If You Find Me is not for the faint of heart. It's a story dealing with child abuse and neglect, drugs, rape, and violence. But even more so, it's a story about finding hope in the darkest corners of life and the amazingly strong sisterly bond between Carey and Jenessa. 
 Carey and Jenessa have been living deep in the woods of Tennessee with their mentally ill and drug addicted mother. Often disappearing for weeks at a time, it seems that she's finally gone for good when Carey's father and a social worker appear to take them away from this life of neglect. 
 The most amazing aspect of this story is hands down the incredible bond between sisters Carey and Jenessa. With their mother disappearing for extended periods of time, the two have no choice but to depend on each other and make out a living however possible. Carey demonstrates incredible maturity for her age (she's only fourteen) and a fierce loyalty for her sister that I don't think I've ever seen before. Her ability to place Jenessa's safety and happiness above her own time and time again made me just want to hug her and never let go. Together, they slowly allow themselves to open up to new experiences and sensations, ones that aren't marred by fear or violence or neglect. 
 There were a couple times when the story lacked a slight sense of cohesiveness, like with Carey and her stepsister Delaney's sudden friendship or with the integration of some of the flashbacks, but this never really deterred me from this heart-wrenching and poignant novel. 
 If you're looking for a novel that will break your heart and slowly put it back together again, look no further than Emily Murdoch's powerful and emotional debut.