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punkassbookjockey84's review against another edition
5.0
Callie is a cutter. Using her mother's exacto-knife she cuts her arms whenever she feels anxious. When she's found out by her school nurse, she ends up at Sea Pines, which her roommate playfully refers to as Sick Minds. But Callie won't talk. She sits and looks out the window during therapy and group, thinking about what she would say, but never actually saying the words. We don't know exactly why she's there, but as the story progresses, she slowly begins to speak and the puzzle pieces of her past begin to come together. Told in the first person, this story is a believable portrayal of a cutter and the reader feels the angst and emotions of Callie throughout.
This is an extremely engaging read, truly a page turner and a quick read. It's been criticized as giving teens ideas, but I honestly think they would probably have gotten it somewhere else first; if anything, I think this book would act as bibliotherapy for the troubled teen.
This is an extremely engaging read, truly a page turner and a quick read. It's been criticized as giving teens ideas, but I honestly think they would probably have gotten it somewhere else first; if anything, I think this book would act as bibliotherapy for the troubled teen.
rachjq's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
lauraelizah's review against another edition
4.0
I haven't quite put my finger on why, but I really really like this book.
charms1976's review against another edition
2.0
I have only read a few books on the topic of cutting. I enjoyed the ones I have read, but I had a really hard time enjoying this book by Patricia McCormick.
It starts out slow and features Callie in group therapy. She never speaks and tries to tune out everything that the group is sharing. Since I have never been a cutter myself, I personally can't share what a cutter goes through. While the author gave me a glimpse into what all it can do to people, I never felt the connection the Callie that the author was wanting. I understand that this book is a reprint of the book that was originally published in 2000. Does it feel like a dated book? Yes. It seems the author muted it a bit back before young adult books were really allowed to touch heavily on certain subjects.
You can tell the author was really trying to get a message through with this book, yet since I couldn't get the connection I was wanting with Callie, it didn't impress me as much as it should have. It is a short read at only 151 pages long, so it doesn't take up a huge amount of time in reading it. A book that was just okay, but not one I would reread again or even search out.
It starts out slow and features Callie in group therapy. She never speaks and tries to tune out everything that the group is sharing. Since I have never been a cutter myself, I personally can't share what a cutter goes through. While the author gave me a glimpse into what all it can do to people, I never felt the connection the Callie that the author was wanting. I understand that this book is a reprint of the book that was originally published in 2000. Does it feel like a dated book? Yes. It seems the author muted it a bit back before young adult books were really allowed to touch heavily on certain subjects.
You can tell the author was really trying to get a message through with this book, yet since I couldn't get the connection I was wanting with Callie, it didn't impress me as much as it should have. It is a short read at only 151 pages long, so it doesn't take up a huge amount of time in reading it. A book that was just okay, but not one I would reread again or even search out.
wrentheblurry's review against another edition
3.0
GENRE: Fiction: Realistic fiction, problem solving.
SUBJECT/THEMES: Self-mutilation, other adolescent emotional troubles, self-growth.
SUMMARY: Fifteen-year-old Callie has been sent to the Sea Pines (dubbed ‘Sick Minds’ by the inhabitants) mental hospital because she cuts herself. Beyond her self-injury, Callie cannot or will not speak. She avoids eye contact during group therapy so that she won’t be singled out or expected to respond. During her individual sessions, Callie passes time by counting the stripes in the room’s wallpaper. Before Callie can begin her journey to heal, she must speak, and that first step could be one of the most difficult ones to take.
EVALUATION: Cut puts the reader into the thick of the setting from the beginning, which can often lead to an easy way to ‘get into’ a book. Initially I found myself yearning for a bit more of Callie’s background. I wanted to know why she practiced self-injury, and I wanted to know immediately. The patient reader will gain enough information over the course of the book to help them better understand Callie’s motives. I found Cut to be a quick read, and the more I read, the more I enjoyed it. The various characters grew on me, and I was truly touched by the ending.
