Review: Amelia Rules

Amelia Rules: True Things (Adults Don't Want Kids to Know)

Written and Illustrated by Jimmy Gownley

This book is appropriate for children who are going through, or have gone through, a divorce. For all other students, the behaviour in this book will seem extreme. There is a lot of yelling and physical angry outbreaks. Relationships seem tense, edgy, and uncertain. 

Amelia, as she appears on the cover, looks like an ordinary young girl. Certainly with her blonde hair and pretty face it is easy to make the assumption that this will be a "girly" sort of book. Amelia is a kid who seems to have everything, but the one thing she is missing--parents--is the greatest thing that sets her apart. The author often makes meta-literary statements in regard to why characters act out, blaming actions on insecurity or childhood trauma. 

The theme of the book is that adults claim to know more about life than children do, but really, there are things that adults can learn from children too.

Language and hateful speech:

There is a lot of yelling in this book between characters, and the language can often be hateful. The book opens with the quote "The main difference between boys and girls is that girls mature slightly faster and boys are idots."

In another quote, one young girl makes a belittling remark against the elderly, in a scene that is meant to be humorous: "Y'Know what's cheerful about an old folks home? Nothing! Well, there was the big crash when we coaxed those ten octogenerians into a human pyramid. But that was more funny than cheerful."

It is clear that Amelia's foul language is meant to be a repetition of what she is hearing being yelled at home. Her mother and aunt, with whom she lives, often argue loudly with each other. In turn, Amelia yells at her friend, "Shut up, Rhonda! You just don't get it! Tanner quit cuz of the business! And, like, getting jerked around! And, like...uh...society and stuff!"

In another scene, a young girl pretending to be a cheerleader at an ipportune moment is called a "hateful witch."

In fact, it seems that in every interaction with her friends, Amelia is either yelling or being yelled at. At the very end of the book, Amelia makes what appears to be a courageous move to yell (swear--it's "censored"--) at her supposed love interest. He has just told her that he was just pretending to like her to mess with her. She punches him on the arm. In true karma fashion, the love interest saunters away, falls, and breaks his leg.

Age Appropriateness

Amelia is eleven, and even at this young age she has clearly experienced more relationship trauma than is probably healthy. The author makes no hesitation to demonstrate how her parent's divorce has affected her relationships; when her parents fought, the worse she felt, and the meaner she became to her friends. 

Also at eleven, there is a lot of talk about romantic relationships between characters. Amelia daydreams about kissing boys and goes to the mall to meet up with romantic love interests. 

Positive Messages

Amelia's aunt Tanner tells her that "a cute, confident girl is much more powerful than a jedi."

In the end, Amelia's role model, her aunt "Tanner", shows that it is much more important to follow your dream than to risk failure.

My Opinion:

I didn't enjoy this book for its consistent negativity. While fights are normally resolved, there is an underlying and uncomfortable tension between characters through the length of the story. The book gives a cynical look towards relationships, with few characters willing to self-sacrifice for the good of the other. There is a strong bond between Amelia and her aunt Tanner, one of the only true love bonds in the book, though whether Tanner is a good role model is also questionable. Tanner dresses immodestly, professes in the opening quote that boys are "idiots", and is pushy and unwieldy with her sister and other characters.

I understand the point the book is trying to make and think that some children would connect with the character of Amelia. I don't think, however, that the story is a must-read for all children.