You better not cross Carley Connors. She’s mean, she’s lean…and she’s a foster kid. Her life has been torn apart by her abusive stepfather Dennis, leaving her mom in a coma and her at the Murphy’s. The Murphy’s are everything a normal foster kid could want. They’re playful, energetic, kind, and warm but Carley is far from a “normal” foster kid. She would rather be left alone and doesn’t want to be treated like part of the family.
Despite Mrs. Murphy’s attempts to make Carley feel at home, she would give anything to leave. However, striking up an unusual friendship with down-to-earth, musical-loving Toni, making a truce with the unwelcoming Daniel, and protecting the little boys from the neighborhood bully, Carley discovers a whole new take on life. Just when she is starting to believe that she is really part of the Murphy’s, she receives shocking news from her mother.
One for the Murphys is for a young teen that is looking for a tearjerker and a terrific read. I loved it because you could feel every emotion Carley had and could see to her heart. Lynda Mullaly Hunt uses realistic dialogue, significant conflicts, and flashbacks to reveal the story of Carley, a young, strong girl in search of a home.