One for the Murphys

One for the Murphys

by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

Genre: Juvenile Fiction

Synopsis:  Twelve-year-old Carley Connors can take a lot.  Growing up in Las Vegas with her fun-loving mother, she's learned to be tough.  But she never expected a betrayal that would land her in foster care.  When she's placed with the Murphys, a lively family with three boys, she's blindsided.  Mrs. Murphy makes her feel seen and heard for the first time.  Then, just when she starts to believe she could truly be one of the Murphys, news from her mother shakes her world.

From the back of the book

Review:  I'm struggling with what to say about this book right now.  I had a hard time with this book because Carley was so conflicted about Mrs. Murphy and her intentions and at times acted like an ungrateful child but yet I had to remember that Carley has had a hard life with her mom and doesn't understand love and kindness.  Her attitude must be close to realistic but it still bothered me at times.  This book also broke my heart several times.  I wanted everything to end well for Carley and for her to find love and happiness.  The ending left a little to be desired.  I had to keep reminding myself as I read this book that it was written for a much younger audience and therefore had really short chapters that sometimes didn't flow from one to the other.  But it was a very touching story that I enjoyed.

Rating: 4 stars