Review: If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch

If You Find by Emily Murdoch
Hardcover, 256 pages
Published March 26th 2013 by St. Martin's Griffin
Goodreads | Amazon | The Book Depository

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 Initial Thoughts:

I was another one of those books that I really didn’t have initial thoughts. I figured this was going to be a book with some hard stuff to read

My Review:

Well I have seen quite a few books reviews that ended with people crying. Apparently I am cold hearted because I didn’t even come close to crying at any point in this book. Now saying that doesn’t take away the impact that this book had. This is a very heavy book and this girl and her sister go through more than anyone should have to.  This is classified as a young adult book and follows around two younger children but I would push it more towards an older audience just because of the things they talk about. There is a lot of talk about molestation and drugs.

If You Find Me  follows around Carey, a “fifteen year old” girl and her younger sister Jenessa. Carey’s mother is a drug addict who took Carey and herself from their home almost 10 years prior. Carey is led to believe they had escaped from an abusive husband/father. They currently reside in a camper in the middle of a national forest. The only people that ever see them are dirty old men and the occasional lost hiker. Carey and her sister have only ever been to town a couple of times but their mom goes into town quite often, usually not returning for weeks at a time. Carey is more of a mother to her sister than her actual mom would ever be.

The story really starts when two important people find the trailer and show Carey a letter from their mother turning them over to child services. Carey is taken away from the only thing she’s known for the last 10 years, and the only thing Jenessa has ever known.

Since Carey was forced to raise herself and her baby sister she has turned into a very strong character. She takes great care of her sister, even after she is taken to her new home. The author did a great job describing Carey’s feelings throughout the story.

I really liked Jenessa. Even though she doesn’t really speak, the author does a great job of letting the reader know what she wants. She will occasionally speak in Carey in tiny whispers; you do however get flashbacks to when she did talk.

There is a guy in the story but it really isn’t a love interest, which I really liked. This is one of the only contemporary novels that I have read that wasn’t centered on a love interest.  I saw somebody on Goodreads say that this is the closest book to literary fiction a YA novel has gone. I would agree with that.

Do I Recommend this Book?

Yes! If you are interested in these books then I definitely recommend this. Be warned that people who easily cry will probably do so with this book. There are certain sections that are hard to read.

My Rating:

*This book was provided by the publisher & NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I also won this book in a contest from KatesBookLife.