This book is, at its roots, a YA sci-fi novel but the actual science in it is given very little attention so it ends up reading more like a YA PNR. This is a shame as the sci-fi aspect of it is what really drew me to the book in the first place. There is, after all, plenty of PNR out there aimed at YA readers, but much fewer books that focus on our present day society with a sci-fi flare. 
 The story is an odd mix between fast-paced and dragging. That is to say, for a long time we're caught up in high school woes. There's the best friend who's desperate to get an in with the popular crowd (Jenna), the queen bee who rules the school with an iron fist (Rachel), and the popular guy (Zane) who for some reason has taken an interest in the quiet wallflower (Ariane). Cue the main cast. 
 Ariane has been trying to fly under the radar for the past ten years, since her escape from the local laboratory where she was submitted to inhumane testing for the first six years of her life. She's trying to live life by the rules her saviour, the man she now calls her "father", set for her, which essentially revolve around her not drawing any attention to herself. All that goes out of the window when Rachel targets Jenna as the butt of a mean joke and Ariane stands up for her friend. Cue Arian losing control of her spiffy alien powers (which she can't usually access due to a traumatic event during her time in the lab). Cue an electricity surge and the unwelcome attention of her former captors. They don't know who she is yet, but they know she's close. All she can do now is attempt to disappear back into the woodwork. Something easier said than done considering Rachel has now targeted Ariane as well as Jenna. 
 There are alternating PoVs in this book: Ariane and Zane. I'm not always a fan of dual narration, especially if there's not enough of a difference between the first person voices, but in this case I think it was necessary. Ariane tended to either focus on only certain things or waffle aimlessly whereas Zane allowed for a more rounded picture of the events taking place. It also allowed me to get to know him better as Ariane certainly didn't know him well when she decided she was falling in love with him! It's worth noting that the whole of this book took place in a span of about five days and Ariane and Zane hadn't really communicated much in the past. This fact did detract from the "epicness" on their love (for me). 
 I want to mention the rules themselves as well: they didn't full sit well with me. Why not? Because Ariane was six when she was saved from the lab and who tells a six-year-old that it is imperative she never allow herself to fall in love? Seems a bit OTT to me. 
 So eventually things moved beyond the high school drama and moved into the realm of sci-fi conspiracy. Unfortunately this isn't until the last 75 pages or so. By this time I just wanted it to be over so I could start on something new. It felt to me like there were a number of long passages - even whole chapters at times - that were not entirely necessary to the story and just served to beef it up. It was an odd mix of short spikes of action intermingled with long lulls of reminiscing. I enjoyed the story but not as much as I was hoping to. Despite this, I'll still be reading book 2.