"Me & Emma" Review

Me & Emma

(Please note: this review is listed as "Me and Emma"
on My Bookshelf to the right because Blogger would not
allow me to use an ampersand in the posting label)

by Elizabeth Flock

10/10

My Synopsis:

Me & Emma is the story of Caroline “Carrie” Parker, a young girl who lives in a town called Toast.  After the death of her father, her Momma remarries Richard a drunk who regularly abuses everyone in the house on Murray Mill Road.  Carrie and her sister Emma have to find ways to escape the abuse whether that’s going to school, a friend’s house, the local drug store or just hiding in the woods.  But when Momma says they are moving, Carrie and Emma aren’t so sure about that idea.  Can the girls find a way out of moving away from Toast?  Can they ever truly escape the abuse at the hands of Richard?

My Opinion:

I have read this book before and I reread it again for two reasons: 1) because I love it and 2) because I wanted to write this review and urge other people to read it.  Me & Emma is my favorite book of all time.  Told from the point of view of eight year old Carrie, the feel of the book is sweet and innocent.  Carrie and her sister Emma take turns being each others protector from Richard and even at times from their own Momma.  They endure the abuse because they don’t know any different – to them it is normal.  The book is full of various anecdotes which in a way stand as little stories of their own as well as contributing to the progress of the overall plot.  From “The Box” to the Diamond River, Carrie and Emma’s world is full of wonder that can only be seen through a child’s eyes.  Ms. Flock does a great job of writing from an eight year olds point of view and showing us that world through Carrie’s eyes.  The bond between Carrie and Emma is unmatched in most other books.  They need each other to survive.  The plot progresses quickly as the abuse mounts getting tough to read at some points.  The ending is wrapped up nicely after the climax of the story.  There is an outstanding twist at the end that I don’t think anyone who reads this book will see coming.  It left me thinking “Wow!”  It is the type of ending I have rarely ever experienced.  I wish my scale went to 11 because that is what I would give this book.  Wonderfully illustrative and heartfelt, this story is one not to be missed!  A BIG 10 out of 10