FICTION

If You Find Me

248p. St. Martin's Griffin. Mar. 2013. ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-250-02153-3; pap. $9.99. ISBN 978-1-250-03327-7.
COPY ISBN
RedReviewStarGr 9 Up—Following a bitter custody battle, Carey's mentally ill, junkie mother kidnapped her and disappeared. Living in a broken-down camper hidden deep in the woods of Tennessee, Carey, now 14, takes care of her younger sister, Janessa, who is selectively mute, while their mother seeks her next fix. When protective services intervene, Carey's father, a man she only knows through her mother's lies, reclaims the girls and takes them to live with him, his new wife, and his stepdaughter. Over the following weeks, the sisters encounter luxuries often taken for granted: square meals, running water, warm beds, and a loving family. Carey even experiences first love with a boy from her past. But she doesn't feel she deserves this happily ever after because of a terrible secret: she did something horrific in order to protect her sister. Would her new family still want her if they knew the truth? Murdoch's debut is beautifully written. The deep bond between the sisters is almost physically palpable, as is their intense longing for love and acceptance; they will quickly endear themselves to readers. This absorbing title will find a captivated audience with fans of Caroline B. Cooney's "The Janie Novels" series (Delacorte) and Sara Zarr's books.—Alissa J. Bach, Oxford Public Library, MI

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