The Rules of Survival
by Nancy Werlin
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Book Summary Information
Author: Nancy WerlinEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2008-03-13
ISBN: 0142410713
Number of pages: 304
Publisher: Speak
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780142410714
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Book Reviews of The Rules of Survival
Book Review: A Gripping Novel
Summary: 4 Stars
Nancy Werlin, an award-winning author of teen books, weaves a tale of child abuse in this realistic fiction novel. The Rules of Survival is a thrilling book that captures the defeat and fear children feel when living under the roof of an abusive parent.
Matt, a fifteen-year old, is recording the horrible things his mother, Nikki, did to him and his two sisters, Emmy and Callie, when he was younger. As he writes, he relives his past through his story so his youngest sister may understand what went on while they lived with their mother. This is a story of the love Matt feels for his sisters and his desperate plight to get all three of them away from Nikki and to a better life.
Werlin's writing style is simple and easy to understand. She balances the horror the reader feels when reading what these poor children endured with the overall mood of the story so it is not depressing.
At times, the content is an emotional slap in the face. The antics of Matt's mother are shocking. Nikki hits her children, plays mind games, and endangers their lives. One day, she'll take her children out on a day of `family fun'. Another day, she drops them off at her boyfriend's house claiming she will only be gone for a few hours, and she is gone for days. Clearly, Nikki is not mentally stable, but Matt has no one to turn to for help out of his situation. The adults who are aware of Nikki's behavior are too scared to help him or don't seem to care. Nikki is smooth enough to convince the authorities that she never endangers her children.
Matt is stuck, but he accepts this fact and deals with life day by day.
When a man named Murdock shows up in Nikki's life, Matt finds a ray of hope. His determination to escape his mother is renewed.
Matt's personal journey began as he recorded his story for his youngest sister. He soon realizes the gift intended for his sister is really the beginning of his own healing.
Werlin's purpose in this novel is to inform the reader that the Matt's, Callie's, and Emmy's of this world are not a work of fiction but reality. This book does a good job of portraying the author's message. The message is its strength; its only weakness is the short, abrupt chapters.
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