I absolutely cannot watch a scary movie but I love reading books that feel like one. The Rule of Three definitely hit the mark on a creeping, eerie read that made me double check the door lock. I had to read this one in small installments because it started feeling too scary - which is exactly what I was looking for! Fans of Alex North and C.J. Tudor will love this one.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
The synopsis of this book sounded interesting to me so I requested a copy to read.
Unfortunately, I have tried reading this book on 2 separate occasions and during this 2nd attempt, I have decided to stop reading this book
and state that this book just wasn't for me.
I wish the author, publisher and all those promoting the book much success and connections with the right readers.

I remember being fascinated by urban legends when I was younger. It seemed to be a common theme in the late 90s, even in movies. (Urban Legends in 1998 anyone? 🤓) Sam Ripley’s The Rule of Three really builds on those trends and those vibes.

Bad things happen in threes? Or do they? Amy lost her sister in an accident, then her parents both at the same time. Is the curse coming for her next? The book is divided into 3 sections and I really enjoyed getting the details of the story this way. It was also really “fun” and twisted how it all comes together in the end!

This is a slow burn, character driven thriller. At times it was easy to forget that we as reader have more information than the characters! The end was beautifully executed and was probably my favorite part.

A huge thank you to Atria Books & Emily Bestler Books for my ARCs in exchange for an honest review!

This sounded like a great plot, but then it dragged on and on and took me forever to finish. There were too many irrelevant details and the characters didn't behave believably, and then there was no explanation for anything that happened.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

Said to be similar in vibes to The Whisper Man and The Blair Witch Project, it was an immediate read for me...
I was really excited for this read, but unfortunately about 35% of the way through I had to DNF it. I try not to DNF when possible, but this book wasn't really for me. The build-up was pretty slow and overall I felt lost throughout what I read.

Do you believe bad things happen in three? Is it a coincidence, an Urban Myth or a curse?
The myth on campus was that one girl’s sibling died. Then her parents. Then, well, of course, her. You may not believe in it. Others in this story didn’t until it came for them too.
This was a very slow build of a story. And honestly, I was confused for a lot of it. There were several POVs told through their journals and unreliable narrators which had me wondering where it was going, what was happening and what was part delusion. The ending didn’t disappoint, though, with a twist upon twist but you have to get there first.

The Rule of Three
By Sam Ripley

Amy is a young woman whose sister died in a car accident and whose parents died together – supposedly by suicide – leaving her alone with her mental health issues and her heavy drug use and lots of money.

The rule of threes – that bad things happen in threes – preys on Amy's mind. She is convinced that she will die soon as per the rule of three. But shouldn't her parents count as 2 and 3?

The slow build here made the book very hard going for me. In fact, I followed my own rule – if a book doesn't grab me in the first 100 pages, I stop reading. That's what happened here. Maybe if I had continued it all would have made more sense, but I just lost interest.

I didn’t like this book, unfortunately. I was expecting it to be a lot creepier, but it just ended up being a paranoid delusion stream of consciousness.

I couldn’t finish this novel and really struggled to find things that made it worth finishing.

Bad things happen in threes… or do they? Is it really bad luck, a superstition/myth/curse or is someone orchestrating everything? Three young women work to figure it out before it is too late; each shares their experience through their own journal.

The story follows Amy, Ila and Eve. They have nothing in common except they lived through tragedies that left them as the sole survivor of their family, and that they are trying to get to the bottom of the rule of three before they die too.

It was a slow burn and it was sometimes hard to get through. I wasn’t a huge fan of Ila’s POV as it seemed to move the slowest. Everything did come together at the end, and the twist was one I did not see coming.

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I thought this book was going to be suspenseful and full of horror. The premise was interesting and the cover drew me in. Unfortunately, I didn't find this book interesting or suspenseful in anyway. I just felt bored throughout and I just didn't care about the story or the characters.

I hope others love this one.

Sam Ripley's novel is incredibly well-written and exceeded my expectations. As someone who is highly superstitious, I was instantly captivated by the story, and it did not disappoint. By the end of chapter two, I was completely hooked and devoured all 336 pages in one sitting. This is a phenomenal book that is an absolute must-read for spooky season!

