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.

The Rule of One is a book I've read before. Not literally of course. It had elements from many other dystopian stories. The immediate ones that come to mind are The Hunger Games, Glitch, Partials, Grace and Fury, Legend, Perfected, Uglies, and The 100.

The Rule of One started out strong. Mira and Ava are twins from Texas living in a near future society suffering from climate change and overpopulation. Families are only allowed by law to have one child. Mira and Ava have perfected being Ava. Everything changes when their secret is discovered by a character I thought would be more important. I'm still upset they weren't. <spoiler>I really wanted Halton to be a love interest for Mira.</spoiler> 😭💔

Suddenly, shocker, (insert sarcasm here) Mira and Ava are running for their lives. At this point I got a little bored from the repetiveness and lack of resoultion.

While I sort of enjoyed The Rule of One, I'm starting to think I've outgrown the dystopian genre. Especially, when they don't offer anything new.

*Thank you Netgalley and Skyscrape for allowing me to review The Rule of One.*

*Thank you to NetGalley and Skyscape for sending me an advanced copy of this book to review. All the opinions in this review are my own.*
This book for me was just okay, but I can see why others would enjoy it. The concept was really interesting, though when reading t really reminded me of Children of Eden, though that may because I just recently read that. I haven't found too many books based on the idea of limited reproduction with a one-child rule, and this one was good. The writing was good, I really enjoyed the author's style and it didn't feel like it had two authors which was nice. Sometimes books with more than one author can read as disjointed or inconsistent, which this one didn't. I would definitely be interested in reading other books by these two, either together or separately.

I didn't really connect with any of the characters or their story. The book was written from the alternating perspectives of the twins and I honestly couldn't tell the difference between the two characters which for me was disappointing. The two characters weren't really two separate characters, and I know that the twins are supposed to have spent their entire lives pretending to be one person but that wouldn't completely erase their individuality. I think that if their perspectives had really been nailed the story would have been much better. I don't think I'll continue with the series just because I didn't really connect with it, but you never know.

Review. THE RULE OF ONE by Ashley and Leslie Saunders. In the future we are microchipped ,constantly monitored and you are only allowed to have one child. But what happens when you have twins? Excellent book. I really enjoyed this storyline and will be watching for more by the authors. ⭐⭐⭐⭐Four stars.

This is such a unique story, and the writing is completely captivating and interesting! I really liked the one child rule situation, reminds me of some modern day events, and the ending was so brilliant! I can't wait for book two!