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    The Rules of Survival
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    The Rules of Survival
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    The Rules of Survival
    Audiobook6 hours

    The Rules of Survival

    Written by Nancy Werlin

    Narrated by Daniel Passer

    4/5

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    Currently unavailable

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    About this audiobook

    Dear Emmy,

    I have decided to write it all down for you, even though I do have my doubts. I wonder if you really need to know exactly what happened to us-me, you, Callie-at the hands of our unpredictable, vicious mother. How we lived back then, when I was fifteen and you only seven, all of us full of fear. And then full of hope when we met Murdoch, the man who seemed to be showing us an easier future. What Murdoch did and what he couldn't do. What you and I did. Part of me hopes that you'll go along happily your whole life and never want to know the details.

    But I need to make sense of it. I need to try to turn the experience into something valuable for you, and for myself-not just something to be pushed away and forgotten. Emmy, the events we lived through taught me to be sure of nothing about other people. They taught me to expect danger around every corner. They taught me to understand that there are people in this world who mean you harm.

    Matthew

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateJul 10, 2007
    ISBN9780739355770
    Author

    Nancy Werlin

    NANCY WERLIN was born in Massachusetts, where she still lives. In writing for teenagers, she always strives to combine the emotional intensity of a coming-of-age story with the page-turning tension of a suspense thriller. Nancy’s books have won numerous awards and accolades, including the Edgar award for The Killer’s Cousin, which was also named one of the “100 Best of the Best for the 21st Century” by the American Library Association. Her most recent book, The Rules of Survival, was a National Book Award Finalist. Visit her web site at www.nancywerlin.com

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    Reviews for The Rules of Survival

