For Matt and his sisters, life with their mother is a day-to-day struggle for survival. But then Matt sees a guy called Murdoch coming to a child's rescue in a convenience store—and amazingly, Murdoch begins dating his mother. For the first time, Matt feels hope.

But the relief doesn't last. When Murdoch inevitably breaks up with his mother, and life gets even worse, Matt knows he needs to take action. But what can he do?

Matt's Rules of Survival:

Sometimes, the people who mean you harm are the ones who say they love you.
Fear is your friend. When you feel it, act.
Protect the little ones.
If you coped before, you can cope now.
Always remember: in the end, the survivor gets to tell the story.

A National Book Award finalist

An LA Times Book Prize finalist

Starred reviews in Kirkus, Booklist, and SLJ

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