If there is one important lesson to take away from The Rules of Survival, it's that you should never give up. Matthew, Callie, and Emmy come close to giving up a million times, and it's tempting for them to resign themselves to just trying to survive. But through hard work and perseverance—and with a little help from Aunt Bobbie, Murdoch, and Ben—they manage to turn their situation around. They rally together and refuse to give up when it comes to trying to take custody away from Nikki, and their works pays off when they eventually end up doing just that.
Questions About Perseverance
- Why doesn't Murdoch give up on the kids after he breaks up with Nikki?
- Why does Nikki keep contacting the kids long after she's disappeared from their lives?
- Is Ben and Aunt Bobbie's change of heart surprising? Why or why not?
- How are the kids doing at the very end of the book? Are they still just surviving, or are they thriving?
Chew on This
Callie has inherited her mother's perseverance, but uses it for good instead of bad. Whereas Nikki destroys those around her untiringly, Callie uses her perseverance to continue working hard and to succeed in life.
Matthew is afraid that all of the adults in his life are going to give up on them, but Murdoch infuses Aunt Bobbie and Ben with a sense of purpose and leads them to work tirelessly toward freeing the kids from Nikki's clutches.