The Rule of Won, by Stefan Petrucha

This was a pretty awesome book. I found it in the YA section (very recently discovered!) of our library. Obviously, the cover just draws you in. Doesn't it just look mysterious? ^_~ I've never heard of the author, but he's definitely got a great style, and the story is one of great intrigue. Oh, okay. I'll stop being all vague and tell you a little of what it's about.

Does anyone remember when the DVD "The Secret" came along, closely followed by the book? The Law of Attraction? Anything you want is yours as long as you're thinking strongly enough about it? Money, toys, relationships, health? The universe is abundant and all you have to do is ask? Well, if you haven't heard about "The Secret," this is a great story in which a parody of that book is used to demonstrate the wrong ways this power can be used. (I don't know how you might not have heard of "The Secret". I've seen it spoofed on an episode of the Simpsons as "The Answer". A hilarious episode. ^_^)

Screech High school student Caleb Dunne is proud to be known as a slacker. He's slightly lazy, a procrastinator, easy-going, not in a rush, tries to take the easy way out as much as possible. This doesn't make him a bad guy, or even bad in school. He's actually very likable, easy to relate to, and he does well enough in class. One day his girlfriend convinces him to join this new after-school club that wants to try implementing the principles of an explosive new book, "The Rule of Won." Apparently all you have to do is think positively and repeat affirmations to yourself that what you want is already yours and eventually it will manifest in real life. For a lazy person like Caleb, this sounds like a pretty interesting idea.

However the leader of this club, Ethan, is frankly a bit creepy. He believes in the Rule a little bit too much. Still, he convinces the club that the Rule is real and actually works, urging them to try it out for themselves. Every 3 chapters in the book it shows this message board, kind of like a forum for all the club members to speak their minds about what they want. At each meeting, they pick someone's desire, or Crave, and try to "imanifest" it together by chanting and thinking positively.

For a while, this power seems to actually work. They wish for better funding for their school, and they get half a million dollars! They wish that their sucky basketball team will win them the next game, and they win! But wait, something doesn't seem right. The school was up for a grant anyway, didn't anyone see the bulletin board a month ago? And the other team came down with the flu, so of course they lost the game easy. Is the Rule really working, or is everything just a strange coincidence? Would you use the Rule to get what you want, even if it bode ill for someone else?

But it's too late. The Rule of Won has turned into a school religion. If you don't believe, you might get beat up. And the next group Crave is for everyone to pass their next Algebra test. Without studying. Because you don't have to work to get what you want. You just have to wish it, and it will happen... won't it?

That was just the first half of the book. I don't want to take all the mystery out of it, so you'll just have to read it for yourself. But the story is really cool and thought-provoking, as well as just an exciting story to follow. And it's quite rare that I read a book that doesn't have at least some fantasy element. It was stationed in as real a world as you can imagine, and I really enjoyed it. I hope you do too.