobbies. The characters are also a little one note. Our protagonists are the only twins in existence. Which essentially makes them the chosen ones because they were born different.

Speaking of our multiple protagonists, I don't know why this book was told in two different point of views when Ava and Mira were barely distinct characters. I could almost never tell who's part I was reading outside of the first page of a chapter. Mira is maybe slightly more rebellious. I suppose it makes sense that they're identical right down to their inner thoughts mostly but it makes it terribly pointless to flop between them. A book from just Mira's point of view would have been much more interesting.

The side characters are non-existent. They're...there I suppose but none of them seem to have any development or worth. They enter, help Ava and Mira along, and then vanish from their lives forever with very little fanfare. Why are they doing what they're doing? How has this horrible world survived so long? The only explanation we're given is "guns". Guns keep objectively evil people in power and no one really...cares that much?

The whole books reads like thinly veiled preaching about subjects the book only has vague knowledge on. Remember global warming? That's bad. Keeping immigrants out? Also bad now Canada keeps US out. Government surveillance? Bad but also very low tech, make up will fool it sometimes. I mean these are all ideas I agree with in general but the book just sort of throws them all together.

With such sparse world-building and empty characters, I don't feel like this America is worth saving. I don't care if Ava and Mira succeed because most Americans seem pretty fine with how things are. Did they vote for this? Is there still a president? Is America now a dictatorship? None of this is really clear, and the book hasn't really made me care.

Honestly, this book was SUCH a drag for me. I figured I should try some YA dystopia again since that was literally my shit before and I freaking loved it. This story offers nothing new, it's boring, it's predictable and the writing is was okay-ish. The two sisters we are shown are likeable (no, not all characters need to be likeable but it doesn't hurt when you feel like you've read a novel like 200 times before.)

Honestly, as far as the story comes - I'm not a fan and I think the authors would have done better with something else. The writing comes off at times at chopped but it isn't bad. The writing isn't lyrical or what I'd consider beautiful but it gets the message across and it wasn't hard to keep up. The book has two POVs, and honestly this threw me off. Separating between the twins is impossible, and to be honest made the reading experience worse.

However, I wouldn't recommend this further. There are better books out there, written better and with a story that engages and keeps you thinking about it after you've finished. This was not it for me.

I really wanted to enjoy this book, it had everything going for it with the overall idea but the characters themselves and some of the plot fell a little flat. The idea of a "rule of one" is brilliant, I love the idea of twins having to pretend to be one person. But the major plot points are clumsily fitted together at times with filler scenes and I really struggled to see any of the characters as realistic or to have any empathy for their plights. I love the concept, just a shame about the lack of depth for the characters.

This wanted to be a good book and I really wanted it to be a good book too! I tried. I promise I did. But something about the writing style just didn't work for me, and it felt like a slog. This is a somewhat original idea as far as YA dystopian novels go, but it's definitely not an original concept in general. I can't even place why, it just ... did not hit the mark for me. I'm sorry.

At first glance this books summary sounds super interesting but then at a second glance I started to realize that this book sounds familiar. Like I've read something before like this book. Then it hit me. I have. Back in elementary I was obsessed with getting books from scholastic book catalogs through my school. I got this one series called the Shadow Children series by Margaret Peterson Haddix. Now let me tell you about the Shadow Children series. In an dystopian country who suffer food shortages due to a drought a new law is put into play by the population police who now control the government. The law states that no family shall have no more than two children. Most family have to hide away their children in fear that their children would be taken away and forced to work. In The Rule of One the government creates a law stating that no family could have more than one child. Any other children are forced to be put into work plants. Ava and Mira are twins living in this society. Ava is the child that's considered the only one to exist. Together they take turns living as one person. Living and acting like they both are Ava. Now as you can tell the books are quite similar with those points but I've heard a few other people talking about how there's a lot of other books like this one.

The characters were very annoying. Ava had a bad day at school and instead of going up for this important diner with her father and the governor she guilt trips her sister, Mira, into going up for her. Then when Mira is found out by the governor's grandson Ava blames her for it all. Honestly I hated the sisters so much. I didn't like how it was confusing with telling them apart from each other. Yes they are twins and yes they have to be the same person in order to survive but there's nothing really to set the two apart besides a scar. They didn't seem like they were different people at all and that made it boring. After they were found out you start to see pieces of who Mira is as a person but most of it is just her trying to be different from her sister any way possible. I couldn't connect with the characters nor could I be afraid for them. The book was just meh. I didn't like it and I couldn't finish it. There's no way I could keep reading it. I got around 90% on the e-book and stopped. I didn't feel the need to read it any further. The characters and plot was just not for me. The writing style wasn't something I was particular fond of either. Each chapter switches point of views unnecessarily. It gives us no more information or details to move along the story or deepen the plot. Characters are introduced and taken out so easily through out the novel that it makes you wonder why where they even there in the first place. Overall I thought this book was lacking in everything. But that's just my honest option of this book and you may like this book. I really hope that this book is better in it's published form. I was provided a copy of this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Oppressive regimes cracking down on the number of children people can have isn't a new idea, but the Saunders give it a unique spin that kept me interested in this book the whole way through. The girls weren't perfect or cookie cutter, they each had their own strengths that kept the story moving nicely. It's all a huge setup for the next book, of course, but I'll be watching out for that one to see what happens next.

