If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch

If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch

Release Date: March 26, 2013
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Rated: YA 14+
Format: eGalley
Source: NetGalley
Buy: Amazon ● The Book Depository
Goodreads ● Website

There are some things you can’t leave behind…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.

I nearly cried with how raw and beautiful this book was. So much emotion, and told in such an amazing way that you will instantly be hooked from the first couple of pages. I especially loved the use of colloquial language in If You Find Me– you could honestly hear the words, feel the woods and sense how much these two girls have been impacted.
Normally with contemporary, for me at least, it's got to be good. I'm looking for heart-pounding plot, page-gripping feelings and characters you can instantly connect with, especially with young adult contemporary novels that deal with heavier issues. I'm glad to say that I found all of the above, and didn't let this story go ages after I'd finished.

You can totally feel this book and it's characters come to life. I honestly connected to Carey. It doesn't matter that I've never, and thank the gods, had the same past as she did, but you could really empathize with her and the rest of the characters in the book. As I mentioned before, the use of colloquial language just helped to push that gap between myself and the book so much closer. It gives so much more character to the, well, character and the rest of the story.
I loved the additions of Nessa (who was super adorable), Pixie, and Ryan. Even though I felt his addition wasn't actually necessary to make the story more interesting, Ryan was still a great – and really cute – character, and I love the connection that he has with Carey.

As you delve further into the book, sure enough, the darker it becomes. There are definitely some little twists along the way, some shocking revelations as more is revealed, especially as to why in fact Nessa is so quiet and doesn't talk during the book. However, still along the way it was cute to see how Carey's little sister adjusts to the "modern" world (they lived in the woods for so long without technology and such... I don't think that counts too much as being "modern"), and of course, eating heaps and heaps of food. I thought it was a great mix, but of course it transcends into a much darker undertone as you venture further into this novel.

If You Find Me was absolutely gorgeous and heartbreaking. It's one of those books you completely devour, feel hungry for more and a little empty that you finished it too quickly. Emily Murdoch's debut is spectacular, and I'll most definitely be looking out for more.

If you like this, try...

• Pretty Girl-13 by Liz Coley ● Goodreads
• Ordinary Beauty by Laura Wiess ● Goodreads

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