Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow
Published: August 30, 2016
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Pages: 416
Genres: young adult, contemporary fiction, mental health
Rating: 4 stars
Recommend to fans of: realistic portrayals of mental health struggles, homelessness and self harm, realistic non fluffy books
Foodie Vibes: peanut butter and bread — cheap, doesn’t require refrigeration and is filling — required for when times are tough
Synopsis:
Charlotte Davis is in pieces. At seventeen she’s already lost more than most people lose in a lifetime. But she’s learned how to forget. The broken glass washes away the sorrow until there is nothing but calm. You don’t have to think about your father and the river. Your best friend, who is gone forever. Or your mother, who has nothing left to give you.
Every new scar hardens Charlie’s heart just a little more, yet it still hurts so much. It hurts enough to not care anymore, which is sometimes what has to happen before you can find your way back from the edge.
Review:
Trigger warning: self harm, alcohol abuse, mentions of sexual assault
Girl in Pieces tells the story of Charlotte, a teenage girl who struggles with self harm. The book starts out with her hospitalized in a mental health facility. She doesn’t speak to anyone, but is glad to be there. Due to a lack of family support, she was homeless prior to the hospital.
Girl in Pieces isn’t like many other young adult books featuring self harm. It tells the story of a different subset of teenage girls. I like that it gives a voice and a relatable character where there wasn’t one before. I also appreciated that the author didn’t glorify self harm. The story and Charlotte’s journey is very intense, almost a bit much for me at times. She has lots of ups and downs in her journey along the path to recovery and figuring out her future. It’s very realistic.
While the representation is great, there are multiple aspects that I didn’t love. #1: her relationship with her boyfriend, for multiple reasons. Also, the fact that no one makes her go to school. No explanation about this either. When Charlotte was not making the best decisions for herself I was very frustrated for her. In general I enjoyed reading about her, but didn’t connect with her character as much as I would have liked.
Overall, a well written story with great representation of self harm and other mental health struggles in general. The downsides didn’t mean a bad book, but more annoyances/frustrations on my part as a reader. Definitely worth checking out!
How should we react when we see someone who has self harm scars? Discuss below.
Come say hi!
Twitter: @BooksAndLife1
Instagram: @BooksLifeAndEverythingNice
Goodreads: Amanda (Books, Life and Everything Nice)
Facebook: @BooksLifeAndEverythingNice
Books, Life and Everything Nice 