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70th out of 1,163 books
—
5,969 voters
The Rules of Survival
by
Nancy Werlin (Goodreads Author)
It all starts when Matthew observes a heroic scene in a convenience store: A man named Murdoch puts himself between an abusive father and his son. Matt is determined to get to know this man. And when, amazingly, Murdoch begins dating Matt's mother, it seems as if life may become peaceful for the first time. Matt and his sisters have never before known a moment of peace in...more
Hardcover, 272 pages
Published
September 7th 2006
by Dial
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This book was so well written that I didn't notice how disturbing it was until after I finished. I would call it haunting and beautiful. I kept reading well into the night.
Nancy Werlin has written a classic.
Nancy Werlin has written a classic.
Apr 11, 2007
Jan
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
mystery and suspense fans
Shelves:
teenbooks
I devoured this book in practically one sitting. I loved the taut suspense of this story--a story that will resonate with many teens who must deal with abusive parents. Matthew is faced with protecting his sisters from his unpredictable and often violent mother (who likely is afflicted with manic depressive disorder). Often he must bear the burden of her rage himself in order to to deflect it from the most vulnerable member of his family--his youngest sister, Emmy. The book is written from Matth...more
Full Disclosure: Nancy is a good friend.
This is one of the best portrayals of a teen living with an emotionally abusive parent you will ever read. I had a knot in my stomach the whole book.
This is one of the best portrayals of a teen living with an emotionally abusive parent you will ever read. I had a knot in my stomach the whole book.
Jan 15, 2010
Jarrett
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
young-adult,
read-in-2010
Set in Boston – “Southie” to be exact – "The Rules of Survival" is the story of three kids whose childhoods are held hostage by a severely volatile, cruel, manipulative, and violent mother. The novel is written in letter form – from Matthew, the oldest child, to Emmy, the youngest – in which Matthew lays out the stories his sister may have been too young to remember about their mother and the events that led to their eventual escape from her. (One of those stories involves Matthew pinned to his...more
Swift, interesting read and a fairly successful epistolary novel. Predictable plot of abusive parent, kids trying to find their own way, but likeable characters and a nice examination of what it means to be a hero.
This book is so interesting and full of drama. When I'm reading the book i feel like im just there watching everything happen. I feel so sorry for these young girls and how they're getting treated by their mother. There are many similar real life stories i heard about situations like this.
There's this girl name Matthew. She's writing her little sister Emmy about how their vicious mom use to treat them. Their mom whose name is Nicki, would leave them alone in the house at night, hit them with...more
There's this girl name Matthew. She's writing her little sister Emmy about how their vicious mom use to treat them. Their mom whose name is Nicki, would leave them alone in the house at night, hit them with...more
1 like · like · see review
Matt is a young teenager dealing with an abusive mother. While he goes through this life he must do his best to protect his two younger sisters. One evening he meets a man, Murdoch. Murdoch becomes Matt's hero in a sense. He sees the strength and power that he wishes that he could have. As Matt's mother progresses down that path of abuse and succumbing to her demons, as Matt describes, he finds a way for them to be safe with the help of Murdoch, his Aunt Bobbie, and his father Ben.
I really love...more
I really love...more
This is a very good book. I would like to read books like this all the time if I could. It was a book that you could fallow along with very good. It is about these three kids that have to live with there crazy mother. The oldest boy named Matthew did all he could to keep his sisters together and stay strong for them. The main characters are Matthew, Emmy and Murdogh. Thought out this book Matthew is trying to find Murdogh a man he met in a store. He thought Murdogh was god because he stuck up in...more
2 likes · like · see review
Feb 28, 2008
Dave
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
family or friends of mental patients, teens.
Shelves:
fiction-read
My youngest daughter picked this book up on CD at our library. It's a first person narrative in the form of a letter from an older brother to his youngest sister recounting a troubling and turbulent period when the two of them, and another sister, between them in age, were living with their mentally ill mother. The story held my attention with its taut dark psychological tension. Since I have close relatives and friends with significant mental health problems, I found the events and behavior des...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
2 likes · like · see review
Sep 06, 2008
Kathryn
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
teens, anyone interested in or dealing with family abuse
Shelves:
young-adult
A good account of a domestic life under siege. Matt and his sister Callie try to protect each other and their youngest sister from their unstable, irresponsible and clearly mentally ill mother, who can veer from manic cheer to vicious cruelty in seconds. The writing is pretty simple, but the short sentences and short chapters fit the edgy, survivalist mode of the story. I like that there is redemption (at a price), but not the kind of heroics the reader might expect.