It did count a little too heavily on people being familiar with specific areas of the USA, but I struggled through. It's still more or less understandable.

A good, exciting read.


Receiving an ARC did not alter my review in any way.

My thanks to NetGalley for a Kindle ARC of The Rule of One.

The Rule of One suffers from all the familiar dystopian cliches pulled from many more famous books like the Hunger Games; a dangerous and new future which everyone is monitored, a treacherous ordeal the protagonists must endure so they can change the world. Because only they can do it. Just them.

I don't read many YA or dystopian books anymore because they all sound the same but I selected The Rule of One based on its premise of the one child policy, a policy implemented by China back in 1980, so nothing original there.

** Minor spoilers ahead **

Twins Eva and Mira live a double life, swapping places to attend school as their father, a high ranking government official, does everything he can to protect his daughters.

When their duplicity is revealed after a very cheesy scene, the twins go all Luke and Leia Skywalker and are on the run, hoping to survive to restart the rebellion their mother was once a part of. Naturally.

Yawn. Nothing new here.

There is a moment where the incensed population, with knowledge of the twins survival, are leading a chant that goes something like 'Save the twins' which, for some reason, brought to mind the 'Let Donna Martin graduate' chant from Beverly Hills, 90210. That meant I laughed whenever the 'Save the twins' line was shouted.

For the most part, the action was quite tedious as the twins slogged their way across the wasteland, searching for allies and safe houses. Been there, read that before.

What I disliked was how despite their father's tutelage in to lay low, , all his concerns about preparing for their escape once they were discovered, he also didn't teach them any fighting or survival skills for what would happen if (when) they had to run for their lives.

The twins are very sheltered (understandable considering who their father is), very privileged (ditto to dad), and it was hard to like them, much less care about their ordeal.

I know its too early to say because there is a second book, but I didn't get any sense of Ava or Mira's as potential leaders, their strengths and abilities to become part of the Rebel Alliance but then Luke didn't seem like he knew what he was doing, either, in the beginning. Leia did, though. She always knew what her destiny was going to be.

The world building is okay, nothing to write home about, a bunch of lingo and slang to describe the oppressive regime everyone now lives under. The action starts abruptly, and we are thrown into the twins' plight with very little exposition.

The world building would have benefited from a much more exotic location, like a similar, not that different, futuristic China, not unlike how author Marissa Meyer's Cinder series is set in.

I would have cared about the twins, been more invested in their plight, if they were from a marginalized community. That would have made their ordeal more arduous, set them on a path with more dangerous foes/frenemies as obstacles, allowed them to use their street smarts to figure out a way out of their current predicament would have made for a more entertaining, realistic, gritty read.

One thing I did like: no potential boyfriends or love interest in sight. That's what the extra star is for.

But then there's always the next book.

The Rule of One by Ashley Saunders and Leslie Saunders is the first book in the young adult science fiction dystopian series by the same name. The story is told by alternating the point of view between the two twin main characters and is set in the not so far off future of the US.

Due to the shortage of food and supplies in the United States the government began enforcing the Rule of One, that no family shall have more than one child to curb the population. Everyone has followed that rule for decades with the exception of the head of the Texas Family Planning Division.

One of the most powerful men in Texas and in charge of enforcing the Rule of One has held a secret in his own household, one that his wife died for. Eighteen years ago Ava and Mira were born in secret and have shared their life switching back and forth to avoid detection but the twins live in fear of discovery.

The Rule of One by Ashley Saunders and Leslie Saunders is a fast paced dystopian that takes off right away and doesn’t slow down. If anything I thought the majority of the story was well done in this dystopian tale but I did leave with a few questions that could have been answered with a bit deeper world building. However, that aside Ava and Mira’s predicament certainly grabbed my attention and made me want to know what would happen next.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

The Rule of One is about twin sisters sharing a single identity in an America that is full of propaganda and surveillance and has a one child rule. A story told about twins by twins as only they can tell what it must really be like. An own voices novel in a dystopian world filled with oppression, surveillance and rebellion stands out as these twin sisters fight for their right to live.

The Rule of One was a short fast paced read that kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I found myself yelling at the book and the characters as the plot surprised me with twist after twist. This is quite the suspenseful read and I warn you now that you might have a hard time setting it down.

Told in alternating first person chapters Mira and Ava begin the novel sharing Ava's identity, but slowly carve out their own voices, becoming individuals. Mira has an especially hard time with this as she is the second born, and thus, the one that shouldn't have been born. Though the twins appear very similar in the beginning, as the novel goes on their differences become more apparent. Ava is the calm one who is meticulous about details. Mira is a bit more bold and emotional. Both their relationship and survival are challenged throughout this novel and it is interesting to watch these characters grow.

I have read some novels recently with similar ideas, Mirage and Impostors, but The Rule of One still manages to stand out with it's non-stop action and message of rebellion against oppression. I love that this story about twins is written by twins Ashley and Leslie Saunders. I would recommend this suspenseful dystopian to everyone, this book blew me away.