Julie Murphy's "As If Something Happened" is a Powerful Reflection on Self-Esteem in Young Adults

March 20, 2020 - PRLog -- One psychologist told the author that As If Something Happened reminded them of Gary Paulsen's Hatchet—recipient of the Newbery Honor and nominated as one of America's best-loved novels by PBS's "The Great American Read."

"I would like to think [this novel] could breakthrough as did R. J. Palacio's Wonder and Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time," says Murphy.

Fourteen-year-old, Laura "Elmur" Murphy figures that her genetic makeup has disadvantaged her. When she was five and wanted to be the Indian Princess in the school play, she was given the part of a cowboy named Rag-time Joe instead. So, on the day freshmen from selected high schools throughout the world are injected with someone else's genes as part of "Stepping Away from I'ness," Elmur decides she wants to see the world from someone else's point of view. But after a sick twist of fate, she finds herself on the run with a group of other student misfits. In a real-life video game of strength and wits, Elmur must become the hero of her own story or risk becoming someone she doesn't recognize.

In her novel, Murphy builds an intense, pressurized series of events that brings readers through a story focused on self-esteem in young adults. As If Something Happened follows the methodology used by psychologists to repair self-esteem, aiming to open the minds of its characters and readers through personal events. Perfect for young adult and middle school readers and use in child psychology practices, As If Something Happened addresses the issue of self-esteem in an unusual and interesting way that will help guide young readers towards self-confidence and self-respect.

About Julie Murphy
Julie Murphy has a M.A. in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University and a certificate in short story writing from Long Ridge Writer's Group®. As If Something Happened is her first novel for young adults. Her mystery, Flipping Rich Bastard, was voted 1st place by one judge in the Helen McCloy/Mystery Writers of America Scholarship for Mystery Writing. From the five other judges, it was awarded two thirds and a fourth. She has also written a romance novel, Western Knight.

She taught English as a second language in Nagasaki, Japan. With her sea-going engineer, Irish-native husband, she made two trips on British Petroleum oil tankers across the Equator, through the Panama Canal and to Australia and New Zealand. For four years she was the Milwaukee-Brace Girl, a time which inspired Elmur's story.