A young orphan goes out into the world to make her fortune, and detours to find her origins. I really liked the narrator, although I was a bit distracted by the casual country hopping. Didn't Canadians in the 1960's think of the US as a separate country?

I'm a little interested in seeing the other books in the series, although I can't see how much overlap they will have, as I think they all start with the orphans getting thrown out on their own. I liked how Cady kept pushing to figure out the mystery, and how it was personal for her but she kept pushing that down and being objective about things. ( )

I like the idea of a group of stories that work together, but aren't essential to one another. This YA mystery was a pleasant read, though I didn't really get swept up in it. The fact that Cady works for a newspaper was nice for me, since I, too, have worked as a journalist. ( )

When the orphanage Cady grew up in burns down, she travels to Toronto to work and achieve her dream of becoming a reporter like her hero Nelly Bly. But being 1964, the gritty newspaper world is not hospitable for plucky young women and she sets on a plan to dig up a great story to get a toe in to the field.

She begins with her own mysterious past, the only clue being a torn newspaper clipping with the photo of a desecrated grave. Her search leads her to a small town in Indiana, where she discovers a secret murder with hints of KKK involvement. A fun YA mystery that handles the race issues of the time period fairly well. ( )

I loved the concept of this series- an orphanage burns down, each of the teenaged orphans are sent out into the world with some money and an envelope containing what they arrived at the orphanage with. What a great mystery! I also loved that it was set in 1964, giving it a historical bend.

This story is an engaging adventure with many twists and turns. A few sections were tough for me to swallow, in particular the section at the cabin seemed difficult to buy, but overall it was a good story, I liked the characters and the ending was not overly predictable. I wish the reading level was just a touch lower. As a school librarian, I feel like this story would have been good for my older strugglers if it were just a bit easier. ( )

MY LIFE BEFORE ME is a mediocre book that seemed to drag on a bit before speeding up quickly at the end. It might be good for students who love mysteries, but as an adult reader, this one didn't really hold my attention. ( )