Exception To The Rule by Cindy Rizzo

Northerner Robin Greene and Southerner Tracey Patterson first meet when they arrive at Adams University, near Boston, for their first semester.

Both girls are experienced in the art of seduction. Each girl has arrived at college with her own set of self imposed rules.

Robin’s set of values includes holing herself up in her room and pursuing her writing, until she can get back to her homeless friends in New York City. Robin tells herself frequently that she won’t have anytime for blonde haired princesses like Tracy, with all her southern charm and her girly looks.

Tracy, herself, isn’t enamored with loud mouthed, brash northerners like Robin. The older, more sophisticated woman is more Tracy’s style. In fact, she’s got her sights set high on just the right woman to while away the time. Certainly not Robin though. Tracy’s rules stemmed from her home in Durham, North Carolina. She had set her life up with her gay best friend as her beard and pursued a number of older women, including her mother’s best friend.

As time goes by, both Robin and Tracy begin to realize that the person who will become the most important in their lives, will be the exception to the rule.

This is Cindy Rizzo’s debut book. What a brilliant first book. It’s very well written and edited, a pure joy to read. I love the storyline. Although this is a young adult book, it can be enjoyed by all. In fact, although I’m not American and of course the settings are different, it brought back a lot of previously hidden emotions for me.

This is a wonderful story of self discovery and coming out. Cindy Rizzo really gets into the hearts and minds of her characters. Although the story primarily focuses on Robin and Tracy, Angie, a secondary character plays a large supporting part in their lives. So, this is in effect a story of three girls in college, their ambitions, lives, loves. loss, emotional pain, angst and turmoil, with a nice touch of humor throughout to lighten their tumultuous journeys. All these characters are fully developed and multi-faceted and are a delight to get to know.

This book is so much more than a run of the mill romance with teen anxieties thrown in. It’s a true to life, right down to the point story of homelessness amongst the LGBT population, homophobia, coming out, family acceptance and much, much more.

Cindy Rizzo has written a blockbuster of a debut novel. A story that hit me right in the heart and had me racing through the pages to finish the book. So, yes, this is a page turner. One that I will definitely re-read soon.

I would love to see a sequel with these characters. They are too good to not appear again.