I found it ironic (intention...more
I found it ironic (intention...more
Wow! This was a pretty intense book! It had my heart rate accelerated all the way through. It's about 3 kids trying to survive an unpredictable abusive mother so the content is pretty heavy, but at the same time it's a surviver story so you know it's going to be okay. It kind of reminds me of a book I once read called "Weeping Willow." Both of the books are somewhat emotionally draining but you come out of the experience on a high to see the kids come through a horrific ordeal and land on top. I...more
Feb 10, 2012
Ⓛeah ✿εїз✾
added it
OK, so I read this last year but now I feel obligated to add a review because we are reading it in our school book club. The first time I saw this book was in my sixth grade language arts class and my teacher was reading it. I asked her about the cover (the blue one with the bowl of glass on the front)and she said that it was about three kids who have an abusive mother who makes them eat glass. Not my thing. Then the next year I decided to try it because who wouldn't want to read about unfortuna...more
Jun 10, 2013
Iesha
is currently reading it
In The Rules Of Survival , written by Nancy Werlin , there are three kids living in a house hold filled with pain , anger , and anything but love . The three children grew up wishing that one day they would have a super hero that would come along and take them away from the pain , and not just change their life , but will become their father . As they grow in up , they realize that there is few people they could really count on , and will actually be there for you until the very end .
The author...more
The author...more
The main character, Matthew, and his sister, Callie, are living with a vicious mother, Nikki. His mother and father divorce a long time ago. Matthew and Callie’s lives are hard to live as their mother is violent. They think Nikki needs someone who can be near her. One day, they find a good guy, Murdoch. Fortunately, they start to date, and Matthew life seems to be stable, but they break soon because Murdoch realizes Nikki’s real personality. After they break up, Nikki is getting more vicious. An...more
The Rules of Survival is an awe inspiring book about struggle and survival. Constantly abused by their mother, Matt and his sister's find themselves struggling to get through each day. With no faith in adults or the police, Matt finds himself looking to Murdoch, a man who comes to the aid of a helpless boy that is seemingly in the same position as Matt and his sisters. As hope blossoms, Matt finds himself searching for the man that may be able to save him. And amazingly, Murdoch beings to date...more
Matt, Callie, and Emmy are the three children of an emotionally and physically abusive mother whose story is told in “The Rules of Survival.” Matt, the oldest and the only boy, knows that it is his job to protect his two sisters from their mother and try to find a way for all of them to escape their dangerous home. However, their mother, Nikki, is an expert at manipulation and creating fear. Each time the children try to do something to improve their living situation, Nikki finds a way to terror...more
The story is basically about three children trying to escape from her abusive mother. It is written as letter form from Matthew to his yongest sister, Emmy. There is another younger sister named Callie. The story begins that Matthew and his younger sister Callie goes to the store and see Murdock first time. They want to be friend with him. Eventually, her mom Nikki dates Murdock and peace comes. However, they break up and her crazy mother gets crazier. She reports Murdock for abuse and stock hi...more
a very well done book about abuse - but not the "I need make-up to hide my bruises." It's the scary abuse you can never prove - not letting the kids use the bathroom for hours, not feeding them, denying them love because they had one moment where they didn't worship her.
"Her" is mom. Their mother.
It's a scary look at how easy it is for a parent and the kids to hide abuse like this. The part of the book where they fake a happy family breakfast when their mom gets home in the morning still haunt...more
"Her" is mom. Their mother.
It's a scary look at how easy it is for a parent and the kids to hide abuse like this. The part of the book where they fake a happy family breakfast when their mom gets home in the morning still haunt...more
I was interested in reading this book because after the brief explanation of Matt’s story you get a little review-ish thing at the bottom that says:
“A thought-provoking exploration of self-relience and the nature of evil, and a heart-wrenching portrait of a family in crisis…”
I thought well damn that sounds like it will be interesting. So I proceeded to read it and at first I wasn’t really into the story, maybe it was because I had just finished reading a great book (Perk of Being A Wallflower) o...more
“A thought-provoking exploration of self-relience and the nature of evil, and a heart-wrenching portrait of a family in crisis…”
I thought well damn that sounds like it will be interesting. So I proceeded to read it and at first I wasn’t really into the story, maybe it was because I had just finished reading a great book (Perk of Being A Wallflower) o...more
Apr 03, 2012
Eve
added it
The Rules of Survival , by Nancy Werlin, is written from the voice of Matt as a personal account of his life growing up. Matt writes this novel for his youngest sister, Emmy, so that she might have a more accurate view of her childhood. Matt and Emmy also have another sister, Callie. Matt and Callie act as the caretaker of Emmy, because they have an eccentric, and seemingly bi-polar mother. This novel is full of stories of their mother’s, Nikki’s, eccentricity. Matt struggles with his sisters as...more
This is a good book. It's narrated by Matt who is the oldest of three siblings and he is writing down their story of abuse to his youngest sister, Emmy, so that she will be able to remember what happened to them. Matt, Callie, and Emmy are abused by their mother and Callie and Matt watch out for Emmy and protect her, and Matt also grew up protecting Callie, but there had never been anyone to protect Matt, not even his father. But that all changes when Murdoch comes on the scene, suddenly the ki...more
This book is about three children who live with a crazy mother. She rarely hits them, but she is manic and almost anything will set her off. Matt, main character and older brother, meets a guy named Murdoch and is determined to meet him. Through some events Murdoch and Nicki (the mother) start dating for about 3 months and everything is bliss, but once they break up, everything is chaos again times 10. To make matter's worse no one seems to be willing to help the children get out of the abusive...more
"Always remember: In the end, the survivor gets to tell the story."
