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One for the Murphys by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

4.2 AVERAGE

jennifrencham's review against another edition

4.0
When Carley's stepfather beats her (while her mother holds her so she can't run away), she is placed into the foster system. The Murphys are a bustling, happy family, and Carley has difficulty adjusting to life in their home and accepting the unconditional love she finds there. When her mom has recovered enough to leave the hospital, Carley has to face leaving the one place she felt like home.

I enjoyed this story. I loved how "real" the Murphy family was and how patient the mom was with Carley and her odd behavior. I didn't want Carley to go back with her mom, but I was glad she had had a chance to grow strong and see that there are possibilities outside of her normal experiences.

mhsquier's review against another edition

4.0
Carley Connors is on her way to a foster home, after her violent stepfather put her in the hospital, possibly with her mother's help. She isn't sure the foster home will be any better than living with her stepfather, but she is sure she won't like it. But when she meets the Murphy family, stay-at-home mom Julie, firefighter dad Jack, and their three boys, Carlie is startled by how nice and normal their family is.

Things are not easy at first. Although the two youngest boys are soon enamored by Carley, big brother Daniel is not so easily convinced that his family needs to take Carley in. And though Mrs. Murphy is very understanding and caring, Jack Murphy is cautious that Carley will bring troubles to his family. When Carley starts school, she finds that she has some trouble fitting in.

As Carley settles in however, she begins to feel more at home with the Murphys, and even at school. She has a best friend, she helps Daniel with his basketball game, she gets closer to Mrs. Murphy. Just when Carley begins to feel normal for the first time in her life, she gets news from her mother that threatens to upset this balance.

One for the Murphys is both heartwarming and heartbreaking, with an ending that is not completely satisfying. It manages to deal with the issue of child abuse and foster care in an appropriate way for middle grade readers.

ldmcgough's review against another edition

5.0
This sweet little book is one I'll be thinking about a lot in the coming days. I already miss Carly and the Murphy's. Be sure to have plenty of tissues handy towards the end. Thanks to Amazon for suggesting this book to me. I never would have read it otherwise.

dtd's review against another edition

4.0
Loved this book! I won't give away the ending, but I loved that it wasn't all neat and tidy-beautiful.
kkh2025's profile picture

kkh2025's review against another edition

4.0
A well-written and compelling story.

zivi's review against another edition

4.5
adventurous dark emotional sad fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
Fmc actions fir an eight grader felt a bit childish but it was a solid story. 
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virginiagp's review against another edition

5.0

One for the Murphys was recommended to me by a friend I've made through our online interactions about children's literature. It is the story of Carley, a girl who has been placed in foster care after a family altercation that landed her and her mother in the hospital. The Murphy's, Carley's foster family, are a very traditional family, and very different from all she has known. Carley's struggle to adjust to her new home and school, and her conflicting emotions and ideas about the Murphy's make for a captivating story.

Lynda Mullaly Hunt does a masterful job of convincingly portraying the situation of a young girl in foster care without making Carley seem like a stereotype. There are poignant moments that pull at the reader's heartstrings, as well as events that are painfully heartbreaking to experience through Carley's eyes. The themes of courage, forgiveness, and unconditional love are powerful in the book,

Spoiler and the ending-- while not what the reader may be hoping for, seems to be the "right" ending overall-- realistic, but hopeful.

scsmith228's review against another edition

5.0
My niece recommended this book and I loved it. We are getting started with the foster parent process and I loved seeing this from Carley’s perspective. I bawled (ugly cried) at the end. Loved it.
dchaniewski's profile picture

dchaniewski's review against another edition

4.0
Oh the feels...this book left me with an ache in my heart.

mlhahn's review against another edition

3.0
Summer 2012 #bookaday #29