    4/5

    343 ratings35 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Matthew and his younger sisters Callie and Emmy have long been forced to band together for survival against Nikki, their beautiful but unpredictable and abusive mother. Hope for normalcy comes when Nikki begins dating Murdoch, a decent guy who likes and respects the kids. But Nikki's true colors show and Murdoch breaks off the relationship. Nikki becomes more unpredictable and dangerous and Matthew is desperate for Murdoch to help the kids because he cannot count on his dad or aunt to come through for them. A real psychological thriller with layers of story that lift away revealing still more suspense and mystery.
    • 4/5
      Another great audio book. I love using my time wisely.
    • 5/5
      The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin is the story of a teenage boy who is desperately trying to save himself and his younger sisters from his very disturbed and dangerous mother. This is an intense and riveting story that I couldn’t put down, I was in turns horrified and disgusted that this mother of three was able to get away with how she treated her children. Her sister reveals at one point that Nikki, the mother, was an extremely difficult child who was always lying and having tantrums which makes me believe she had a lifelong mental problem that was never diagnosed.This is a heartbreaking story as Matthew relates how their mother’s abusive behavior was overlooked by many as she never beat them or sexually molested them. Instead the children had to deal with her manic behavior, mood swings, and reckless endangerment. This is a portrait of a family in crisis that certainly stirs the emotions.The Rules For Survival is told in the form of a letter that an older Matthew writes to his youngest sister, Emmy, but it is also a way for him to look back on events that shaped his life and help him to both heal and understand who he is. Although this book is labelled as YA, the story is powerful and haunting as it deals with a very adult subject matter. The author totally pinpoints the impact that an untreated mental illness can have.
    • 4/5
      Dear reader, if you are looking for a light and cheerful book then run away from this one. This story is harsh in its portrayal of a family living under the tyranny of a sick and violent mother. Hope and hopelessness alternately fill the heart of Matt who is writing the story of his family. At the outset we think he is writing the book for his younger sister Emmy in an attempt to explain the events that led to the unraveling of his already fractured family. But we discover that he is actually writing this story in order to better understand it himself. Nikki, the mother is cruel and hateful to her children, she is manipulative and promiscuous with men, she finds intense pleasure in the pain and discomfort of others, she is completely devoid of any redeeming qualities. Matt and his sister Callie have learned to “handle” her by being incredibly agreeable and docile as they attempt to protect themselves and their baby sister, Emmy. Enter Murdoch, a kind man who brings hope to the children. For a short while Nikki keeps company with Murdoch and life starts to take on some semblance of normalcy. But when Murdoch ultimately ends the relationship, Nikki begins a descent into madness which the children could scarcely have imagined.
    • 4/5
      From Sept 2006 SLJ:
      Nancy Werlin’s latest novel tackles the topic of child abuse with grace and insight. Narrated by seventeen-year-old Matt as a letter to his youngest sister Emmy, The Rules of Survival is his effort to come to terms with the vicious treatment they suffered at the hands of Nikki, their beautiful and unpredictable mother. One of Matt’s early memories involves getting up during the night to sneak a cookie back to bed and being caught by his mother. Giggling and yelling “Cookie thief,” she holds a knife to his throat, cutting him just a little bit to teach him not to steal. As much as he fears his mother’s manic highs and lows, his greater concern as he grows older is for the safety of his sisters. He and his sister Callie shield Emmy as much as possible from Nikki’s volatile moods. Compounding the problem are the adults in their lives—their father and their aunt—who recognize Nikki’s instability but find it easier to look the other way. When Nikki’s ex-boyfriend Murdoch befriends the children, they want to believe that a more normal future is possible, but are afraid of being disappointed by an adult yet again. The story’s 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. As with Speak (Laurie Halse Anderson, 1999) and other recent novels that explore difficult issues, teens will empathize with these siblings and the secrets they keep.
    • 5/5
      Listened to the audiobook; narrator did a good job because he matched the attitude and emotion of the characters. Matthew and his younger sisters try to survive the abusive actions of their mother. They come across a man named Murdoch who seems to have pity for children when he defends a young boy in a convenience store against his raging father. Matthew decides to seek Murdoch's help to get him and his sisters away from his mentally unstable mother. Story of a dysfunctional family and the detrimental effects abuse can have on children. Excellent novel, would highly recommend!
    • 4/5
