Title: Out of This Place
Author: Emma Cameron
Publisher: St.Martin's Press
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Pages: 416
Rating: 3 Stars
Goodreads Summary: "Luke spends his days hanging out at the beach, working shifts at the local supermarket, and trying to stay out of trouble at school until he can be on his own. Bongo gets wasted, blocking out memories of the little brother Social Services took away from his addict mom and avoiding the stepdad who hits him. And Casey, the girl they both love, longs to get away from her strict, controlling father and start anew in a place where she can be free. When their lives all take very different and surprising paths, will these three friends find a way to come together again?"
It did take me a little while to get into this story, I'm not gonna lie. The story itself was good but I never really got attached to the characters. I was interested in the story but never really got too invested. I did like how it switched between three of the main characters, Luke, Casey and Bongo/David. I was more interested in Casey and Bongo's stories because they had more to them really, Luke's was pretty "ehh" for me. I'm usually a crier when reading books like this, but even though I felt for the characters and was saddened by their situations, mainly Casey and Bongo, I never teared up. That's how I know that I really love a book, if it's able to really pull at my heartstrings and get into my emotions.
One thing that did bug me though was I got confused a lot with the story, it felt like it jumped around a lot. All of a sudden there was a new turn in the story and I had no idea how it got there.
Overall I did like the story but I wasn't completely sold on it :/
Title: If You Find Me
Author: Emily Murdoch
Publisher: St.Martin's Press
Genre: YA, Drama, Realistic Fiction, Contemporary
Pages: 256
Rating: 5 Stars
Goodreads Summary: "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."
First off, I have to thank the lord for NetGalley because I feel like if it weren't for NetGalley I never would of even heard about this book!
This book was fantastic, in that it had such a captivating story but was so heartbreaking at the same time! What these two girls went through and continued to go through after being rescued honestly just broke my heart. More Carey than Nessa after leaving the woods because she just had such a hard time adjusting to her new life and surroundings, my heart broke for her. I honestly lost count of how many times I teared up while reading this, especially the last 10-12 pages, I was borderline crying at that point.
The characters were also phenomenal to me, especially Carey, talk about a strong female character. This girl honestly went through hell and not only survived but took care of her little sister completely. Carey is willing to sacrifice anything and everything to protect Jenessa and ensure she has the best life possible. She is such a respectable and admirable character, probably one of my favorites of all time.
Carey's younger sister Jenessa is the cutest little girl, despite what she's been through she still such an innocent and happy child. She still has her own set of scars from their time in the woods though, which is just heartbreaking. Her bond and attachment to the father's dog, Shorty, seriously melted my heart.
Delaney, where to start with Delaney. I'm so happy she redeems herself in a few places throughout the story because I honestly did not like her for a lot of the book. It just baffled me how little compassion she had for Carey and was just terrible to her. I get she felt left out and pushed aside but damn, the girl has been starving in the woods alone with a small child for the past ten years WITH a crazy mother, give it a break!
The girls' father and Melissa were such heartwarming characters, they were one of my favorite parts of the story. I loved that they were eventually able to show Carey that you don't have to work or pay for love, that it's unconditional.
I loved Ryan's character, he was completely understanding with Carey and just so sweet. I didn't expect the little twist between their characters either but I feel like it helped Carey so much.
The ending honestly broke my heart, I had an idea that that was what Carey and Nessa's secret was but I wasn't positive. But knowing or not didn't take away from how truly heartbreaking it was for them to go through what they did. As if the page wasn't blurry enough from my tears, Carey just had to break my heart further. Carey had the same feeling throughout the entire story, that if anyone found out her secret they wouldn't want her anymore and would send her away. That honestly just broke my heart that she truly believed that.
This was such a good book, I would definitely recommend it without a doubt! Emily Murdoch is officially one of my favorite authors! I'm really hoping there is a sequel about the fallout following Carey's confession to her father! *fingers crossed*
