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4.2 AVERAGE
4.2 AVERAGE
Age: 4th-middle school
Tough Issue: Foster care
First line: Sitting in the back of the social worker's car, I try to remember how my mother has always said to never show your fear.
Disabilities: Autism
A well-balanced perspective on being suddenly thrust into foster care, Carley Connors must cope with her mother's betrayal and try to live with a family of strangers. Hunt really provided a well-thought out presentation of a tween trying to figure out who to trust in her shattered world.
After her mother holds Carley down as Carley tries to flee from her abusive step-father, resulting in Carley and her mother in the hospital, Carley is put into a temporary foster home where she must wait until her mother gets better. While with the Murphys, Carley is pulled into their world and becomes attached to the children, but particularly attached to the mother--a considerate, overly sweet mother figure that she has never had.
Carley's emotional responses felt real, sometimes hostile, and well-developed while Hunt kept her likable in the reader's eye. This story also provides a welcome alternative to evil foster care situations and mean foster care mothers while maintaining a compelling story. The ending is far from ideal for the readers, but its realistic approach is commendable without completely sugar coating a real world situation.
Tough Issue: Foster care
First line: Sitting in the back of the social worker's car, I try to remember how my mother has always said to never show your fear.
Disabilities: Autism
A well-balanced perspective on being suddenly thrust into foster care, Carley Connors must cope with her mother's betrayal and try to live with a family of strangers. Hunt really provided a well-thought out presentation of a tween trying to figure out who to trust in her shattered world.
After her mother holds Carley down as Carley tries to flee from her abusive step-father, resulting in Carley and her mother in the hospital, Carley is put into a temporary foster home where she must wait until her mother gets better. While with the Murphys, Carley is pulled into their world and becomes attached to the children, but particularly attached to the mother--a considerate, overly sweet mother figure that she has never had.
Carley's emotional responses felt real, sometimes hostile, and well-developed while Hunt kept her likable in the reader's eye. This story also provides a welcome alternative to evil foster care situations and mean foster care mothers while maintaining a compelling story. The ending is far from ideal for the readers, but its realistic approach is commendable without completely sugar coating a real world situation.
I really loved this book. This was such a (mostly) sad story and the author does a great job of making you become invested in all of the major characters, not just the protagonist. However, despite it being centered around a sad situation, the book is uplifting, thought-provoking, and really provoked my empathy.
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
There is just something about this book that makes me cry like a baby. Love love love!
A wonderful book, perfectly blurbed by Patricia Reilly Giff.
I can't wait to see what else Hunt will write in the future after this fabulous debut!
I can't wait to see what else Hunt will write in the future after this fabulous debut!
Wow, just wow. This book really made me want to cry.
Hunt wrote a really powerful story of the foster system and what it's like for a kid to go through it alone. I liked Carley and really loved seeing the healthy connections she started making with the Murpheys. I liked her watching baseball with Mr. Murphy, making a mothers day card for Mrs. Murphy, helping out the little brothers, and teaching Daniel football.
I LOVED Carley. I really did. I wanted to know everything about her and I felt her emotions throughout the whole book. I almost cried for her. I loved her spunk. I loved her fascination with basketball. And I loved how the author portrayed kids as smart and resilient. Carley knew that her mother didn't treat her in the correct way. Having Mrs. Murphy as a mother figure really showed her how she should be treated. I loved that.
However, as much as I loved this book it had some big problems.
For example, Carley accurately portrayed a twelve-year-old, yet, I don't think this book really targets a twelve year old. All of the scenes points toward a message of how it is in the foster system rather than having scenes that contribute toward the message if that makes sense. It felt like it was so intentional to show a foster system it forgot to tell a bigger story of who Carley is as a complete person besides the circumstances she was in. For me, it seemed more about the message than the story.
As a result, I felt like some of the chapters were paced oddly. Once it pinpointed an emotion or circumstance of Carley and the foster system the chapter ended. I wanted more time to feel grounded within the scene. I wanted to know what the Murphey's looked like and I wanted to know more about what Carley was thinking besides the relationship she had with her mother. Like how she got into basketball or how long she was with the team. I still liked seeing the memories she had with her mother, but her thoughts on her mother almost seemed rushed to me. She just mentioned it, moved on, then reacted to how Mrs. Murphy was different. There's nothing wrong with having these elements. I just wanted more time for the emotions and scenes to flourish.
Carley also felt a little bit too defined as a foster kid for me. In every scene something had to relate back toward motherhood or her situation. I know the book is about these things, however, we never strayed from that and took time to learn about who she is. I wanted to know her hopes, dreams, motivations. For example, we know she likes basketball, but I had no real memories on how she got involved in basketball or any friends she had in LA. When she was in school I wanted her to try out for the team. It felt like the only memories or interests that Carley had related toward her history. That is why it felt like it was targeted toward an older audience. Because it felt like Carley was there to uplift the message instead of the other way around. I'm possibly am being too hard on the book. I still really liked it. It's just what I kept thinking as I read it.
Lastly, I hated the ending. I can't go into further details because it would spoil the ending. But I felt like the pacing was off there as well. I felt like we could have spent more time explaining what Carley felt about her future. I feel like I have no real resolution and that there's more to the story.
