Book Report: The Rules of Survival

Authored by Edgar Award Winner Nancy Werlin, this story is in the same vein as 'A Child Called It', but much less graphic/physical abuse and much more emotional mind games. Written in first-person 'memoir style' by teenaged 'Matt Walsh', it is hard to see how the events that take place could possibly lead to a happy ending.

'Living with an unpredictable, psychotic mother has taught Matthew how to survive. Constantly on alert, he and his sister, Callie, devotedly shelter their younger stepsister, Emmy, from their mother's abuse and worry about staying safe. Matt insists that "fear isn't actually a bad thing . . . . It warns you to pay attention, because you're in danger. It tells you to do something, to act, to save yourself," but his terror is palpable in this haunting, powerful portrayal of domestic dysfunction, which is written in retrospect as a letter from Matt to Emmy. Unfortunately, the adults in the children's life, a distant father and an apathetic aunt, don't help, though Matt sees a spark of hope in Murdoch, who dates his mother, Nikki, and then leaves when he becomes another target for her escalating rage. It is Murdoch, with a violent past of his own, who is willing to risk getting involved and eventually becomes the change agent that the children so desperately need.'

First sentence: "For me, the story begins with Murdoch McIlvane."

The story opens when Matt and Callie go into a small convince store and witness a stranger, Murdoch, standing up for a little boy whose when his father becomes violent. To Matt, Murdoch becomes a nameless Superhero, one he spends all his free time for the next year trying to find. Then as a birthday present, Matt's sister Callie finds Murdoch's address in the phone book. But before they can visit, Matt's mother finds the address and assumes her children at trying to set her up on a date. Dragging all three children, she goes to Murdoch's house, introduces herself, and that easily Murdoch becomes the best friend Matt always wanted.

But things don't stay that way for long. Matt's mother seems to have some variety of psychosis, and when her true self is revealed to Murdoch, the fantasy-family falls apart. Nikki grows more and more violent, out of control, and soon focuses all her attention on stalking Murdoch and even accuses him of beating her. While Matt is used to this sort of unpredictable behavior, he finds himself without Murdoch's friendship and so turns to other people for help.

The price sticker on this book says it's categorized as 'teen fiction', and while the writing itself suits a younger audience, the events and emotions will resonate with any aged-reader. Matt is a very 'deep' character, one who observes and thinks far beyond what he actually says. There is a maturity to him that lends to his situation and creates sympathy. This story is very much about transformation, salvation, and understanding the evil that lurks inside us all. I enjoyed Murdoch's character too, and the ending feels like a missing piece of the puzzle that goes beyond the depth of what simplistic 'teen fiction' is composed of. I enjoyed this fast paced story and it's bite-sized chapters, and I found Matt's journey and the things he realized about himself fascinating and real.

The Rules of Survival begins and ends with Murdoch McIlvane, a supporting character who is a powerful, mysterious catalyst for both the protag and the story itself.

Five out of five stars for mastering human emotions and creating characters to learn from