This is the story of Matt, Callie, and Emmy, written as a letter. Emmy was too young to fully understand her past and so Matt has taken it as his responsibility to tell her about it. It's not only about an abusive mother but it involves outsiders who were dragged into it.
What did I think of the characters?
WOW. This is one of the best character developments I have read. It didn't just occur suddenly but over a realistic period of...more
This is the story of Matt, Callie, and Emmy, written as a letter. Emmy was too young to fully understand her past and so Matt has taken it as his responsibility to tell her about it. It's not only about an abusive mother but it involves outsiders who were dragged into it.
What did I think of the characters?
WOW. This is one of the best character developments I have read. It didn't just occur suddenly but over a realistic period of...more
Matthew is writing a letter to his younger half sister to help her remember what their childhood was like. Their mother is unpredictable and they often live in fear of how she will react when she comes home. Nor do they ever know if she'll be alone or not. The three kids never say anything about being abused because their mother is so unpredictable, and rarely does things that social workers, teachers or other adults describe as child abuse, so they say nothing. Their aunt, who lives downstairs,...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
This is a story written in letter form from a boy named Matt to his younger sister Emmy. This book is about the tragedies that surround child abuse. Everyday seems to be a struggle for Matt and his two younger siblings, Callie and Emmy. Their mother is consistently inconsistent when it comes to parenting her children. She's a giant question mark. But everyone knows she is dangerous and scary. Matt has taken it upon himself to protect his sisters. Matt decides to write this letter to Emmy about t...more
Matt and his sisters Callie and Emmy live with their mother who really, really loves them. In fact, she loves them so much that Matt constantly fantasizes about getting away from her. When Callie and he sneak out to the Cumberland Farms store, they see a man named Murdoch stop another man from hitting his young son. Suddenly, Matt can think about nothing but making contact with Murdoch. A year later, Callie has found Murdoch's name and address on the Internet as a 13th birthday present for Matt....more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
The Rules Of Survival by Nancy Werlin
Genre: Tragedy, Reality,
Rating: 3/5
Pages: 259
Summary
Enter Matt’s world where he lives with his two younger sisters and his crazy, insane mother and all her boyfriends. Meanwhile Aunt Bobby is downstairs stuffing her face with food and not paying the smallest speck of attention to the bigger picture: Matt, Cali and Emma need to get away from their mom. It’s a struggle to survive under the roof of his mom, which feels more like a rain cloud.
But then Matt disc...more
Genre: Tragedy, Reality,
Rating: 3/5
Pages: 259
Summary
Enter Matt’s world where he lives with his two younger sisters and his crazy, insane mother and all her boyfriends. Meanwhile Aunt Bobby is downstairs stuffing her face with food and not paying the smallest speck of attention to the bigger picture: Matt, Cali and Emma need to get away from their mom. It’s a struggle to survive under the roof of his mom, which feels more like a rain cloud.
But then Matt disc...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matthew Walsh-Vivid Character | 1 | 5 | Aug 31, 2012 06:34pm | |
| Cover? | 1 | 20 | May 29, 2008 09:46am | |
| what would you do | 1 | 13 | May 28, 2008 08:27pm |
Nancy Werlin writes young adult fiction: New York Times–bestselling fantasy, Edgar-award winning suspense, and National Book Award-honored realistic novels.
Nancy's fantasy, UNTHINKABLE, the sequel to IMPOSSIBLE, is out on Sept 12, 2013. Visit www.nancywerlin.com and click on CONTACT to find out how to get an early copy of UNTHINKABLE to read!
More about Nancy Werlin...
Nancy's fantasy, UNTHINKABLE, the sequel to IMPOSSIBLE, is out on Sept 12, 2013. Visit www.nancywerlin.com and click on CONTACT to find out how to get an early copy of UNTHINKABLE to read!
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2 trivia questions
More quizzes & trivia...
“ MATTHEW'S RULES OF SURVIVAL
1. Sometimes, the people who mean you harm are the ones who say they love you.
2. Fear is your friend. When you feel it, act.
3. Protect the little ones.
4. If you coped before, you can cope now.
5. Always remember: In the end, the survivor gets to tell the story.”
—
106 people liked it
1. Sometimes, the people who mean you harm are the ones who say they love you.
2. Fear is your friend. When you feel it, act.
3. Protect the little ones.
4. If you coped before, you can cope now.
5. Always remember: In the end, the survivor gets to tell the story.”
“No. It's actually not okay. And I hate when people say that, when they say it's okay even though it's not. It's better to tell the truth.”
—
53 people liked it
More quotes…
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Mar 12, 2009 03:14pm
Mar 13, 2009 08:13am