What I Carry by Jennifer Longo

Reviewed by Amy P.
Grade 10

Muiriel is 17-years-old, and one year away from aging out of the foster care system. She has one year left until freedom, and she’s determined to follow her rules: keep a clean file and keep zero emotional attachments. That was how she survived in the system, but everything changes when she leaves Seattle and moves in with her new foster parent on a nearby island. And the people she meets teach her that there’s a difference between living and surviving.

Muir was left as a baby at a hospital. Even though she had a perfect record, she moved from home to home her entire life--usually whenever she thought the parents became too attached. So when she starts living with Francine, a single woman with no other kids, she doesn’t expect to stay long. But as she explores the forested island, she meets Kira, the headstrong girl who works at the cafe, and Sean, the kind boy from the wilderness education center. And she gradually learns how to break her own rules and to let her friends past the walls she put up. Eventually, when the year is up, she has to choose between her independence and her new friends and family.

This was a really touching story. Through flashbacks to her previous foster homes, the author provides an explanation for Muir’s emotional distance. But seeing her slowly let down her guard for her friends, and just her development through everything, was rewarding. As for the setting, Muir loved walking through the hiking trails and forests on the island, and these were all described vividly. Overall, the book was well-written and authentic, and it shows a different perspective on foster care that many people don’t see.

I enjoyed What I Carry a lot, and I would recommend it. It explores the power of relationships and bonds, and it’s also perfect for people who love nature, just like Muiriel and her namesake.