Some days they seem to be gone completely, but one little thing can build them right back up in an instant. After a while, though, those walls the foster kids put up start to crumble a little at a time. In Oklahoma, we try to keep them in the same schools for consistency, but that is often not possible, so there is more anxiety and more concerns about being an outsider at the new school. I have seen kids come into a new home with their guard up, keeping an aloof distance from everyone because they were afraid to get too close. Watching Carley's evolution in foster care felt real - and it was watching, more than reading. Then I stopped and remembered a couple of my former kiddos who were that age and were just as savvy, just as witty, just as street-wise, and way more jaded about life.
A few times I caught myself thinking Carley's voice was too old for a 12- or 13-year-old. Carley perfectly expressed the anger she felt at her mother, but the love she still felt for her and how confusing that was. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE HER!! She embodies the turmoil felt by every foster child over the age of three, regardless of placement and regardless of length of time in the system. What I LOVED about this book: Carley Connors is REAL - every nuance, every knot in her stomach, every emotional conflict, every minimalization of past events, every smart aleck response to change the subject, etc. MacAvoy says, taking a corner faster than I think any social worker is supposed to." Cracks me up every time, probably because some of my kiddos think exactly the same thing when they ride with me.
My very favorite line is, "'We're almost there,' Mrs. Since I am a social worker (by default, through a long and winding road of state employment that covered law enforcement, corrections, etc.), I am very concerned with what I did not see in the book. What I dislike about the book appears to outweigh what I like about it. However, from this review, you might not think so. I highly recommend this book, especially to foster parents or people who are considering becoming foster parents or people who have regular contact with foster children. Okay, I am very conflicted about this book - just as conflicted as Carley Connors is about being a foster child. ***SPOILER ALERT*** If you have not read the book and don't want to know what happens, you should not read this review.
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