      Matt and his sisters, Callie and Emmy, are always starring in a play directed by fear. Just one small wrong move can set their mother Nikki off, and lead to the most dangerous of circumstances. She has no qualms about leaving her young family to fend for themselves most nights in South Boston, and that's the best case scenario. When Nikki chooses to lavish her presence upon her three children, they can almost count on terrors like finding a kitchen knife pressed to their throats, being beaten with a bag of seafood, or even taking a terrifying detour into oncoming traffic if they can't placate their mercurial mother. Despite having a father who is still involved in their lives in small ways and an aunt who lives in the downstairs apartment, nobody steps in to protect Matt, Callie, and Emmy until a stranger named Murdoch McIlvane enters their lives one unexpected night at the Cumberland Farms store. It is then that Matt begins to dream that things won't be like this forever, that he begins to believe that life could be more than living in fear of his mother. Matt, the eldest at fifteen, is the story's narrator, and a good one at that. Matt knows what it is to live in fear and to want to escape, but he knows he can't leave without his two sisters who he will protect at any cost. Despite the odds, though, Matt still hasn't given up hope that their dangerous circumstances could change, that their father could man up even though he's almost as terrified of unstable Nikki as the kids are or that Aunt Bobbie could step in when she hears the commotion upstairs. It's this outside hope and other reasons that even Matt can't give voice to, that he searches for an ally in Murdoch, and finds one. Matt, with all his hopes and the fear that encroaches upon them, is the perfect window into the lives of abused kids. Werlin uses his narration to great effect, giving us a sense of just how easily and random it was to attract Nikki's senseless rage and how it's lurking at the edge of even the most trivial encounter.The Rules of Survival is a page-turner of a book that will catch readers up in its twists and turns. It's a frighteningly realistic portrayal of abuse, how easy it is for kids to be trapped by it when adults that should care do nothing. Matt, Callie, and Emmy's story is ultimately one of change and of redemption, but it's one that makes you wonder and worry all the kids for whom it's not.
    • 5/5
      When I picked this book up, just by looking at the cover I was pretty sure I wouln't like it. But I guess that's where the saying "Never judge a book by its cover" comes from. It took about 25 pages for me to really start liking the book. The chapters were very short, which for some reason made it much easier for me to read. The whole book was like a flashback, written in the form so that the main character, Matt, is telling the story to the audience, his younger sister, Emmy. He tells the story of how he and his two sisters endured, and sometimes suffered, living with their mentally-ill, crazy, abusive, and sometimes obsessive and stalker mother, whom they always refer to as "Nikki", which confused me in the beginning. But the book held my interest, so I finished it in only a few days. This is a great book, and I'd recommend it to anyone who is looking for action in a story.Summary:Matt, Callie, and Emmy have a broken family. Their father left years ago, leaving them with their cruel, negligent, crazy, and abusive mother. Then one day Matt meets Murdoch in a convenience store, where he rescues a child from his abusive father. Matt begins to have hope, believing that Murdoch could somehow save him and his sisters from their mother. So when they start dating, Matt thinks his life is fixed. But Murdoch breaks up with her when he sees how crazy she is- running and hiding instead of helping them like Matt had hoped. From there, Nikki, their mother, goes downhill, becoming obsessed with Murdoch and stalking him. Nikki takes matters into her own hands, ignoring the law, abusing her children, and hiring people to get back at Murdoch for her. Matt begins to realize that the only way to survive Nikki is to get rid of her completely. But the question is, if it came down to it, would he be able to take his own mother’s life?Main Characters:Matt and Callie, the two eldest siblings, are constantly protecting their six-year-old little sister, Emmy, as she is targeted time and time again by their abusive mother, Nikki, releasing her anger over her breakup with Murdoch on her children.How It Relates To Wellness:Matt, Callie, and Emmy are constantly faced with both physical and mental insecurities. As Nikki, their negligent, cruel, abusive, and stalker mother, gets worse, they struggle to find help, survive, and keep safe.What I Learned From This Book:From this book I learned that when you are in a situation to where you don’t feel or aren’t safe, it is important that you get help, whether it be from an adult you trust or the police, because no one should make you feel that way.Recommendations:I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for action, or drama, because there is a lot of it in this book. It’s not your normal teen read, which is why to me it was so different, but also why I liked it as much as I did. It wasn’t like anything I’ve ever read. So if you’re looking for something new, something you’ve never read before, this book would be a great start.
