Me & Emma
by Elizabeth Flock
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Read in February, 2008
This book was very sad and heartbreaking, but was a fast read because you wanted to know what happened. Immediately you will feel connected to the two little girls, Carrie and Emma. It was hard not to like these little girls because of their circumstances that were just downright immoral an degrading.
It was particularly interesting to me reading it with a younger sister close in age like Emma and Carrie were. At times I related with both girls, but felt more inline with Emma, the younger s...more
It was particularly interesting to me reading it with a younger sister close in age like Emma and Carrie were. At times I related with both girls, but felt more inline with Emma, the younger s...more
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Read in June, 2007
I'm still thinking about this book. That's pretty rare.
This is the story of two sisters, the narrator, who's eight, and her sister, Emma, who's six. Emma is the strong, brave one, but the narrator feels protective of her because their mother doesn't like Emma very much.
Their mother has an abusive boyfriend. There is child abuse in this novel, and at times it's both hard to read and over the top.
The gem here is the narrator. The voice of a young girl is captured perfectly. The author...more
This is the story of two sisters, the narrator, who's eight, and her sister, Emma, who's six. Emma is the strong, brave one, but the narrator feels protective of her because their mother doesn't like Emma very much.
Their mother has an abusive boyfriend. There is child abuse in this novel, and at times it's both hard to read and over the top.
The gem here is the narrator. The voice of a young girl is captured perfectly. The author...more
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Read in December, 2007
I was unsure about this book at first, as it is written in a very different way to the books I usually read. It is told from the view of 8-year-old Carrie, a dark-haired, shy introvert. Throughout the book, Carrie is alongside her little sister Emma, who is almost the exact opposite, with blonde hair and the ability to do anything and be utterly fearless, something Carrie admires.
The story tells of their struggle to live with their oblivious mother and awful step-father, Richard.
With Emma b...more
The story tells of their struggle to live with their oblivious mother and awful step-father, Richard.
With Emma b...more
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Read in March, 2007
Carrie Parker is a typical eight-year-old girl - she enjoys climbing trees, playing with her neighbors, and admiring her stamp collection. At second glance, however, the imaginative Carrie cannot escape from the violent death of her father, and the subsequent verbal, emotional and sexual abuse from her stepfather. She and her sister Emma construct a plot to escape from this, but are caught just before the family moves out to the country. Carrie cannot depend on her mother to defend her agains...more
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Read in July, 2007
i thought this book was fantastic, beautifully written, believable, well-thought out, the only trouble is that i guess i've read so many things with a similar twist to the ending that now i can spot that sort of twist quite early on, so everyone said the ending was so incredibly shocking, but i guessed it by page 100 out of 300 total, which is a bit disappointing, however on the other hand it made me really appreciate how accurate the author was about all the foreshadowing, which is unusual with...more
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Read in August, 2007
recommends it for:
people who love southern lit.
This was a "2005 Highlights" recommended book from the Independent Bookseller List (I have liked several from this list including The History of Love, Banishing Verona, Any Bitter Thing, and A Complicated Kindness)...
I would give it 2 1/2 stars. Several things bothered me. It seemed like a slightly cliched version of a "typical" poverty-stricken little girl getting abused by her stepfather while uttering adorable southern phrases. The only problem is that I feel like I've ...more
I would give it 2 1/2 stars. Several things bothered me. It seemed like a slightly cliched version of a "typical" poverty-stricken little girl getting abused by her stepfather while uttering adorable southern phrases. The only problem is that I feel like I've ...more
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Read in January, 2006
recommends it for:
anyone
This is the story of two sisters who endure many traumatizing events at the hands of the adults in their lives.They face more in their young lives than most people deal with in a lifetime, including alcoholism, violence, sexual abuse and extreme poverty. They survive the troubling events because they have each other to rely on. The story is told through the perspective of a child, which makes the overall tone very sweet and endearing. It makes the reader really like these little girls. There is ...more
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Read in October, 2007
It feels a little weird to be breaking out the five star rating so soon, but this book definitely deserved it. This was a book that I always walked by in the book stores because I had another book by the author and wasn't impressed...I wasn't looking to try this one out.
The whole time reading it, I really felt for Carrie and her sister Emma. It was such a sad story. There were a couple of times that I got a little confused and had to go back and re-read the previous page (or two).
I...more
The whole time reading it, I really felt for Carrie and her sister Emma. It was such a sad story. There were a couple of times that I got a little confused and had to go back and re-read the previous page (or two).
