If You Find Me in Mock Printz 2026

Jul 25, 2013 Terri rated it it was amazing

"Eleanor and Park" by Rainbow Rowell is probably my favorite book of the past year. For those who enjoyed "Eleanor and Park," "If You Find Me" by first time author, Emily Murdoch, is a book that I would enthusiastically suggest. The book would also be an excellent choice for those who read "Room" by Emma Donoghue or "Lost and Found" by John Glatt or "A Stolen Life" by Jaycee Dugard. "If You Find Me" is a beautifully written, heartbreaking, simply unforgettable book. It is a "ripped from the head "Eleanor and Park" by Rainbow Rowell is probably my favorite book of the past year. For those who enjoyed "Eleanor and Park," "If You Find Me" by first time author, Emily Murdoch, is a book that I would enthusiastically suggest. The book would also be an excellent choice for those who read "Room" by Emma Donoghue or "Lost and Found" by John Glatt or "A Stolen Life" by Jaycee Dugard. "If You Find Me" is a beautifully written, heartbreaking, simply unforgettable book. It is a "ripped from the headlines" winner!

Carey Violet Blackburn and her sister Jenessa have been living deep in the woods alone for as long as they can remember. Ten years ago, Mama, took Carey from her father and hid with her in the Obed Wild and Scenic River National Park. In the meantime, Mama gave birth to Janessa, whom Carey has essentially raised and schooled. Mama disappears for weeks at a time and leaves the girls to fend for themselves. The book begins as the girls (15 and 6), whose mother has been gone for longer than usual (over two months), are surviving on beans and are about to run out of food. Two strangers suddenly appear, social worker Mrs. Haskell and a man Carey slowly recognizes as her father. They have received a letter from Mama, telling them where the girls are hidden and that she can no longer "care for" them because of her alcohol and drug issues. Thus begins the arduous journey to the truth and to the future. What propels the action is what Carey has been told and the slow revelation of the truth. Why did Mama run away with Carey? What happened after she disappeared? What was life like for Carey and her sister? And, based on recent news stories, readers will want to compare Carey's situation to teens and women who have recently been discovered to have been in similar situations.

The story is told from Carey's first person perspective. She is a smart, observant young woman, despite having had no formal education (when she is tested after her return, she is actually two years ahead of people her age). As a result, her observations of what is happening around her are especially keen. For instance, she is a master observer of people's facial expressions and what they might mean. And I really liked the fact that the reader gets into Casey's head and what she is experiencing, as secrets are slowly revealed to her and by her. The focus is not on her father's loss and reclamation of his daughter or on what the media might do with such a story. It is mostly focused on Carey and what she experienced and is experiencing. This style keeps the story tight and contained. It doesn't try to do too much. She is a character whom I continue to think about.

Themes central to the book include: post traumatic stress syndrome, selective mutism, domestic violence, sexual slavery, rape, family dynamics, sisters, loss, teen relationships, friendship, secrets, truth, drug addiction, "fakin' it through until you make it true," dreams, finding beauty in what we're given, the truth in music, and self-acceptance. Of course, many of the themes here are mature and there are disturbing scenes of sexual and physical violence, which make this book more appropriate for older, more mature teen readers. The tone of the book is positive and hopeful, however. In addition, there is much beautiful symbolism here having to do with music, the violin, and watches ("Funny how we can't hold on to time, even when it's strapped to our wrists."), as well as allusions to great literature like "Alice in Wonderland": "My father looks away, squinting into the afternoon light. He shakes his head no. The room shrinks around me, like I'm Alice and I ate the tiny cake. My eyes refocus, and my mind uses all its energy to wrap around his words."

This book was incredibly moving and heart-wrenching. Though its truths are sometimes difficult to read, it is well-worth the journey. The fact that there is lots of chatter about "If You Find Me" for the 2013 awards season is of no surprise. You don't want to miss this beautifully written, important book!!!

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Dec 19, 2013 Donalyn rated it really liked it

Shelves: ya-realistic-fiction

Carley and her little sister live in a trailer deep in the woods--struggling to survive while their meth-addicted mother leaves them alone for weeks at a time. When the girls are rescued (I am not giving away anything not on the book jacket), the girls must adjust to normal life in a normal family, while coping with the past.

This book made me sad and angry, but I couldn't stop reading. The story was compelling.

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Aug 13, 2013 Ricki rated it it was amazing

“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” (p. 24).

This gut-wrenching tale captivated me from the very beginning. When authors try to portray emotions, they can feel superficial for readers. But Murdoch's writing feels effortless. I connected with Carey in a way that reminded me of how I understood Melinda in Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. My hands shook with anger in ...more

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Dec 15, 2013 Debrarian rated it really liked it

Shelves: ya-aka-teen, mystery-detective, issues-y, mock-printz

A page-turner, with mostly well-developed main characters (except for the stepsister Delaney) and some truly beautiful turns of phrase (eg. p. 208 "The snow wears the moonlight like perfume.")

There were a few things that didn't work for me, enough to knock me out of the flow of the story. (This list - detailed for the Mock Printz - contains a few smallish SPOILERS.)

***

1) It seems impossible to me that they wouldn't have this girl in therapy.
2) Carey's skills for coping with the "normal" world a ...more

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Feb 17, 2014 Gail rated it liked it

Shelves: contemporary-fiction, young-adult, 2014

Full disclosure: listened to this on audio. I couldn't get into believing the story though. Too many things didn't gel for me- they never thought to send the girls to a shrink, after all they went through? Carey tested at 11th grade level because of all the studying she did, but has never heard of Shakespeare? I almost quit halfway through but wanted the big "reveal" at the end. Meh. I won't be ordering this for my high school. ...more

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Jul 26, 2013 Karen Arendt rated it it was amazing

Shelves: family, realistic-fiction, young-adult

Recommended by Laura Golden on Twitter.

Such a heartbreaking yet hopeful story. Loved it.

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Sep 30, 2012 Liz rated it really liked it

Shelves: 4-star, young-adult

The summary of If You Find Me that I first looked at made me think it might be a thriller or suspense novel, but it’s actually closer to a contemporary or realistic novel. I actually thought this would be unlike anything I’ve read and while I was mostly write, it shared a few elements with the film Winter’s Bone. For the most part I enjoyed If You Find Me, even though parts of it were a bit melodramatic.

Full review here:
http://www.consumedbybooks.com/2013/0... ...more

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May 08, 2013 Emily Rozmus rated it liked it

This book was not what I expected but it was a good read nonetheless. I expected more about the girls' lives as kidnapped victims, and it focused more on their lives after being found. It was well-written and easy to read, but somewhat predictable. ...more

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May 28, 2013 Karyn Silverman added it

Shelves: skimmed, z2013-reads

Ended up skimming in the middle, annoyed by flaws/conveniences that took this out of the running for lit merit. Carey is beautiful and smart and her dad is rich and her stepmom wants Carey AND Nessa, who isn't even the dad's? It's all so pat and frankly way too easy. Also there are timeline issues -- the grandma memories, how the mom managed to give birth to Jenessa without social services, etc.
And where did the accent come from?
So many things that fall apart once you think about it. Bleh. ...more

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