If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch

Pages: 264
Intended Audience: Mature Teens
Genre: Real life
Notes for Parents: Deals with some mature issues including sexual abuse and violence. There is some coarse language.

The Back Cover

A broken-down camper hidden deep in a national forest is the only home fifteen-year-old Carey has ever known. The trees keep guard over Carey and her younger sister Jenessa as their mentally ill mother comes and goes with great frequency—until one fateful day when their mother disappears for good. The girls are found by their father, a stranger, and taken to reenter a bright and perplexing new world of high school, clothes, and boys.
While six-year-old Jenessa adjusts quickly, Carey must come to terms with the truth of why their mother spirited her away ten years ago, and she is haunted by a past that won’t let her go…a dark past that hides the secret of why Jenessa hasn’t spoken a word in over a year. It’s tempting to let go and fit in. But Carey knows she must keep her sister close, and her secret even closer, or risk watching her new life come crashing down.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This is the author’s first novel.

What’s good?

This is much more than just a fish out of water story. Carey and her sister Jenessa have been surviving on their own for a long time and when Carey’s biological father shows up with a social worker to take them home, Carey must confront a lot of demons. The story has good writing, and a great narrative voice. Characterization is strong, and the plot moves at a good pace. As Carey reconnects with remnants of her old life, new truths surface that are difficult and emotional. I like the strong bond Carey has with her sister and the friendship that develops with Pixie.
Best Part: St. Joseph of the Bean

What isn’t good?

There is some inconsistency when it comes to what Carey knows and doesn’t know as a result of spending 10 years in the woods. For example, she’s baffled by a school locker, but doesn’t seem at all bothered by the school routine. The accuracy of the social worker’s procedures are a little suspect, as well. Showing up to a trailer out the woods with a child’s biological father instead of the police doesn’t seem right. A few other little things required some suspension of disbelief that distracted from the larger story. Lastly, I guessed “the big secret” long before it was revealed (as I suspect many others did too).
Worst part: Ryan’s nickname for Carey.

Recommendation þþþoo

It didn’t have an impact. Good story, good writing, but nothing truly outstanding. I liked Carey and Jenessa, but the other characters are forgettable. I would have liked to know more about their mother Joelle. Most of the supporting characters lack depth. However, there was an emotional element to the story that was well done, and the writing style is nice. If the subject interests you, then it’s worth the read.

Murdoch, Emily. If You Find Me. New York: St. Martin’s Griffin, 2013.