Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

My 9 yr old still enjoys being read to before bed. This was the book I chose. It was a pleasant read.

I really enjoyed this book. I thought it held up to other contemporary middle grade that I have read. It deals with some heavy topics but ultimately it leaves you feeling hopeful.
I felt that the new brother-sister relationship was wholesome and nice to read. I loved the main character and how determined she was and kind.
The contest within the book was so fun to read about, i enjoyed it tremendously.
I do believe these topics are important for the younger audience and this book manages to infrom but not overwhelm. I would recommend this to younger readers. It was a lovely read

I think this book does a wonderful job of touching on some of life's most painful and difficult topics while making it approachable in a way that a middle-grade student would appreciate. I'd recommend this book to any reader of middle grade books.

Being someone that has gone through a divorce, I found this one to be well written and well thought out. Very touching story.

"How do you share a parent with a stranger?

Maggie's accustomed to leading her life perfectly according to her own well-designed plans. But when Maggie learns that she has a half-brother her own age who needs a place to stay, any semblance of a plan is shattered. Tony's mom struggles with an addiction to opioids, and now she's called upon Maggie's dad—who's also Tony's dad—to take him in."

I am usually not one to read MG books, because I feel like it's out of the age range for me, but the cover of this one got me hooked and the synopsis was interesting enough, so I thought why not try?!

And I am glad I did.

This is a beautiful, heartfelt and very delicate story about Maggie and how she deals when she finds out she has to share her dad with her half-sibling, and how family lives are sometimes complicated, especially for kids. I felt like this touched me deeply, as I read things that I related to, even as an adult, and I am not sure how a middle grader would feel reading it, as I find the subjects a bit heavy, too. Nonetheless, it was a great read, and I'm glad I picked it up. Really enjoyed Marcy Campbell's writing.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange of an honest review!

I didn't like this one, the Dad was a jerk and I couldn't with him couldn't stand him, the Mom everything she went through with her husband and the reaction about the new kid was so unbelievable. It was okay the portrayal of the MC friendship in school. I didn't like The characters so I couldn't feel sorry for them and didn't love the ending too many unanswer questions. The MC Sounded a little immature I don't recommend this one

This book looks great, but may be a little too quiet and more emotionally/character-focused than plot-driven to be a Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers. I received a print copy (thank you!) and will be reading it in that format.

Middle grade novels just have a way of bringing the reader in me home, back to all those books that made me a reader first. This was just a delightful read, one I deeply enjoyed as an adult and that I would have devoured as a kid. I particularly appreciated that it covered a lot of topics, some that some people could say are a bit heavy for a younger audience, but nonetheless issues that a lot of kids will have to face regardless of their age and I think a book like this could really help them.

Rules of Threes by Marcy Campbell is a great middle grade level family drama for a reader of that level. I liked the plot and the character development, and I typically like to read middle grade and young adult fiction, but unfortunately I felt it would be better for an audience younger than I am. Overall, I did think it was a great work, just not for me, and I would recommend it to someone of that age group.

A heavy-yet-heartfelt MG about a girl whose life is turned inside-out when she learns she has a half-brother she'd never known about. RULE OF THREES is written with perfect authenticity and humor, dealing with tough topics that range from addiction to socioeconomic disparities, all while never losing its pitch-perfect MG voice. I was excited by this story, and will certainly be looking out for more Marcy Campbell books in the future!

This is definitely NOT a middle-grade book that I expected it to be. The discussion and theme within the book is pretty HARD and DEEP for children to read. As an adult, I winced a lot of time when some scenes just hit me in the face. It's still a pretty decent book but I just can't really recommend this book to children. The situation within the book is a hard issue.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!

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How do you share a parent with a stranger?

Maggie’s accustomed to leading her life perfectly according to her own well-designed plans.

But when Maggie learns that she has a half-brother her own age who needs a place to stay, any semblance of a plan is shattered. Tony’s mom struggles with an addiction to opioids, and now she’s called upon Maggie’s dad—who’s also Tony’s dad—to take him in.

As Maggie struggles to reconcile her mom and dad’s almost-divorce, accept the Alzheimer’s afflicting her grandmother, and understand Tony’s own issues—ignorance is no longer an option. While Maggie can strive for—and even succeed in—a perfect design, when it comes to family, nothing is perfect, and tackling its complexities is only possible with an open heart.

Heart-wrenching, authentic, and darkly funny, this is a spectacularly written portrayal of the ways we respond to intense change, and proof that no matter the circumstances, the unexpected things are often the best ones.

Oh wow... I was sure glad I did not just hand this book to my 11 year old and let her read it alone. While the language used was very appropriate for the target audience, which I always appreciate, the subject matter was heavier than I originally anticipated. Not inappropriate by any means, just maybe not something to let your middle grader sit with on their own.
You will see some topics covered in Rule of Threes that might need some adult guidance such as drug addiction, Alzheimer's and infidelity. However, this makes for a rather deep and complex middle grade book, more so than many other titles you find within the genre, and it deals with these complexities beautifully.
The main cast of characters is generally likeable, the story flows well, the characters experience visible growth and the story comes to an appropriate ending. Overall, well done middle grade fiction, from beginning to end.

This book was hard for me to get into. The pace felt a little slow and I didn't relate to many of the characters or the storyline.