I...more
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Read in September, 2005
The book covers very touchy complex topics. The tragic death of a parent, physical and sexual abuse, and depression. It is told from the perspective of 8 year old Carrie Culver (Parker), including fantastic southern dialogue. You almost feel like you are 8 and reading the thoughts of this little girl. I loved the way this character refers to distance in Barbie lengths. This was a sad reminder of how poorly children are treated. This is not a feel good book. I was left feeling depressed and sadde...more
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Read in March, 2008
my mom loaned me this book. it's not one that i'd pick up on my own. still, it was a quick read and pretty good. it's basically one tragedy after another for these two little girls: death of a loving father, an emotionally defunct and depressed mother, a horribly abusive stepfather, poverty, hunger, alcoholism. the list could go on. still, there's pieces of kindness in there and i suppose that's the same reason it kept me reading it as kept the main characters going. with a surprise ending and a...more
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Read in March, 2008
recommended to Courtney by:
Heatherrecommends it for: Carrie, Taylor, Heather, Colette, and Mom
This was a moving story about child abuse told from the perspective of an 8 year old little girl named Caroline. I can't really explain all the things I loved about the book without giving away important information, so I'll just state that I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoyed The Secret life of Bees by Sue Kidd Monk. The only warning I would give is that there are some very sad scenes that make you want to reach out to Caroline and comfort her, so if you are overly sensitive, it...more
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Read in April, 2008
Gotcha!
This is one of those types of books. Where you think you are reading it one way then the end does a little twist and turn that makes you re-think everthing you just read.
I thought it was too predictable too soon. And at the same time, there are places where this device doesn't work very well.
Overall, I'd rather have spent time reading something else. It was almost like a "beach book" that kills time and is an enjoyable read, but it wasn't. I don't enjoy readin...more
This is one of those types of books. Where you think you are reading it one way then the end does a little twist and turn that makes you re-think everthing you just read.
I thought it was too predictable too soon. And at the same time, there are places where this device doesn't work very well.
Overall, I'd rather have spent time reading something else. It was almost like a "beach book" that kills time and is an enjoyable read, but it wasn't. I don't enjoy readin...more
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Read in October, 2007
recommends it for:
all
This was a disturbing book in the beginning, about two girls who seem to be going through never-ending abuse from their step-father, but it keeps you in it, wondering how they will deal with each and every new situation. I finished the book last night, and the climax of the book will just send you over the edge. It is very unexpected, and I am still left thinking about it. I really recommend it to anyone who likes character-driven fiction. I'll be keeping my copy if anyone wants to borrow it!
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It is rare that a storyline catches me by surprise. Perhaps I was reading through my supposition of the subject matter, but I didn't have a clue that this book was headed the direction it was! Reading it a second time showed me clues of the ending from the beginning. But I did like this book and the first person style in which it is written. I could put myself in their shoes as I read.
Glad I read it, sorry that the story is true for too many children.
Glad I read it, sorry that the story is true for too many children.
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Read in May, 2007
Heartbreaking... I put it down several times and told my husband that I wasn't going to read it because I just couldn't take it. It was good enough though that I did keep picking it back up again. Throughout most of the book I was very critical of the timeline but in the end it all came together. A very interesting read. I can't say it was uplifting but it definitely made me hug my kids a little tighter and re-commit to watching out for all children.
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Read in January, 2006
This is one of those books where blurbs and reviews ruin the experience. Prior to hitting page 1, the reader is advised that things may not be what they appear to be, and thus, I found myself constantly looking to deconstruct the language and prose for an advance sense of where the story was heading. I wish the publisher of the book would have been more discreet and simply let the reader experience the book without projecting too much of anything.
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Has a copy to sell/swap
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Read in December, 2007
This was a pretty good book with a cool twist at the end - didn't expect the ending, which always means to me that it's a good book. I started reading this while sitting at the airport and since my flight got delayed (4 different times!), I finished it in one sitting. It was one of those books that you can't put down. This was the first book I have read from this author - interested in checking some more of her work out.
Good read.
Good read.
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Read in March, 2008
recommended to Jody by:
Judy Pikerecommends it for: Adults
I did enjoy this book, and to me, it had a "surprise" ending. At first I thought it would be too horrific to read, but,I have read worse. It is a story about a young girl who is abused for several years by her stepfather and then does the unthinkable to protect herself. And like I said earlier, there was a little twist at the end that I did not see coming. Pretty well written and I got through the book rather quickly.
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This book was incredible! I wanted to beat the stepfather to a pulp and bring the girls home to love them and take care of them. At the end I was so shocked! I thought and thought about something I had read that would have given me a clue as to what was going to happen, and even looked back through the book. I was glad I didn't catch on until the end - it was an awesome surprise!
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