If You Find Me

Goodreads Summary

There are some things you can’t leave behind…

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.


My Thoughts
This book was really really good.

Carey basically raised her sister, Nessa. The then 9 year old little girl basically took over parenting her younger sister when she realized that her mother couldn't/wouldn't do it. Not only that, but she did it in the woods in Tennessee.  Can you even imagine?

This story picks up right before they are rescued and we see how the two little girls deal with a new family, school, peers, and just the normal everyday routine. There were struggles and at times I wondered if they were coping too quickly, but then I didn't care.

Carey was such a strong girl. She raised her sister, taught her to read and write, and then helped once they reached the "real world". She was an incredible character. She not only had to deal with normal teenager issues and feelings, but a past in the woods that changed her. I know I wouldn't have survived what she did. I don't think most people could. 

I would definitely read a book about these characters 10 years later. Will she and Ryan be together? Are Carey and her new sister be close? It would be an interesting read.

Check this book out!