On the Shelf: If You Find Me

IF YOU FIND ME | EMILY MURDOCH | ST. MARTIN'S | MARCH 2013

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.

This book took me by surprise. I wasn't too sure what to expect going in to it, but I am so happy that I decided to read this book. I highly suggest going out and buying a copy, whether you typically read YA or not.

Emily Murdoch's grasp on voice is absolutely stunning. The protagonist of the book, Carey, comes to life in a different way than many other fictional characters. She is so unique in the way she talks, the way she acts, the way she thinks... While some of this is a consequence of her past, I think most of it is thanks to Murdoch's ability to really know her characters.

If You Find Me is a quick read, but there is a lot to be said in so few pages. The concept for the book is unlike anything I've ever read before. I really felt for the girls and loved seeing how life unfolds after they are rescued from the woods. Mixed in with flashbacks to the time spent in the woods, this novel does a great job at covering the events of many years without being monotonous.

The book deals with some heavy issues and treats them with care. It's a very realistic attempt at exposing those things that we take for granted as well as the things we all too often ignore. If You Find Me is one of the most powerful books about family that I've ever read.