This National Book Award Finalist is a thought-provoking exploration of emotional abuse, self-reliance and the nature of evil. A heart-wrenching portrait of family crisis, this is perfect for fans of Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak and Jay Asher’s Thirteen Reasons Why. For Matt and his sisters, life with their cruel, physically abusive mother is a day-to-day struggle for survival. But then Matt witnesses a man named Murdoch coming to a child’s rescue in a convenience store; and for the first time, he feels a glimmer of hope. Then, amazingly, Murdoch begins dating Matt’s mother. Life is suddenly almost good. But the relief lasts only a short time. When Murdoch inevitable breaks up with their mother, Matt knows that he’ll need to take some action. Can he call upon Murdoch to be his hero? Or will Matt have to take measures into his own hands? A gripping, powerful novel that will stay with you long after you’ve read it. Nancy Werlin, the New York Times Bestselling author of Impossible, shows why she is a master of her genre. “[A] dark but hopeful tale, with pacing and suspense guaranteed to leave readers breathlessly turning the pages.”—Booklist (starred review) “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.”—Kirkus (starred review) “Grace and insight.”—School Library Journal (starred review) National Book Award Finalist LA Times Book Prize Finalist ALA Best Books of the Year ALA Quick Pick

Matt tries to protect his sisters and himself from their volatile mother. Young adult fiction.

He hated the rules until the power grid failed.Tyler Ford is a tour guide, a brother, and the son of a prepper from Whitefish, Montana. Robbed of a childhood and forced to learn his father's stringent rules of survival for every kind of apocalypse, he couldn't wait to leave home, but when an EMP obliterates the United States electrical grid, takes out communication and stalls vehicles, Tyler must face the past and remember what he taught him if he hopes to make it out of Vegas alive. When chaos erupts, will you know the rules to survive?Erika Lyons just wanted an evening away from the hectic world of hotel management but she got more than she expected. There's only one thing worse than a bad date, that's relying on them to keep you alive. Demanding guests were a challenge, desperate ones, pure hell. As food stops being delivered, vehicles clog up the streets, and society begins to unravel, sin city could be the most dangerous place in America.In a world without power, fighting to stay alive may be the only rule that matters.With no warning, no communication, and planes falling out of the sky, the Ford's may be the only ones who know what it takes to thrive. Can Tyler, and two ordinary strangers survive the perilous journey home to Montana? Can the Ford family hold it together long enough to push back the tide of violence, looters and roving gangs? And will they help the community survive as the world is thrown into darkness?Rules of Survival is book one in Survival Rules, a post-apocalyptic EMP thriller series following the Ford family and their community as they fight to survive after an EMP destroys the nation's power grid.

The subconscious is overdue a software upgrade. This primitive and emotional part of your brain follows rules for keeping you safe and well based on the caveman days, where sabre-toothed tigers and other predators were the biggest threat. If you have ever had a battle going on in your head between what you believe you want to do, and the part of you that seems to hold you back, then this book is for you.

They learned the rules, then broke them to survive.One month after a crippling attack on the power grid, the country is still in darkness. As a new wave of violence sweeps the nation, the Ford family are soon drawn into a battle for survival with an unknown menace. Tasked with stopping the threat to protect the small town of Whitefish, Montana, Corey soon discovers a traitor is among them. Unsure of who to trust, tempers flare and accusations threaten to tear the remaining survivors apart. But when Tyler emerges after three weeks away with hope in the form of a mysterious ally, Corey and his brother are forced to undertake a dangerous mission.What would you risk to save your community?After Andy Ford tells his son the truth, a weight lifts from his shoulders, but the relief is short-lived as the result places a target on their backs. In order to defend what remains, he returns to Camp Olney to face Jude Lawson and the incident that destroyed their friendship. But when events take an unexpected turn and the situation spirals out of control, friendships will be tested, loyalties broken and a terrifying twist revealed.Will anyone survive?In a post-apocalyptic nightmare, all bets are off as alliances form, trust breaks, and the strong struggle to survive. Will the mission be a success or will it strip away what little humanity remains?Rules of Darkness is book three in Survival Rules, a post-apocalyptic EMP thriller series that follows the Ford family and their community as they fight to survive after an EMP destroys the nation's power grid.

It takes a killer to catch a killer. Jani Kilian finally has her life under control. Discharged from the Service, she's become an important player in negotiations with the alien idomeni. But when a classified report containing revelations about past crimes comes to light, Jani realizes that old enemies still seek to destroy her. As dangers mount and those closest to her are threatened, a hard lesson learned during her years on the run hits home. Whether in colonial back alleys or halls of power, the game is life and death, and only the winner survives.

Do gentlemen wear shorts? What are the rules regarding interior decor in a high-security prison? Is it ever acceptable to send Valentine's cards to one's pets? The twenty-first century is an age of innumerable social conundrums. Around every corner lies a potential faux pas waiting to happen. But if you've ever struggled for the right response to an unwelcome gift or floundered for conversation at the dinner party from hell, fear not: help is at hand. In Rules for Modern Life, Sir David Tang, resident agony uncle at the Financial Times, delivers a satirical masterclass in navigating the social niceties of modern life. Whether you're unsure of the etiquette of doggy bags or wondering whether a massage room in your second home would be de trop, Sir David has the answer to all your social anxieties - and much more besides.