Format: Book
Matthew has five 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 remember, in the end, the survivor gets to tell the story."
These are the rules Matthew lives by. These rules have come from 17 years of living with an abusive mother with his two little sisters. He knows that it is his job to protect his sisters - there's no one else to do it. Both his father and aunt are afraid of the unpredictable nature of his mother, they bow to her will. He feels like there's no one he can trust, no one who will help him get his sisters out of their environment, until, one evening, he spies Murdoch. Murdoch, a man he's never met before, but one that he sees standing up to an angry father on the verge of beating a child. Now...Matthew is obsessed and on a mission - maybe Murdoch can help them. Matthew desperately wants to find out.
This book is rated for teens in grades 9+. It's a gripping tale of child abuse seen and experienced through the eyes of a 17-year-old who is, unfortunately, far older than he should be. It's written in the form of a letter - Matthew is writing the story of their life with their mother for his youngest sister, should she ever have questions about their past. He's doesn't know if he'll ever give it to her, or if she'll ever want to read it, but he needs to write this story down for himself.
This story is completely terrifying and realistic. Personally, I could not put it down, and read the entire book in the span of a couple hours. It is a page turner and is definitely worth reading by both adults and teens.
Reviewed by Sara.
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