Book Report #158 The Rules of Forever

The Rules of Forever by R.A. Nelson

I should probably admit straight off that I'm biased because I have the good fortune of actually knowing the author of this book, have read a few of his books, and have come to believe that he's a damn good writer, among the best of young adult fiction I've come across.

The Rules of Forever is entirely set in a chat room. Joan and Allen are teenagers stuck in the hospital and can only connect through the hospital's chat program. They set up a private room called Forever, and make rules so they can communicate beyond the confines of their usual sick lives. So they never discuss what's wrong with them or set up specific times to meet.

They fall in love, and become huge presences in each other's lives even though they never see each other but they're just a few floors apart.

I didn't expect the ending to be as big as it was. But I should have! Mr. Nelson doesn't disappoint.

General consensus: Great stuff to expand teenagers' hearts.