Even though the Walsh kids have lived in the same house all their lives in The Rules of Survival, it doesn't feel like a real home to them. Homes are supposed to be safe and comfortable, and Nikki makes sure that they feel constantly on-edge and endangered when they're at "home" with her.
It isn't until they move in with their new guardians that the kids start to feel comfortable and truly at home. Even though Callie, Matthew, and Emmy are in separate households, they feel more comfortable and like a part of a real family than they ever have before. Even Aunt Bobbie's snoring can't get Matthew down—he'd take that noise over all of Nikki's crazed screaming any day.
Questions About The Home
- Why doesn't living with Nikki feel like home to the kids even after all these years?
- Why do Matthew and Callie eventually decide to live in different houses? What does this tell you about what they need in order to feel at home?
- Why does Emmy freak out about living with Ben? What is home to Emmy? Does it shift?
- What do you think will happen once Matthew leaves for college?
Chew on This
In this book, home isn't where the heart is—it's where the heart is safe.
Matthew fails to run away not because he'll miss home, but because he needs to take his siblings with them if he goes anywhere. To him, home is wherever his real family is.