Review Detail

The hype machine being what it is, and my tendency to reject well-loved books being what it is, I started reading If You Find Me with no little nervousness. I’d read enough reviews to figure out that it had all the buzzwords I tend to look for, and when not one but two mystery packages showed up at my doorstep containing this book, I figured the heavens were sending me a sign. And I am very glad to report that Emily Murdoch did not disappoint.

In a sentence, If You Find Me is about two sisters’ reintegration into society after spending several years living in a camper in the woods. The story is simple. But I’ve oftentimes found that the most simple stories carry the strongest weight. For me, this was a book about relationships. Sibling relationships, parent-child relationships, friendships. One the topic of relationships, I can only say “bravo!”

The book is told in first-person from fourteen-year-old Carey’s perspective. As the elder of the two sisters, Carey has functioned as a parent for her sister Nessa for years. Carey has lived in the woods for over ten years, and with only her meth-addict mother and her junkie friends as a point of contact to the outside world, her perspective is understandably skewed. She views her newfound father with suspicion, her ideas of family and (in particular) sexuality are skewed, and she acts more like a middle-aged parent than a teen girl. Her gradual adjustment to “normal” life was rewarding and heartwarming.

One thing that YA fiction needs to see more of, in my opinion, is nice people. Genuine, caring people who try their best to do the right thing and make other people comfortable. I’d heard that If You Find Me was populated by just such characters, but I didn’t believe it until I was a hundred pages in, ready to strangle-hug every single person in Carey’s life. There were no bad guys in this book, and it was such a wonderful change of pace. From Carey’s new family to the kids at school, everyone was so nice. Even Carey’s stepsister, who started off nasty, ended up showing a soft side. I loved watching all these people interact with each other, find new footing, and resolve the issues of the past. It was so wonderful to watch.

Sadly, as much as I’d like to say If You Find Me was perfect, it wasn’t for me. As much as I adored the characters and the story, it felt like there was something missing. Some touch of emotion, depth to secondary characters, loose threads. I can’t say for sure. I wish I did know. That missing piece, however, did not affect my overall enjoyment of the book at all, and I would hate to drive anyone away from this book because of it—because this book is ultimately very fulfilling.

I’m going to have to thank everyone for pushing this book into a place where I could notice it. Emily Murdoch is a debut author to watch out for, and If You Find Me was absolutely fantastic. I think this is a great book for those in search of issue books that don’t stomp on your heart and smush it to pieces—the emotion is there, but it’s much more joyful and bright than is typical of realistic fiction. I found this book to be authentic and touching.