Book Review: If You Find Me

Emily Murdock's first published novel, If You Find Me, certainly doesn't read like a novice's novel.  It has a fantastic opening paragraph, amazing sense of pacing, compelling characters, and deep story content.  As I read this book, I thought, "Man, I wish my first novel could be as engrossing and real as this!"  The endorsements on the back cover gave fair warning, with comments like: "deeply affecting story ... A compelling narrative," "a painful, hopeful ... book that charts the best and worst of humanity," "hurt my heart and will probably haunt my dreams," and "grabbed me by the heart on page one and didn't let go till the very last word."

From the soulful eyes of the girl on the cover to the intensely personal narration by the protagonist, the reader is swept into this tale of two sisters found in the woods.  Fifteen year old Carey and her six year old sister, Jenessa, have been surviving alone in a camper in the woods for almost six weeks when Carey's father turns up with a social worker.  Their mother, a meth-addict with bipolar disease, repeatedly abandons them.  Now, she has finally acknowledged that she cannot care for them and that she kidnapped Carey from her father a full decade ago.  Suddenly, the girls are swept into a whole new world, full of good food, new clothes, school and perplexing relationships.  While they hunger for life as they knew it, they attempt to silence the demons that have plagued their past and caused Jenessa to go mute.

This novel was gripping and, yes, painful.  The story will linger in my brain for a long time, I'm sure.  I would probably have a hard time allowing a pre-teen daughter to read this, since the content is quite mature and disturbing in parts.  But it is so well written that I'm loathe to say anything that would turn a reader away.  I appreciated the fact that the author didn't paint the picture with crass terms and graphic descriptions.  The images are horrifying enough in the imagination, but necessary for the telling of this "painful" yet "hopeful" tale.  With characters as endearing as Carey and Jenessa, the reader cares intensely about their final outcome and roots for good to triumph over evil.

I don't know how long Emily Murdoch has been honing her craft, but I definitely hope to see more from this fine author.  She has a tender way of pulling you into the story and a strong sense of voice.  She develops characters that are real and puts them in situations that force conflict and resolution. Her similes are always fresh and fitting.  She is truly an outstanding writer, capable of weaving an important and compelling story.