Maggie enjoys her calm, steady family life with just her parents. She also has two good friends, Olive and Rachel, who join her in her love of design. Maggie particularly enjoys staging rooms, and has quite a box of thrift and dollar store props, so when the school announces a decorating contest, she is super excited. The girls get to work on the office, and Maggie studies the space, talks to the secretaries, and puts in a lot of work to make improve the space. At the same time, things are not going well at home. Her father has another child-- a son born before he married Maggie's mom. When Tony's mother must go to rehab due to a pain killer addiction, he ends up having to move in with his father's family. Maggie doesn't mind that too much, but her parents do start to argue a bit more. In addition, her grandmother is showing signs of rapidly progressing dementia, and her mother is very occupied trying to find a facility for her, and dealing with her grandmother's negative reaction to the move. Things do get so bad that the grandmother moves in with the family. This causes more tension, but Maggie very nicely offers to give up her own room for Tony, since he has had so much upheaval in his life. His mother is having trouble staying in rehab, and when he gets a call that she has left, he is bound to travel back to their home and make sure she's okay. Maggie agrees to go with him, since she is suspended due to an incident involving the decorating contest, and has the presence of mine to steal Narcan from the school clinic. It's nice to have a calm life, but does upheaval sometimes make life richer?
Strengths: This had an excellent mix of friend drama, family problems, and a tween with a particular interest. I know I talk a lot about the fact that there are more literary parents who die than I have seen in real life, but I have actually had several students find out about siblings they didn't know they had, all of whom were fairly close in age, and it does cause emotional upheaval! Ailing grandparents are also something that comes up quite a bit, and dementia is all too common. Somehow, the cover captures the feel of the book perfectly.
Weaknesses: Are middle school students interested in interior design? I can't say that it has come up in 20 years of teaching, even when Trading Spaces was popular. That said, I did so love the way that the decorating contest went down. I don't want to spoil it, but it was brilliant.
What I really think: This was somewhat similar to Hopkins' Closer to Nowhere, but there is a need for depictions of opioid abuse. Ohio has a high rate of cases, and it does impact students. The information about Narcan was highly relevant, as was the depiction of a parent struggling to stay in rehab. In general, this was an upbeat book that tackled problems with some hope. I do wish that books were more positive about assisted living facilities. This might help actual students view it more positively. My mother was in one for six years, and she got much better care than she would have at home, given the severity of her Parkinson's and related dementia.

Rule of Threes is a heartwarming and fun middle grade novel about a family whose life seems to change all at once. Maggie's best friend has stopped talking to her, her grandma has Alzheimer's, and on top of that, she finds out that she has a half-brother. For her entire life, Maggie has thrived on rules and structure, so when it seems like everything is falling apart, she has no idea what to do or how to feel.

Middle grade is such a fun and underrated genre among adults, in my opinion. I not only love the genre because the books seem to be quick and often lighthearted, but they also touch my heart. Rule of Threes is not your average MG novel; there are so many great themes throughout the book that touch on family. I really enjoyed watching Maggie navigate through this season of her life because we got to see her grow and mature so much. Rule of Threes was a wonderful and captivating read that I would recommend checking out!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for the ARC of Rule of Threes by Marcy Campbell!

**Thank you publisher and NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review**

Rule of Threes refers to the phenomenon where “bad things always happen in threes.” For the main character, Maggie, she faces school trouble as she enters middle school, the discovery of her half-brother, and her grandmother's progressing Alzheimer's. As Maggie tackles all three issues at the same time, we see such growth in her character development.

Campbell addresses so many tough issues - divorce, substance abuse, neglect, etc. through authentic interactions between various characters in the book. This was such a great, relatable read! Definitely recommend for upper middle grade students!

Maggie has a lot going on. She’s starting middle school, and her friendships with her design group, the BFF’s (Best Foot Forward) are changing. Things at home are tricky, too, as her beloved grandmother is becoming more forgetful, and an infidelity from her father’s past is revealed.

But Maggie’s a big believer in the Rule of Threes, and hopes that a design contest at school will bring organization back to her life and get her relationships back on track. But when her rules push others away, Maggie has to decide if some rules are made to be broken.

One of the reasons I enjoyed this so much was that I didn’t always love Maggie, but she always felt real, and it was a joy to watch her grow as a character.

This novel tackles three big issues (drug addiction, Alzheimer’s, and a parent’s infidelity) in a way that’s accessible and relatable to opening discussion among middle grade readers.

Highly recommend!

Discovering previously unknown family makes for an emotionally complex plot already. A half-sibling your own age is a truly stark betrayal. Maggie's life is in total disarray as she must redefine her family, deal with her grandmother's decline, and address the change in her friendships that comes with the middle grade years. Three issues, any of which can support a plot all on their own. It is, perhaps, too much for a middle grade book. No one issue is explored in any real depth. The characters are pretty idealized, naturally inclined towards kindness and consideration, very little of the general self-centeredness that typifies most preteens. It's not a subtle plot but might serve as a stepping stone for kids making the transition from the obvious plots of grade school fiction to more subtle and literary books.

✱ 4.5 Stars ✱ RULE OF THREES is an absorbing middle grade family drama that tackles some serious issues, including drug addiction, Alzheimer’s, and infidelity. While these heavy subjects are presented realistically, the ending will leave readers hopeful.

Maggie is a sixth grader, just starting middle school, and she's already feeling stress from an uneasy shift in her friend group from elementary. It's a time when relationships change, and new people come into your life, but Maggie never dreamed one of them would be a half-brother she knew nothing about!

Tony is a year older than Maggie, and with his mother struggling with drug addiction, he has no choice but to live with his father who may as well be a stranger. I adored Tony and Maggie, and my heart went out to them. Their reactions to this situation beyond their control were so genuine, and I loved seeing the growth in their characters over time.

This is a thoughtful coming of age story with compelling, imperfect characters dealing with relatable struggles, and it was a delight to read. Highly recommended!