Wendy M. Smith-D’Arezzo (Children's Literature)
Writing a letter to his younger sister Emma, Matthew tells the story of the abuse he and his sisters suffered at the hands of their mother, a selfish, narcissistic woman who ultimately alienates her children and the rest of her family. The abuse is portrayed realistically, with some physical abuse and a preponderance of emotional cruelty. Matthew is writing to Emma because she was so young when their mother finally left the family. Matthew is afraid that at some point Emma will believe that her mother Nikki has been wrongly accused of the abuse. The reader is able to see how Matthew and Callie worked hard to protect their younger sister from the brunt of the abuse. One of the most telling incidents is when Matthew recalls his and Callie's reactions to being told at school that they should report to an adult if they are being abused. Aged eight and eleven at the time, both children want to go to their teachers and tell of their nightmare lives. However, they know enough to recognize that the physical abuse is not as severe as it could be, and that Nikki is a good enough actor to convince others that she loves her children and would do anything to protect them. This is a powerful story told in the strong voice of a young man who has managed to rise above the life his mother created; his desire to protect his younger sisters is clearly a driving force in his life and the plot of this book. 2006, Dial Books/Penguin Group, $16.99. Ages 14 up.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, July 15, 2006 (Vol. 74, No. 14))
In this heartbreaking tale of abuse and love, 14-year-old Matthew rescues himself and his younger sisters from a dangerously unstable mother. Nikki's abusive behavior would be hard for a police officer or social worker to identify. She doesn't beat them (much) or sexually molest them. Instead, the children survive manic behavior, mood swings, reckless endangerment and constant, unremitting fear. No benevolent adults can rescue the children: Matthew's absent father loves his children but not as much as he fears his crazy ex-wife; Aunt Bobbie closes her eyes to the violence and psychological abuse she knows occurs; and social services, Matthew knows, are utterly useless. As Nikki's mental problems descend further into dangerous psychosis, Matthew looks for a rescuer. Though he thinks he's found a fairy godfather in protective neighbor Murdoch, the instigation to push the adults into doing the right thing comes from Matthew himself. Beautifully framed as a letter from Matthew to his younger sister, the suspense is paced to keep Matthew's survival and personal revelations chock-full of dramatic tension. Bring tissues. 2006, Dial, 272p, $16.99. Category: Fiction. Ages 13 up. Starred Review. © 2006 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Claire Rosser (KLIATT Review, September 2006 (Vol. 40, No. 5))
Child abuse, and the courage of children trying to protect one another and survive: these are the themes of The Rules of Survival. The novel is about three children; the older two are teenagers. The narrator is the oldest, Matthew, who has spent most of his life trying to protect himself and his younger sisters from their mother Nikki. Nikki is attractive, smart, and hopelessly manipulative and cruel. She is capable of showing a rational side to others. Even her sister, who lives in the apartment below them, knows the depth of her cruelty but wants to believe she is a capable parent. Nikki seduces a man named Murdoch, and the children are relieved because they trust him to protect them from their mother. But when Nikki reveals her sadism, instead of protecting the children, Murdoch walks away. Matthew is dumbfounded, but can't give up. He devises a plan, pleading to his father and to his aunt for their protection from Nikki. Still, nothing is simple, nothing easy. There is a crisis; Murdoch intervenes and we understand more about who he is and what his strengths and weaknesses are. Werlin won the Edgar Award for her YA novel The Killer's Cousin. She creates a suspenseful plot while developing characters who are movingly realistic. Matthew is a hero we can all appreciate. An excellent mystery; with heartbreaking descriptions of child abuse, both physical and psychological. Category: Hardcover Fiction. KLIATT Codes: JS*--Exceptional book, recommended for junior and senior high school students. 2006, Penguin, Dial, 260p., $16.99.. Ages 12 to 18.

Loretta Gaffney (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, September 2006 (Vol. 60, No. 1))
Fourteen-year-old Matthew Walsh has lived in constant anxiety and fear of his mother, Nikki, for as long as he can remember. Increasingly erratic and abusive, Nikki is skilled at manipulating Matthew's protectiveness of his younger sisters to get him to do what she wants; even adults seem cowed by Nikki, including Matthew's distant father and Aunt Bobbie, Nikki's sister. When Nikki begins dating Murdoch, a man whose presence seems to calm her, Matthew hopes things will change-then Nikki's reckless behavior drives Murdoch away, and when the children clearly pine for him, she spirals even further out of control. At first distant, Murdoch eventually agrees (at Matthew's urging) to help the children escape Nikki, beginning by enlisting the help of Matthew's father and Aunt Bobbie. What follows is a harrowing ride, as Nikki does everything she can to scare away Murdoch; meanwhile, the adults must convince the authorities that the often subtle Nikki is actually dangerous. This portrayal of the complex dynamics of abuse, while full of thrilling elements, nevertheless avoids careening over the cliff into melodrama. Matthew's fear for himself and sisters coupled with the slow, simmering rage that develops within him after years of unpredictable abuse are the book's subjects as much as the quest by the adults to get the children away from Nikki. For all that, the story is a nail-biter, too, keeping readers guessing until the gasp-worthy conclusion. Fans of the Edgar Award winning The Killer's Cousin (BCCB 09/98) will not be disappointed with Werlin's latest offering, which is not only a suspenseful psychological thriller but a compelling and unusual insight into the experience of child abuse. Review Code: R -- Recommended. (c) Copyright 2006, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 2006, Dial, 272p; Reviewed from galleys, $16.99. Grades 7-12.

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, Spring 2007)
Seventeen-year-old Matt writes an extended letter to his youngest sister, Emmy, recalling their childhood with Nikki, their sadistic and mentally disturbed mother. When Nikki, just out of jail, kidnaps Emmy, Matt finds out exactly how far he will go to ensure his sister's safety. Werlin delivers another suspense-filled thriller sure to spark discussion. Category: Older Fiction. 2006, Dial, 262pp, 16.99. Ages 12 to 14. Rating: 2: Superior, well above average.

Amy S. Pattee (VOYA, October 2006 (Vol. 29, No. 4))
Unlike Werlin's previous four novels, this latest includes nary a mystery element. But the departure from genre does not mean that Werlin's newest book lacks suspense. If anything, it is one of her most deliciously harrowing works. Eighteen-year-old narrator Matthew introduces the novel with a letter to his younger sister, Emmy; the body of the book is what he calls the "true story of our family's past" and is written in short, tight, first-person chapters that occasionally address his sister-and readers, his "real" audience. In the novel, Matthew recounts his thirteenth through sixteenth years, during which he, Emmy, and their "middle" sister, Callie, lived in a small apartment in South Boston with their manic and abusive mother. Much of what Matthew describes involves his and Callie's attempts to protect the younger and more vulnerable Emmy. The siblings spend much of their time on edge, attempting to appease their mercurial mother and protect Emmy from her often-violent wrath. When their mother begins dating a complicated man named Murdoch, Matthew casts this newcomer as the family's savior and is frustrated and depressed when Murdoch does not immediately rise to the occasion. The plot moves swiftly and unrelentingly to a climax that visits themes common to some of Werlin's earlier works and offers an uneasy recognition of the same conclusion David Yaffe voiced in The Killer's Cousin (Delacorte, 1998/VOYA October 1998), "Anyone in this world can have the power of life and death over someone else. It's horrible, but true." VOYA CODES: 5Q 5P S (Hard to imagine it being any better written; Every YA (who reads) was dying to read it yesterday; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2006, Dial, 272p., $16.99. Ages 15 to 18.