Project Paper Doll: The Rules clashes the worlds of science fiction and teen romance in a whirlwind of genetics and alien superpowers. Author Stacey Kade will visit Prairie Ridge on April 2 to speak to English classes and responded to my questions over email.

The story centers around the life of sixteen-year-old Ariane Tucker, a junior in high school who just wants to blend in. Partly because she wants to be normal, but mostly because she is an escaped genetic experiment whose life depends on following her father’s rules to keep her secluded.

Q: The idea of the genetic advancement using alien DNA is not by any means a common storyline one would encounter in a bookstore. What was your inspiration for creating the world of The Rules?

A: To me, it just seemed sort of a logical leaping-off point, if you assume that all the rumors about the Roswell crash are true. There have long been conspiracy theorists who pointed to the advancements in technology that happened rather abruptly after 1947. 🙂 The idea being that human scientists took technology from the ship and reverse-engineered it for our use here.

 So, I started wondering what we, as human beings, might do to advance ourselves after encountering a more developed being. I think human beings have been looking for a way to defeat their enemies (human and otherwise) from the beginning of time, pretty much. So, of course, they’d try to find a way to use their knowledge of genetic engineering to create a better/stronger/scarier version of a human as a weapon.

What I think is most interesting about this topic, though, is that most people seem to consider genetic engineering a distant, far-off, science fiction-y type concept. But it already plays a big role in our food production. And it may eventually play a role in who we are. If you can eliminate a faulty gene in a person, should you? What happens if you do?

(Check out the very awesome movie Gattaca for more on this idea, minus the aliens, of course!)

Ariane questions the authenticity of what she has been taught. This line from the beginning sets up the Ariane’s struggle: “I followed these Rules faithfully for ten years, once I was old enough to understand what they meant. The trouble with rules, though, is that you’ll always be tempted to break one—for the right reasons, due to unavoidable circumstances, because it feels as if there’s no other choice. And once you break one, the rest seem like so much broken glass. The damage is already done.”

Although I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Rules, it was difficult for me to understand the easily trusting personality of the series’ heroine Ariane. Considering she had been running for ten years,  I naturally assumed that she would be distrusting of those around her and would need serious convincing and reason to trust others. But to my astonishment, not only did she choose to trust others, but she did so quickly and wholeheartedly. How could a distrusting person so quickly develop an attachment to others and abandon all she has known previously? I asked Kade about Ariane’s choosing to trust someone other than her father.

Q: Throughout the book, Ariane questions if love and trust has made her weak. Is love more of a hindrance to progress, or is it something that is a helpful asset for someone to have in difficult times?

A: Love makes us vulnerable, makes us easier to hurt. And from Ariane’s perspective, that makes an already dangerous situation for her even worse. Because, at some point in life, it’s pretty much guaranteed that we will be hurt by someone we love or someone who loves us. But what I think what Ariane eventually realizes is that the reward of loving and being loved for who you are is worth taking the risk. The miracle of that connection with another person outweighs the possibility of eventual hurt.

Q: But do you think high school students like Ariane and Zane from this book can experience real love, or is it all just infatuation?

A: I do! I think we all feel the pain and intensity of love, even if it’s what some call a crush. Just because, in the instance of a crush, those feelings may not be returned doesn’t make them any less real, you know?

As I’ve gotten older, one of the things I’ve figured out is that love is often how someone else makes you feel about yourself. Someone makes you feel smart, funny, or attractive. How can you not love someone who makes you feel good about yourself? 😉 And that, I think, can happen at any age.

I do think that an integral part of love, lasting love, is knowing who you are and being comfortable with who you are. I spent a good number of years trying to figure out who other people wanted me to be. But that’s kind of a futile way to approach love. Even if it works, they’ll be in love with someone you’re not! 🙂

That’s why I think I’m drawn to stories where identity and love are all sort of tangled up. Like in The Rules, where Ariane and Zane are both figuring out who they are and falling in love. 🙂

I cannot reveal a majority of what I loved about the book because that would mean huge spoilers, but let me assure the potential readers that it is DEFINITELY worth reading due to its remarkably unpredictable ending. I will bet my own beloved copy of the book that you will never guess the ending!

Kade will likely offer some advice on writing when she visits PR on April 2. Here are some last thoughts she shared for potential authors:

Q: What is your advice to those interested in pursuing writing?

A: Write for the love of telling stories. Write because you love it and you would do it even if you weren’t getting paid. Because it’s a long and difficult journey at times, and you’ll need the passion to carry you through the rough spots.

Also, as much as it sucks, money gives you freedom. Make sure you have money coming in from somewhere, especially when you’re first starting to write. The Starving Artist cliche is highly overrated. 🙂 It’s hard to concentrate on being creative when you’re hungry or crashing on someone else’s sofa all the time.

The Rules will be available in paperback on April 1. The Hunt (#2 in The Project Paper Doll series) will be available in stores April 22.