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infinite_kay's review against another edition
5.0
I wasn't prepared for what If You Find Me had in store for me. Even with the great reviews I had read on Goodreads and some blogs, I thought it would simply be an entertaining story with a more serious tone than the ones I have been reading lately. While this preconception hold true, it was also a lot more emotional and "true" than I had expected.
In fact, I feel a bit at a loss writing this review. I have lots of keywords to describe my reading of Emily Murdoch's debut novel, but very few complete sentences : intense; emotional; evocative prose; complexity. This is a tale of a neglected childhood that felt surprisingly realistic to me. I also feel that even without having lived through the horrific events of Carey's life, many readers will be able to relate to her characters : her fears, her thoughts, her despair, are all similar to what many of us go through in our teenage years, although in different situations. I thought the woods Carey grew up in were a beautiful metaphor of life's more difficult times (and the beauty we can see through them), which made all the more sense once I read this guest post by the author at The Midnight Garden (it's a gorgeous post; go read it!)
The book itself wasn't perfect : I thought the romance was really unnecessary, and I would have preferred for Carey to discover simple friendship first (although there is a bit of that, too). I also felt like the "mystery" would have had a stronger effect if it had been shared from the start, allowing us to understand Carey a little bit more.
These negative aspects didn't matter much though; in the end, I absolutely loved If You Find Me. It was grim and depressing at time, yet beautifully contrasted with love and hope - these two feelings mostly represented by the two sisters, who have very distinct attitudes toward their new lives.
If You Find Me is already a favorite of mine this year, and I strongly recommend it to readers of contemporary fiction. I absolutely can't wait to read more from Emily Murdoch!
If You Find Me is available for sale right now! Thanks to St. Martin's Griffin for generously providing a digital copy of the book for this review.
In fact, I feel a bit at a loss writing this review. I have lots of keywords to describe my reading of Emily Murdoch's debut novel, but very few complete sentences : intense; emotional; evocative prose; complexity. This is a tale of a neglected childhood that felt surprisingly realistic to me. I also feel that even without having lived through the horrific events of Carey's life, many readers will be able to relate to her characters : her fears, her thoughts, her despair, are all similar to what many of us go through in our teenage years, although in different situations. I thought the woods Carey grew up in were a beautiful metaphor of life's more difficult times (and the beauty we can see through them), which made all the more sense once I read this guest post by the author at The Midnight Garden (it's a gorgeous post; go read it!)
The book itself wasn't perfect : I thought the romance was really unnecessary, and I would have preferred for Carey to discover simple friendship first (although there is a bit of that, too). I also felt like the "mystery" would have had a stronger effect if it had been shared from the start, allowing us to understand Carey a little bit more.
These negative aspects didn't matter much though; in the end, I absolutely loved If You Find Me. It was grim and depressing at time, yet beautifully contrasted with love and hope - these two feelings mostly represented by the two sisters, who have very distinct attitudes toward their new lives.
If You Find Me is already a favorite of mine this year, and I strongly recommend it to readers of contemporary fiction. I absolutely can't wait to read more from Emily Murdoch!
If You Find Me is available for sale right now! Thanks to St. Martin's Griffin for generously providing a digital copy of the book for this review.
bisarahtops's review against another edition
4.0
I was pretty skeptical about this book at first, but I was hooked right from the start. I finished it in one day, not being able to put it down. It was very dark and definitely not for the faint of heart, but the characters are wonderfully good and human and the narrator had a poignancy that made you feel so much.
keimre734's review against another edition
4.0
"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 when their mother had disappear 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 more than a year. Carey knows she must keep her sister close, and her secrets even closer, or risk watching her new life come crashing down." - Quote from inside front cover of my copy of If You Find Me.
I really enjoyed If You Find Me. At first, I was not exactly sure if I was going to enjoy it or not, but after a couple chapters, I did not want to put it down! This is the first book I have read by Emily Murdoch, but I enjoyed her style of writing. The mixture of emotional and lyrical words helps the story flow very well. The flashbacks that Carey has also helps the reader to understand what all happened during the 10 years while Carey was living in the woods. I also liked how Murdoch was able to weave in the Winnie the Pooh quotes into the story.
I did have a couple issues with the story of If You Find Me. First off, Carey let her guard down with her father way sooner than I would have if I were in her shoes. She leaves Jenessa alone in the house with the man who supposedly abused her and her mother when she was a small child. Also, since Jenessa is no blood relation to Carey's father or stepmother, I have a hard time believing that the Department of Children and Family Services would have allowed Jenessa to immediately move in with them. I feel like the author could have done a bit more research or changed the story line a bit to where it makes more sense.