    • 5/5
      I HATED the mom in The Rules of Survival. So much that my blood pressure would literally spike while reading of the cruelties she inflicted on her children. I loathed the adults who turned a blind eye to the abuse because they just didn't want to deal with it at the time. In my book, by turning a blind eye, you become just as bad (if not worse) than the abuser. But yeah, this book had me pissed off through a vast majority of it and horrified when I wasn't pissed. The Rules of Survival is one of those books that doesn't shy away from the abuse inflicted. It was terrifyingly real, intense, and very emotional. I was cringing every time Nikki (the cruel mom) would strike her kids either with her fists or with words. This book hits a little close to home with me because I know what it's like to live with a person whose moods shift so quickly that you have to watch out for them and are constantly walking on eggshells to make sure you don't do anything to set that person off. So, I was rooting for Matthew, for Callie, and for Emmy and couldn't wait from them to get away from that suffocating and damaging atmosphere. While this book is all types of depressing, it is also hopeful because you know right from the first page that the children do survive and try to leave the past behind them. The fact that you know what happens from the first page, doesn't make this book any less gripping. It was entirely captivating. So much that I read this book in a little bit less than three hours. I was glued to my chair and didn't even get up once. I also loved that the The Rules of Survival was written in an epistolary format with Matthew writing to his younger sister, Emmy, whom he (along with Callie) tried to shield from the abuse as she was the youngest. I just thought that him writing to her was incredibly sweet and it brought tears to my eyes more than once. I highly recommend The Rules of Survival. You will get upset reading this novel. It's just inevitable. But there is a sense of hope in there as well. I hope that all of the Matthews, the Callies, and the Emmys of the world get the help they need and I hope with all my heart that they too become survivors. Because Werlin is right. The survivors are the ones who get to tell the story.
    • 5/5
      I found this book to be incredible. I read it in one sitting. The tale is all at once heartbreaking and intense and so powerfully written.The narrator is a strong voice and someone I felt emotionally invested in. This book may be a little intense for younger readers, but I felt the subject mattered was handled with realism, honesty without being exploitive.Well written and highly highly recommended. One of my favorite reads.It was book that kept me thinking about it long after I put it down.
    • 5/5
      I believe the author knows about child abuse, neglect and a sociopathic parent.Classified as Young Adult genre, the National Book Award Finalist is yet another book categorized as young adult simply because the narrator is a young child.It is not easy to read about adult violence inflicted on children who desperately need assistance. Twelve year old Matthew Walsh desperately tries to protect his young siblings.Their mother's mood swings, violence and cruelty is soul numbing and heartbreaking. The children live in constant fear of physical and emotional harm.When his mother purposely veers the car into an oncoming lane of traffic, Matthew knows he must do something.Contacting his biological father, family members and authorities only leads to more hurt and frustration. Not wanting to become involved, they look the other way.Fate brings Murdoch into their lives. Then, when Murdoch dates their mother, they have a wonderful summer...until, Murdoch realizes the psychopathic behavior.As Murdoch ends the relationship, he too becomes a victim of stalking and harassment from this very manipulative, sociopathic woman.Murdoch is the only one who can help them.While this is a dark tale, it is exceedingly well written and spot on regarding helpless children who deserve a better life.This is a book that leads you through a dark tunnel to find hope and light at the end.
    • 4/5
      This book features strong writing and a compelling voice in Matthew, a young boy who tries, above all, to protect his younger siblings from the wrath of their very unpredictable mother as she spirals out of control. A fast-paced, emotional ride with a satisfying ending.
    • 5/5
      Matthew is a seventeen year old trying to take care of all of the things that most teens take care of. The problem is his mother is out of control. She is mentally and physically abusive. He and hsi sister Callie protect their youngest sister Emmy from their mother's insane tirades. They have become good a surviving these abuses. Their father is out of the picture. He knows how their mother is but won't help because he is afraid. Their aunt lives beneath them and turns a blind eye. Those that they thought would help them don't.When their mother starts dating Murdoch they dare to hope things will be better. Things are better for a while until she becomes jealous of the attention he is showing the kids. Murdoch makes the decision to break it off with her. Things get worse for the kids. Matthew must find the strength to survive and protect his sisters.I loved this story. Unfortunately we see it all too often. Werlin is not afraid to speak to kids about the tough topics. Her characters are very believable and the situations are very real. I hated Nikki and yet at the same time wondered if her insanity could ever be helped. A part of me pitied her. I would most definately recommend this book to all of my students and fellow teachers. You never know when the book might be placed in the hands sof the person who needs it most
