"The characters captivate readers from the beginning, and short, terse chapters move the plot along with an intensity that will appeal to seasoned Werlin fans and reluctant readers alike."

-County Public Schools, VA

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 remeber: In the end, the survivor gets to tell the story.

SUMMARY

This is a book that will grab your attention; you won’t want to put it down!

Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin tells the story of three children who live with their abusive mother. The story is told through the eyes of Matthew, a fourteen year old boy. He is the oldest of three children; his siblings are Callie, who is twelve, and Emmy who is six, but Matthew acts more like an adult than an older brother. He cares for his siblings because their mother, Nikki, is abusive. They fear her, and they never know what mood she’ll be in when she comes home. Matthew is always making sure they don’t get on her bad side and get hurt. But things start to change when she begins to date a man called Murdoch.

     Murdoch is kind, strong, and makes Nikki happy. He’s everything the children would have wanted for a father, they adore him. When Nikki is with Murdoch, she is happy and carefree, unlike the mother they are accustomed to seeing. But their happiness doesn’t last for long when a few months later Murdoch dumps Nikki. The worst was yet to come.

     Nikki has even more intense mood swings. She is more abusive, unhappy, and cruel to the children. She brings home different men on a regular basis, and leaves the house constantly to smoke and drink, sometimes not returning for days at a time. Although she has a large amount of men in her life, she is still obsessive about Murdoch. In order to have revenge on him, she forms many twisted schemes to get him in trouble, or physically hurt. Matthew and his siblings fear for their own well being as well as Murdoch's, who they still idolize. Between Nikki’s jail time, drugs, and mood swings, the children are getting desperate for a way out. They begin to seek help, someone who can take them away from Nikki. But can an old boyfriend, an aunt who fears her sister, and a father who has long been out of the picture save them from Nikki? Will Matthew’s own rules of survival keep them safe long enough to tell their story? To find out read Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin.

CHILD ABUSE

The main issue in Rules of Survival is parental abuse. Nikki, the mother of the story, is constantly beating her children despite all claims that she loves them. Psychologists today say that even parents who love their kids have a chance of becoming abusive because they are not the parents that they wish to be. Predictably, children that are physically and emotionally abused often suffer from depression and self esteem issues. There are many stories about innocent children who are abused everyday, unless they escape. There are many ways to prevent child abuse and different kinds of abuse. Some abused children result in referring to  and can cause serious damage. Current studies show that an abused child can have altered brain chemistry. Finally here are some of the causes and effects to child abuse.

 SETTING

Rules of Survival is set in South Boston. South Boston has had some major drug affilliations recently with drugs. The characters not only had to cope with Nikki, but also fair for themselves in this environment..

 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nancy Werlin, the author of The Rules of Survival has written many other novels that also touch upon intriguing subjects. You can read a short biography about her and learn more about her other works.

 Using these book discussion questions, the reader will understand the book on a deeper level. Nancy reveals all, including her inspirations in an in-depth interview.

 REVIEWS