WHY I WOULD INCLUDE IT: This book was suggested as an alternative to urban fiction for readers who enjoy the genre, but find it difficult to borrow from the library due to its popularity. Cut contains none of the violence, sex, or gritty street language that urban fiction has become known for, yet it deals with an issue that is away from the norm, something those readers may appreciate. I would also include it as an aid to female teens suffering from self-injury (or for a teen that has a friend or family member suffering from this), and to a lesser extent, for those with bulimia and anorexia as well. The book is a fine example of how a young person can hit the bottom, and still recover. Lastly, my library shelves this in the adult fiction section, though after reading it, I do not understand why.
ITEMS WITH SIMILAR APPEAL:
• Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson.
• The Night I Disappeared, by Julie Reece Deaver.
• Not As Crazy As I Seem, by George Harrar.
• Impulse, by Ellen Hopkins.
• Silent to the Bone, by E.L. Konigsburg.
• Checkers, by John Marsden.
• The Only Alien on the Planet, by Kristen D. Randle.
• Black-Eyed Susie, by Susan Shaw.
SUBJECT/THEMES: Self-mutilation, other adolescent emotional troubles, self-growth.
SUMMARY: Fifteen-year-old Callie has been sent to the Sea Pines (dubbed ‘Sick Minds’ by the inhabitants) mental hospital because she cuts herself. Beyond her self-injury, Callie cannot or will not speak. She avoids eye contact during group therapy so that she won’t be singled out or expected to respond. During her individual sessions, Callie passes time by counting the stripes in the room’s wallpaper. Before Callie can begin her journey to heal, she must speak, and that first step could be one of the most difficult ones to take.
EVALUATION: Cut puts the reader into the thick of the setting from the beginning, which can often lead to an easy way to ‘get into’ a book. Initially I found myself yearning for a bit more of Callie’s background. I wanted to know why she practiced self-injury, and I wanted to know immediately. The patient reader will gain enough information over the course of the book to help them better understand Callie’s motives. I found Cut to be a quick read, and the more I read, the more I enjoyed it. The various characters grew on me, and I was truly touched by the ending.
WHY I WOULD INCLUDE IT: This book was suggested as an alternative to urban fiction for readers who enjoy the genre, but find it difficult to borrow from the library due to its popularity. Cut contains none of the violence, sex, or gritty street language that urban fiction has become known for, yet it deals with an issue that is away from the norm, something those readers may appreciate. I would also include it as an aid to female teens suffering from self-injury (or for a teen that has a friend or family member suffering from this), and to a lesser extent, for those with bulimia and anorexia as well. The book is a fine example of how a young person can hit the bottom, and still recover. Lastly, my library shelves this in the adult fiction section, though after reading it, I do not understand why.
ITEMS WITH SIMILAR APPEAL:
• Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson.
• The Night I Disappeared, by Julie Reece Deaver.
• Not As Crazy As I Seem, by George Harrar.
• Impulse, by Ellen Hopkins.
• Silent to the Bone, by E.L. Konigsburg.
• Checkers, by John Marsden.
• The Only Alien on the Planet, by Kristen D. Randle.
• Black-Eyed Susie, by Susan Shaw.
likelyrob's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
carolineinthelibrary's review against another edition
4.0
It took me a really long time to finally pick this book up. When I was a kid, I bought it thinking it was interesting, but having suffered from anxiety, I was kind of afraid to read it.
I'm glad I finally did.
Callie learns to find her voice again and genuinely want to get better and overcome her addiction to self-harm. It's an uplifting story, almost like a novella in its length and how neatly it wraps up. I really enjoyed it. My only wish is that it was longer or provided a follow up so you could see Callie on the other side of her time at Sea Pines.
I'm glad I finally did.
Callie learns to find her voice again and genuinely want to get better and overcome her addiction to self-harm. It's an uplifting story, almost like a novella in its length and how neatly it wraps up. I really enjoyed it. My only wish is that it was longer or provided a follow up so you could see Callie on the other side of her time at Sea Pines.