    • 4/5
      A young boy and his 2 younger sisters attempt to survive their unpredictable, sometimes violent, and extremely crazy mother. At times she seems to have some manic depressive issues, other times she seems to have boderline personality disorder. An interesting read that kept my interest to the end, even though I read the end before I began the book.
    • 3/5
      Sadly, a story that would probably be familiar to too many children. I like the fact that Werlin portrayed the reality faced by children who ask protection from the authorities-- the story suggests that doesn't necessarily work. Sometimes, kids have to find another way out, without directly involving the authorities. Some teens who read this might wonder just what is wrong with this mother, Nikki. The fact that she suffers from some kind of mental disorder is alluded to, but not dissected. Personally, I wondered: borderline personality disorder, narcissism, something else? Ultimately, it doesn't matter to the children: she is crazy, unpredictable, sometimes violent, malevolent. Although it was highly recommended to me, I couldn't give it more than three stars because the voice of the narrator, a 19 year old young man, sounds too adultified. If he were telling this story at age 30, I'd buy it, but his voice doesn't sound like the voice of any 19 year old I've ever met.
    • 3/5
      Matt has grown up trying to protect himself and his sisters from their mother Nikki, who is wildly unpredictable and cruel. When he meets Murdoch, he realizes a normal life is not ruled by fear. Matt writes this story to his younger sister Emmy who does not realize just how dangerously they once lived. Recommended for those who liked A Child Called It.
    • 5/5
      Have you ever had a mom that has gone over the fun limit? Where your mom dangled your baby sister over a cliff? Where your mom tries to sue a guy that is doing no harm to you except smiling? Where your mom has knicked you with a huge kitchen knife when you stole a cookie? Where you mom risks getting hit by a car, just becuase you didn't say you loved her loud enough?Well, as you can see, Matt has experienced a mom that no one has ever experienced. A mom that thinks, even dangerous stuff, is fun.Matt, amazingly enough, has braved through all those dangers, and fought his way through the tangles, and eliminated his thoughts of his mother.I really think that Matt is a guy that takes responsibility right away. He is about almost fearless of others, and takes his own opinion seriously.I think those people who whine that their life is not fair, or they can't get an IPhone, or Itouch, or even IPod read this, and discover how easy your life is compared to Matt's; you can't even have your own freedom on your own opinions, and decisions.I really hope you understand.
    • 3/5
      Matthew, Callie and Emmie live with their mother Nikki in South Boston. Their mother is known for her flights of fancy and her sudden rages, the three children grow up tip-toeing around their apartment, always afraid of inuring Nikki's wrath. Matthew and Callie sneak out one night for ice cream and meet a man named Murdock who is not afraid to stand up for children who are being mistreated. Matt and Callie form a plan to get Murdock involved in their lives and hope that he can help them, but their plans go awry when Nikki finds out about Murdock and decides to date him. The relationship doesn't go well and Nikki throws the children's lives into turmoil once again.This book was an interesting story but difficult to decide about. I didn't like most of the adult characters because they didn't do anything to stop Nikki from mistreating her children, but in the end they come around and no one seems to wonder why they weren't on Matt's side in the first place. A good story about abuse that doesn't involve any sex or many swear words.
    • 3/5
      Fascinating book, and I think it would hold some interest for young adults as well. For me, the characters didn't seem quite real enough, and the story just slightly too predictable.
    • 5/5
      This was a great read. It was different from anything else that i've read before but it was still great. The characters' having to learn how to survive from their own mother really got me involved. I definately recommend this book to anyone willing to try something new.
    • 4/5
      Pretty good read. Matt, through a VERY long letter to his little sister Emmy, recounts their years with their abusive mother. I found it to be very similar to A Child Called It and am sure people who liked that one would also enjoy this. I would have given it more stars, but I just didn't relate to the main character very well.
    • 5/5
      This was one of my favorite books i have currently read this year. It was very quick to the point in the beginning and it made me have to think about what one of the main chararcters was going to do next. The story took place in a city where three children were trying to survive with an abusive mother named nikki. I loved this book because it was sad but up lifting when matt finally over came his horrible mom.
