Thursday, June 20, 2013

Review: If You Find Me

If You Find Me – Emily Murdoch – St. Martin's Griffin
The “Facts”:  Hardcover, 256 pages, 3 days

Summary: (Taken from Goodreads):  There are some things you can’t leave behind… A broken-down camper hidden deep in a national forest is the only home fifteen year-old Carey can remember. The trees keep guard over her threadbare existence, with the one bright spot being Carey’s younger sister, Jenessa, who depends on Carey for her very survival. All they have is each other, as their mentally ill mother comes and goes with greater frequency. Until that one fateful day their mother disappears for good, and two strangers arrive. Suddenly, the girls are taken from the woods and thrust into a bright and perplexing new world of high school, clothes and boys.

Now, Carey must face the truth of why her mother abducted her ten years ago, while haunted by a past that won’t let her go… a dark past that hides many a secret, including the reason Jenessa hasn’t spoken a word in over a year. Carey knows she must keep her sister close, and her secrets even closer, or risk watching her new life come crashing down.

My Review:  Have you ever read a book and finished with appreciation for the author? It's a weird feeling to have this sudden 'I need to thank this author' feeling, especially when you've never met and the book isn't a 'life-changer.' So, why am I appreciative?

This author, Emily Murdoch, gets it. She understands a true character's crisis and keeps the characters real. For example, the main character in this book was raised to believe her father was abusive. She knows her mother allowed and encouraged nightmareish things to happen to her, however when she is 'rescued' and given back to her father, she isn't necessarily happy. This character is not trusting, and still hangs on to her mother. Even though her mother was a bad woman, she was her mother and that was where her loyalty would lay.

Not only that, but her characters show range. They grow, they have flaws, they are not flat and predictable. They feel real. 

This is the story of Carey, and her return to normalcy after being abducted by her mother, living in terrible conditions ferreted away in a camper in a park. This story could have easily drug on. It could have easily been distracted with side-stories, and details. Emily Murdoch was able to tell a story without bogging it down with details or extraneous information. Emily Murdoch is a story-teller, a true craftsman, and I thank her for that. It isn't often I come across a book where I was left satisfied and still wanting more. I thought about this book, days after finishing it. I didn't feel like all questions were answered, and with this topic, it felt right that way.

If you haven't checked out this book yet, I HIGHLY recommend you do so. You won't regret it.



Rating: 5 stars

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