Ok, any book that begins by printing G.M. Hopkin's poem, "Spring and Fall" already has me hooked. That was the poem that taught me I could read and interpret poetry for myself...And then, "Lady of Shalott!" What a treasure. Add Pooh and his friends, and we have a very literate narrator. Carey and her sister Jenessa are discovered in a trashed-out camper, months after their mother went on another met hunt. This is not the first time, but it IS the last time. A social worker shows Carey a letter from her mother to Social Services, giving the girls' location and essentially abandoning them to Social Services...and a strange man who accompanies the social worker. The man is Carey's father...and he takes both girls to his home and hopes to enfold them into his new family...wife and step daughter.We soon learn the depths Carey and Jenessa have fallen with their talented, mentally-ill, drug addicted mother. The girls are brilliant and so out of touch. Carey has no idea what a dishwasher is, and Jenessa is fascinated with electric lights.What Carey believes about her mother's flight, and what is the truth are far apart. What Carey is facing now because of her mother is heartbreaking.Creating the new family is NOT easy, nor should it be. Murdoch shows the resentments, the struggles, the conflicts, that would face any family. But Carey and Jenessa have a secret that threatens to destroy the fragile relationships even before they can be established.Literate, smart...harrowing. So many issues kids face are here...peer pressure, isolation, trust, letting go of precious beliefs.POWERFUL story, and Hopkins' sad poem about loss of innocence. A moving parallel to Carey's journey. If you find me, by Emily Murdoch, is a surprising and mysterious book, Carey has to learn why her and Janessa were actually abducted by their mother 10 years ago. These girls had to go from living pretty much alone with little food, in a camper in the woods to being taken from their woods to live with a complete stranger. This book is great if you like being on the edge of your seat, and if you like tear-jerker a then this is a book for you. The way the author tells the story really gets to you from the beginning of the book all the way through to the end.
What do You think about If You Find Me (2013)?
This book tore me to pieces and then put me back together in a whole new way
—Mike
this book was one of the best books i've read recently!!!
—Rena
Beyond incredible! Couldn't put it down once I started!
—Krishna
It drew me in. Did not want to stop reading.
—maza