    • 3/5
      260pgsMatthew writes a letter to his youngest sister telling her the story of their lives up until the time they are taken away from their mother. Very engaging, easy to read, good character development. The ending was a little too contrived, and the mom really was a monster, but I liked it overall
    • 4/5
      I recommend this book to every teen looking for A Child Called It. It's a much lighter twist on children living with an abusive mother. This is a great story. Very well written, you can't help but feel like fighting for these children. Every attempt they make to get out of their crumby situation gets squashed by their psychotic mother until they are finally saved.
    • 4/5
      A very tense read; I could not have kept going except that the narrator accounted for in the present everyone I cared about from his harrowing past. Made me want to have babies to protect.
    • 4/5
      This is not my review, but this person said it better than I could.“You looked at Callie and me from over our mother’s shoulder… I hoped you wouldn’t try to wriggle out of the embrace, because in fact our mother seemed to be in a good mood. She was humming. Cocaine? New man? There were a few possibilities, and I didn’t care which one it was. Maybe we’d have an okay evening.”Those are the words of Matthew Walsh as he tells a story of survival to his youngest sister Emmy. Matthew has decided to write down the events as they happened so his sister can read them some day. She was so young at the time, he worries that she might not understand the details of their early life in the hands of an abusive mother.Nancy Werlin writes a powerful novel, THE RULES OF SURVIVAL, about three children and their struggle to live normal lives surrounded by chaos and abuse. Their crazed mother Nikki, most likely bi-polar or manic-depressive, has created a topsy-turvy environment for her family. One day she’s treating them to a gigantic pancake feast at IHOP, and the next she disappears without a trace for days.Matthew, Callie, and Emmy soldier on alone until help arrives in the form of a sympathetic boyfriend. He eventually enlists the help of Matthew and Callie’s father and their aunt to rescue the kids from the chaos.
    • 4/5
      Matthew has always protected his sisters from the manic highs and lows of their beautiful but dangerous mother. The adults in his life provide no help from the protection from her violence. Matthew pins his hopes on Murdoch, a stranger who protected a child in a store, who miraculously starts dating Nikki. Murdoch provides Matthew's family with the first stability they have ever known. However, when Nikki's rages prove too much for Murdoch, Matthew is forced to act, and finds unlikely allies. Nikki won't go without a fight though, and her actions force Matthew to a desperate choice. Werlin is one of my favorite YA authors, and this book doesn't disappoint. It's to her credit that the structure of this book -- a letter from Matthew to his youngest sister -- doesn't detract from the suspense. While it might be unbeliveable that no one noticed the desperate situation Matthew is in before Murdoch, Werlin does a great job of painting a family in crisis, and putting the reader in the position of a young man in a terrible situation.
    • 4/5
      Matthew, Callie, and Emmy are victims of their mother's cruel anger and abuse. Their attempts to get any adult to listen to their pleas for help will resonate with all students, but especially with those who have been victimized. A terrific pick for a realistic fiction unit.
    • 3/5
      Matt is 18 years old and a high school graduate when, looking back on the last few years, he decides to write a journal to his younger sister Emmie about how their mother mistreated them and their sister Callie. The entire novel is told in this epistilary format, with occassional side comments directly to Emmie from Matt about events that occurred several years prior. The story itself begins when Matt and Callie witnessed an adult stranger named Murdock sticking up for a boy he didn't know when the boy's father physically abused him in a market. Matt and Callie had been suffering through their own abuse at the hands of their mother Nicky, who very frequently left her kids home alone to fend for themselves, sometimes for days at a time. Matt sees Murdock as a saviour, someone to save him and his sisters from their wicked, mean-spirited mother. However, he learns that things are never as simple as they seem, and his mother is much more wicked and evil than he ever imagined.This book disturbed me because I'm not a fan of books with child abuse as a thematic element. Trust me-- I know it happens all too frequently. I've just read so many books on this same topic that it starts to feel like just one more depressing 'Child Called It' wannabe (I didn't like that one, either). However, Werlin gives us a good dose of what life with Nicky is like, but doesn't continually drag us through the muck. Instead, we root for the three kids' survival and watch as they carefully plan their escapes. I don't plan to book talk this much in my library, but I expect it will be rather popular with teenagers based on the success of others of this theme.
    • 3/5
      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.