I was excited because the first chapter of this book started out like The Perks of Being a Wallflower which is one of my favorite books but unfortunately, it went downhill after that. I didn't really have any huge problems with any of the characters, most of them were just unlikable. I never felt like there was a real plot, I felt like it was just jumping from one idea to the next. A lot of the scenes felt completely unbelievable and I had to keep considering "hey, maybe this is just a dream or someone's imagination" in the way that a lot of cartoons have a dream sequence and then we later find out that it never happened but everything was supposed to be taken seriously which really broke my immersion. Quite a few scenes were cringey and while occasionally it did feel very spot on to how teenagers act (talking about current video games) it still had so much that teenagers wouldn't do. I started to lose interest almost immediately when reading Helen's chapter because she seemed like she was trying so hard to not be the helpless girl but it just made her seem irritating. I really knew I wasn't going to like it when there was an entire court scene for breaking a kid's arm. I didn't want to DNF because I wanted to give a fair opinion but it really didn't redeem itself like I had hoped. Absolutely do not recommend this one.

Other young adult novels bring the rich, diverse, emotionally resonant lives of teens or adolescents to life, this book does not. Instead of evocative language or compelling characters this book relies on easy tropes and crude dated language. Not recommended.

DNF. This book fell short for me. I couldn't get into the side stories, and the book did not read well on an e-reader. I got about 20% into it.

3.5 stars

The Groston Rules is a coming-of-age American high school drama.

This is the final school year for Isaac and his diverse group of friends; it should be an easy coast to the end. However, a catalogue of disasters befalls the friends and their school; it looks like the only memories they’ll have of their final year will be bad ones. So they work together to create The Groston Rules and design their own commemorations.

Isaac and his friends are a lively bunch, the dialogue flows well, filled with teenage slang and plenty of swearing. I thought that the author did a great job making the male characters come alive; however, the female ones, particularly Helen, lacked enough feminine mannerisms to make them plausible.

Each chapter has a colour photo heading accompanied by a quote from one of the characters from the book, while the episodes are peppered with footnote markers; their explanations are located at the end of each chapter. I found the footnotes irritating when reading this in kindle format. In my opinion this style would suit a paperback version better.

Overall, this is a humourous adolescent tale suitable for older young adult readers. Although I was invited to read this for review purposes, I know that I’m not the target audience. The story was okay, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as I had hoped.

Great “last year make it count” novel. Quite a cast of loveable misfits. I thoroughly enjoyed following this crew during their senior year.

Groston Rules is a new YA novel by Mark Binder. Centering on a group of friends during their senior year and the many things that go right and wrong. The story hits all the right buttons and is funny and poignant. The cast of characters are diverse without falling into the trap of just having diverse characters to check off boxes. Each character is important to the story and serves a very specific purpose.

This is definitely the kind of book to put in the hand of someone who has read and enjoyed John Greens Teen books like Paper Towns and The Fault in Our Stars. Binder cleverly uses a balanced approach to foul language. Not shying away from it and using it in a way that reflects reality. Teens in their senior year are going to swear, not having an occasional swear word in a story about senior year, would be unrealistic.

Verdict: This is a book I would give as a gift to teens who like to read and teens who aren’t crazy about reading. There is enough here to please the avid readers and reluctant readers alike.

High school senior, Isaac, and his friends "The Bomb Shelter Gang" found each other in middle school and continued to hang out with each other. They are admittedly comfortable and middle-class and enjoy their diverse group. Diverse in nearly every way possible: abilities, racial, gender, and sexuality. They don't notice their diversity and are puzzled when others comment on it.

Torrential rains cause the dam in the neighboring town of Fectville (take a moment and you will figure out the nickname. If you don't the book spells it out for you quite succinctly) to break, followed by an immediate deep freeze which destroys the high school and paralyzes the city. The students are bussed to Fectville High for the remainder of their senior year and are quite miserable. As their lives play out far from the expected script of coasting through senior year, the friends hatch an amazing plan to reclaim their school and graduation from the Fectville "....Feckers....."

What a great book! I loved Isaac's view on the world and how confusing it is to be a teen in the 21st century. The diversity is natural and sensical - not a forced "see how diverse this book is" that I am unfortunately beginning to see more and more. I always like when kids have a strong voice and exercise their right to be heard and this book also carries that theme.

This is another book where my newfound stinginess with a 5 rating is causing me angst. It is a 4-star....but understand it is a 4++. I hope to see this on some state reading award lists.