Emma and Me twists and turns (Me and Emma - Elizabeth Flock)

Member Name: flobbleflop

Product:	Me and Emma - Elizabeth Flock
Date:	30/03/09 (109 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Big twist at end, good narrative

Disadvantages: Some bits are irrelevant and seem pointless

I came across this book by accident and must say it is one of the most moving I have ever read

The book centres around Carrie Parker, an eight year old girl from North Carolina who lives with her mother, sister and her abusive stepfather. The book is written from the perspective of Carrie and her observations on the world around her. Carrie is living in relative poverty since her father was shot dead by robbers and the new man in her mother's life sees her as nothing but a nuisance. He is a violent, abusive drunk and Carrie often feels the full force of his anger while her mother seems to turn a blin eye.

Carrie's only friend among all this is her sister Emma. They are as different as night and day in looks and while Carrie is protective of her sister, it is Emma who is the braver sister and who gets into fights at school when Carrie gets picked on. The sisterly bond between them is very strong and one of the main emotions which runs through the book. The ending is powerfully written and has such a twist in the tale that you will find yourself re-reading the book immediately to try and figure out how you missed it!

This is a beautiful book and is so heart-warming. Although it is an entirely ficticious story, you completely empathise with Carrie and you could be forgiven for thinking that the story is describing a real story of child abuse. The book is written in the style of the accent which really helps to set the scene for you and you will hear the North Carolina accent in your head.

My only criticism would be that some parts of the book are quite drawn out and add little to the story the first time round, it really takes a second read to understand the significance.

Apart from that I would highly recommend this book, especially to readers who enjoy first person narrative books. Elizabeth Flock has done a great job of capturing the setting and presenting realistic characters that really captivate the reader

Summary: Brilliant book with unexpected ending