The rules of survival, by Nancy Werlin.
“Fear is your friend; when you feel it, act.”
At thirteen, Matt is the caretaker, standing between his two younger sisters and their flamboyant, dangerously insane mother. Nikki can be caring, thoughtful, and startlingly sensitive to her children’s needs. In a moment, she can break up the kitchen furniture, or gleefully hold a knife to her child’s throat, just to teach him not to snitch a cookie.
Salvation comes in many forms, and it is many years before Matt finally figures out just what he was looking for when he finally reached out for help.