One thing that I wish Murdoch would have explained was why Carey's mother decided to give up her two daughters to the Department of Children and Family Services? Did she voluntarily check herself into a rehab facility? Was she arrest in some kind of drug bust and wrote the letter during some kind of forced drug rehabilitation?
I really enjoyed If You Find Me. At first, I was not exactly sure if I was going to enjoy it or not, but after a couple chapters, I did not want to put it down! This is the first book I have read by Emily Murdoch, but I enjoyed her style of writing. The mixture of emotional and lyrical words helps the story flow very well. The flashbacks that Carey has also helps the reader to understand what all happened during the 10 years while Carey was living in the woods. I also liked how Murdoch was able to weave in the Winnie the Pooh quotes into the story.
I did have a couple issues with the story of If You Find Me. First off, Carey let her guard down with her father way sooner than I would have if I were in her shoes. She leaves Jenessa alone in the house with the man who supposedly abused her and her mother when she was a small child. Also, since Jenessa is no blood relation to Carey's father or stepmother, I have a hard time believing that the Department of Children and Family Services would have allowed Jenessa to immediately move in with them. I feel like the author could have done a bit more research or changed the story line a bit to where it makes more sense.
One thing that I wish Murdoch would have explained was why Carey's mother decided to give up her two daughters to the Department of Children and Family Services? Did she voluntarily check herself into a rehab facility? Was she arrest in some kind of drug bust and wrote the letter during some kind of forced drug rehabilitation?
skynet666's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed listening to this story. When I neared the end, I kept thinking the author was going to leave me hanging, but I was happy with the ending. This seems like something that will be made into a movie at some point.
megsbookishtwins's review against another edition
4.0
“I answer her with my silence, understanding the full power of it for the first time. Words are weapons. Weapons are powerful. So are unsaid words. So are unused weapons.”
It has been a few weeks since I have read this, so I am only going to do a short little ramble.
Carey has lived most of her life in the Woods with her drug addicted mother and her sister Jenessa. Her mother usually goes off on her own for weeks at a time and Carey is never sure of when she will see her again. But one day, her mother doesn't come back, instead it is a couple of strangers who take her away from the Woods. Carey has a secret though, a secret which causes her sister not to speak and which Carey fears will destroy her future.
I genuinely enjoyed If You Find Me. I found it a good, easy read, which had a unique aspect to it. The edition I had also had a bonus epilogue which isn't in any other books (YAY), and I liked the ending, I had already guessed what her secret was, not in it's entirety, but I got the basic gist of it. I liked the characters, I really did. I also enjoyed the character development with them all as well. I liked the relationship between the two sisters, that was a definite bonus of the story. I also liked the romance, it seemed a bit instant and rushed, but I liked it. I also liked that the romance was a big sub-plot. The story was more character-driven that anything else, and that was a positive.
Overall, a really good read that I do recommend you pick up.
It has been a few weeks since I have read this, so I am only going to do a short little ramble.
Carey has lived most of her life in the Woods with her drug addicted mother and her sister Jenessa. Her mother usually goes off on her own for weeks at a time and Carey is never sure of when she will see her again. But one day, her mother doesn't come back, instead it is a couple of strangers who take her away from the Woods. Carey has a secret though, a secret which causes her sister not to speak and which Carey fears will destroy her future.
I genuinely enjoyed If You Find Me. I found it a good, easy read, which had a unique aspect to it. The edition I had also had a bonus epilogue which isn't in any other books (YAY), and I liked the ending, I had already guessed what her secret was, not in it's entirety, but I got the basic gist of it. I liked the characters, I really did. I also enjoyed the character development with them all as well. I liked the relationship between the two sisters, that was a definite bonus of the story. I also liked the romance, it seemed a bit instant and rushed, but I liked it. I also liked that the romance was a big sub-plot. The story was more character-driven that anything else, and that was a positive.
Overall, a really good read that I do recommend you pick up.
wheels68's review against another edition
5.0
Very good book. Listened to it in 1 day. Cried at the end
jhulme's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars. It has its flaws, but is a compelling and emotional story.
ashyver's review against another edition
5.0
This book was amazing. Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down. The story will tug at your heart strings.
katie_holder's review against another edition
5.0
Another one of those "I don't want this book to end" books. I was hooked from page one. I want a sequel, I need to know the rest of Carey's story.
~Read it
~Read it