The Rules of Survival
Sometimes, the people who try to harm you are the ones who say they love you. National Book Award Finalist author Nancy Werlin discusses the troubles a caring teen, Matt, goes through to protect his younger sisters in this incredible story, The Rules of Survival. Matt tries his hardest to become acquainted with a man named Murdoch who stands up for ids that are put down or harmed. However, Matt’s mother gets to Murdoch first and is quickly his girlfriend. But it’s after Murdoch breaks up with Nikki that she becomes obsessed with him and the proclaimed “betrayal of her children”. Matt will go to any lengths to protect Callie and Emmy. “I would have done it, Emmy. I had drawn back my foot to kick Nikki in the head with the full force of all the rage and hate inside of me when a truck came roaring up the gate again. This time it was a truck I recognized. I took two steps back, away from my mother.” The message of the book is quite moving and causes you to think about the mysterious world around you. You will begin questioning if the people you think you know have experiences similar to Matt in their personal lives. Werlin writes very descriptive passages that allow you to feel like you are in the moment with the characters. A negative aspect of the writing is the confusion of flashbacks. It is very challenging to tell the difference between what a previous event is and what is happening in the story. If you are interested in a reality based book about life’s struggles and well being, then this is the perfect book for you. The book keeps you on the edge of your seat through the whole story. What happens when an abusive mother discovers she is not loved by her own children?