Hunt wrote a really powerful story of the foster system and what it's like for a kid to go through it alone. I liked Carley and really loved seeing the healthy connections she started making with the Murpheys. I liked her watching baseball with Mr. Murphy, making a mothers day card for Mrs. Murphy, helping out the little brothers, and teaching Daniel football.
I LOVED Carley. I really did. I wanted to know everything about her and I felt her emotions throughout the whole book. I almost cried for her. I loved her spunk. I loved her fascination with basketball. And I loved how the author portrayed kids as smart and resilient. Carley knew that her mother didn't treat her in the correct way. Having Mrs. Murphy as a mother figure really showed her how she should be treated. I loved that.
However, as much as I loved this book it had some big problems.
For example, Carley accurately portrayed a twelve-year-old, yet, I don't think this book really targets a twelve year old. All of the scenes points toward a message of how it is in the foster system rather than having scenes that contribute toward the message if that makes sense. It felt like it was so intentional to show a foster system it forgot to tell a bigger story of who Carley is as a complete person besides the circumstances she was in. For me, it seemed more about the message than the story.
As a result, I felt like some of the chapters were paced oddly. Once it pinpointed an emotion or circumstance of Carley and the foster system the chapter ended. I wanted more time to feel grounded within the scene. I wanted to know what the Murphey's looked like and I wanted to know more about what Carley was thinking besides the relationship she had with her mother. Like how she got into basketball or how long she was with the team. I still liked seeing the memories she had with her mother, but her thoughts on her mother almost seemed rushed to me. She just mentioned it, moved on, then reacted to how Mrs. Murphy was different. There's nothing wrong with having these elements. I just wanted more time for the emotions and scenes to flourish.
Carley also felt a little bit too defined as a foster kid for me. In every scene something had to relate back toward motherhood or her situation. I know the book is about these things, however, we never strayed from that and took time to learn about who she is. I wanted to know her hopes, dreams, motivations. For example, we know she likes basketball, but I had no real memories on how she got involved in basketball or any friends she had in LA. When she was in school I wanted her to try out for the team. It felt like the only memories or interests that Carley had related toward her history. That is why it felt like it was targeted toward an older audience. Because it felt like Carley was there to uplift the message instead of the other way around. I'm possibly am being too hard on the book. I still really liked it. It's just what I kept thinking as I read it.
Lastly, I hated the ending. I can't go into further details because it would spoil the ending. But I felt like the pacing was off there as well. I felt like we could have spent more time explaining what Carley felt about her future. I feel like I have no real resolution and that there's more to the story.
I read this aloud to my 10 and 13 year old and we all LOVED it. One for the Murphy's is the tender and honest story of Carley Connors who has just landed in foster care with the Murphy family. It will break your heart but then mend it again, with a few laughs along the way.
A touching, honest book about Carley, who is sent to live with a foster family, the Murphys, after a violent episode with her stepfather. Carley doesn't believe she is worthy of love or a true family, but the Murphys show her otherwise.
I challenge anyone to read the last chapter without crying. I think I need a tissue rating for the books I've read this year.
I challenge anyone to read the last chapter without crying. I think I need a tissue rating for the books I've read this year.
4.5
After an altercation at home, Carley finds herself on the way to a foster home and her mom in the hospital. She doesn't feel comfortable at the Murphy's and begins testing them right away. However, as the days move on, Carley starts to feel at home and even makes a friend at school. Carley starts to understand herself better, as well as what happened in her house that fateful night. She doesn't want to leave the Murphy's, but when her mother is feeling better, she wants to see Carley.
I found this to be a pretty honest depiction of the foster care system, especially from Carley's point of view. I rode the emotions right along with Carley, from wanting to open up to also keeping things close. The ending was not what I would have wanted, but again, is accurate.
After an altercation at home, Carley finds herself on the way to a foster home and her mom in the hospital. She doesn't feel comfortable at the Murphy's and begins testing them right away. However, as the days move on, Carley starts to feel at home and even makes a friend at school. Carley starts to understand herself better, as well as what happened in her house that fateful night. She doesn't want to leave the Murphy's, but when her mother is feeling better, she wants to see Carley.
I found this to be a pretty honest depiction of the foster care system, especially from Carley's point of view. I rode the emotions right along with Carley, from wanting to open up to also keeping things close. The ending was not what I would have wanted, but again, is accurate.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A great, heart tugging, emotional foster care read about a kid learning to love family and accept kindness.
Carly is a street wise, suspicious teen who has been thrown into foster care by tragedy. She doesn’t trust the Murphy’s and doesn’t believe she’s deserving of their love and kindness. But as she slowly settles in and begins to break down the wall she has around her heart, she realizes that love and warmth can be heartbreakingly beautiful and she has been missing out.
A great middle grade read for kiddos who like emotional, realistic fiction and can sympathize with finding the love they deserve.
Carly is a street wise, suspicious teen who has been thrown into foster care by tragedy. She doesn’t trust the Murphy’s and doesn’t believe she’s deserving of their love and kindness. But as she slowly settles in and begins to break down the wall she has around her heart, she realizes that love and warmth can be heartbreakingly beautiful and she has been missing out.
A great middle grade read for kiddos who like emotional, realistic fiction and can sympathize with finding the love they deserve.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Physical abuse, Violence, Injury/Injury detail
Wow. One of the best books I've ever read. If you want some suspense, than read this book! Totally amazing.