The book ends in a surprising way, revealing something about one of the characters that we never would have thought. It teaches you that things are not always how they seem on the outside.
It shows the many layers of abuse, and the manipulation used by Nikki to get what she wants. The book is a realistic way of looking at a foreign topic, which is much more common than you may think. Murdoch, a man they met at a grocery store who plays a huge part in their life, their dad, and Nikki's much more level-headed sister all take the necessary steps to gain freedom from their mother. This book details the journey of the kids as they use all the help they can get to get away from Nikki and live somewhere else. Nikki is an unstable human whose unpredictable behavior leads to physical and emotional pain for her three kids. However, emotional abuse can leave scars that are just as hard to erase. A lot of the time, we think about abuse as physically harming the children. This book was an incredibly interesting way to get to know more about child abuse. I read this book for a school self-select. Even abused kids come into contact with adults who care, although they may not be able to rescue them from their situation.ĭid Callie's teacher, for example, never wonder why her highly intelligent student stopped washing her hair for weeks on end? Aren't teachers trained to see the warning signs of abuse nowadays? though they didn't appear to have any hobbies. Not necessarily ones who could help, but just friends, neighbors, teachers, coaches, etc. I had to wonder, though, at the lack of other sympathetic companions in these kids' lives. Still, it is a powerful book about abuse. Also, much of the drama happened without the narrator present, so his descriptions were secondhand.
#RULES OF SURVIVAL GENRE PLUS#
This made the tone more authentic (so many teenage narrators sound like they've attended a liberal arts college, then grad school, plus a writer's workshop), but at times, I wanted a bit more description of the characters and how they felt. Also, this book, unlike many about teens, lacked flowery metaphor, sophisticated philosophizing about life, and sassy dialogue that sounded like it was taken from primetime TV. The characters were well-drawn, but compared to the mom, who appeared to be in a nonstop manic state, a bit colorless. Their mom finds out and beats them to it, but after she breaks up with Murdoch (and her crazy behavior escalates to the point where he gets a restraining order), he stays in touch with the kids and tries to help them find a safer home. When Matt and his two sisters see a stranger defend a child against his abusive dad in a store, they hope to somehow befriend him (the stranger, Murdoch). Moreover, her moods can and do turn on a dime, going from happiness to psychotic rage in a second. Unlike some people with mental problems, Nikki apparently never has any kind of period where she is stable. The narrative is set in the form of a letter Matthew is writing to his younger sister Emmy about the events that led up to their emancipation from their abusive mom, Nikki.Īpparently, whatever's wrong with Nikki (my guess would be a personality disorder) has been there from the start, and growing up, she tormented her younger sister and behaved much the same way with people as she does with her children now (lying, making threats, physical violence, and psychological manipulation). It's remarkable storytelling, and it is truly moving.
I would highly recommend this book to everyone. Nikki was their mother, and I doubt she ever showed them as much love or care as Murdoch did. Murdoch truly loved those kids, even though they weren't his, and after only a short period of time, too. It shows that sometimes, people do come through, and do step up to the plate, doing the right thing, even when it's not their responsibility to do so. It confirms that people really are as bad as you'd think, but it also restores what little faith in humanity that remains. I highly recommend this book to everyone.
I'd like to believe people such as his character truly exist. I wish all kids in that type of situation, or worse, had someone like Murdoch in their lives. This kind of treatment towards kids by their parent(s) who never wanted to be ones in the first place.
It's sad in the sense that it is realistic. It's sad, but not quite tear-jerker sad for me. It is very well written, and leaves the reader craving more. The Rules of Survival is an amazing book.
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