The Rule of Three by Sam Ripley is an incredible suspenseful novel that I really enjoyed.

We all know about the rule of three, but is it really true?

The story is well crafter and perfectly paced with enough twists and turns to keep me excited.

Loved it!

The Rule of Three explores the myth/superstition that bad things happen in threes. Told from the viewpoints of 3 girls that have lost their parents and their only sibling under mysterious circumstances, this is a fun and fast-paced thriller. There are definitely some scenes that may be triggering for those in recovery from drug/alcohol abuse but they only involve one character and are mostly confined to the first third of the book.
This one is probably best to go in relatively blind, but it was an engaging read and the focus on the number 3 was a unique spin.
Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book

3.5 stars.

For the first about 25% I was worried I really wasted going to like it. While I liked Amy's story I just didn't like her as a main character, however once we dove deeper into the story I realized the point of each character and I really enjoyed how they all pieced together at the end.

Thank you to the publishers, author and Netgalley for allowing me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. I look forward to more from Sam Ripley.

The Rule of Three by Sam Ripley is a horror story based on the myth: The Rule of Three. DON'T FORGET THE RULE OF THREE- IT'S COMING FOR YOU LIKE IT CAME FOR ME. Unfortunately the first part of the story just did not draw me in enough and seemed too juvenile, like more of a Fear Street type of book so I put it down.

The different stories we get while following along this Rule of Three curse is interesting. The way it continues to happen to so many people in a matter of decades and the way some people react to the curse is engaging because it’s like watching a psychological thriller movie. I really liked the writing style of this one, and I was guessing until the very end. It’s super fast paced and I eventually didn’t want to put it down because of the need to know what was going to happen to these characters, the ending is full of twist after twist that you don’t see coming, and I highly recommend this one to anyone looking for a new psychological thriller to enjoy!

I guess I just was not feeling this. I don't think my opinion is a reflection of the book or the author. I am maybe just not in the right headspace. It just was not working for me.

Fantastic! I found this entertaining, creepy, immersive - all my favorite qualities in a read. Just when I thought I knew where the story was going, I'd be pleasently surprised to be wrong! A great, super quick read.

"First thing: take a deep breath...I know you're terrified...I know no one believes you...I'll tell you...every little detail...so pay attention...what you'll read didn't save me...perhaps...we can save you."

Now that's how you start a trippy twisty thriller! The Rule Of Three, by uniquely clever mystery thriller author, Sam Ripley, is a paranoia inducing tale that will leave your mind blown.

Three young women, almost 10 years between their own story; a total of 30 years of death, of the rule of three proven true...or something more sinister?

We start with Amy. Her sister's dead, in 3 years so are her parents. Now another 3 years have passed. Hearing the urban myth of bad things comes in threes, she starts to wonder if her death is imminent. She keeps a journal to prove it's not a curse but a rule.

Ten years later, Ila hears the same myth but now it's attached to a girl who kept a journal about it. Ila's brother is dead, so are her parents, 3 years apart. It's now 3 years later. She investigates Amy. What she discovers is ominous. She starts to keep a journal.

Ten years later Eve doubts this myth but she does have similarities to Amy and Ila. She becomes obsessed and concludes what if it's not supernatural sinister but human evil?

Voice actors Sarah Pitard, Sandra-Mae Lux, Katie Beudert and Richard Attlee are a little too real as these fearful characters. Reading the book, with the writer's compelling page turning prose, was a goosebumps thrill. I wanted one more chapter detailing the hows and whys.

We all know the saying bad things come in threes. But do they? Is it just coincidence or do we look for the bad things to prove the myth? Is it a rule of three or the rule we just believe?

I received a free copy of this book/audiobook from the publishers via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley, Atria Books, Atria Thrillers, and Simon and Schuster for this copy of "The Rule of Three."

Spooky books are probably my favorite so I'm going to be reading lots of them through Halloween - and surely beyond.

This book was so creepy about girls who hear about "the rule of three" and are convinced that they're going to die.

The story was laid out so well as each girl hears the urban legend, finds out the specifics, tries to validate them with truths, and starts to fear for her life.

And the ending.... wow!