Reviews with content warning for Abandonment - Mädchen in Scherben

This was such a heartbreaking, gut wrenching read and I feel as though words cannot express how deeply I care for this book. The way Charlie had the opportunity to be better once she got out of the facility she was placed in after her suicide attempt yet chose the path she knew would ruin her and set her back to that terrible mental state. Having to be put through the horrid events she’s experienced from such a young age bc of her environment, was hard to read about bc we know she deserves better yet she doesn’t feel she’s worthy of getting it.

The beginning of her end was her upbringing with her parents who had many problems of their own and bringing her into their world, just seemed to make it worse. The catalyst of it all was definitely what she was put through by her best friend Elise. Sure she was her only friend but that didn’t necessarily mean she was a good influence in Charlie’s life especially after she started getting mixed up in substances, bad boyfriends and bringing those issues to Charlie.

I’ve teared up and cried and straight up paused the audiobook several times bc of the contents in the book. Whether it was from genuine disbelief in the bad decisions Charlie continued to make, the shit other characters put her through (both in the past and present) or from knowing that the story can only end one of two ways 1. She relapses & cuts herself to death or 2. She finds the strength to get the proper support she needs in order to create the life she wants and deserves for herself bc she’s still a kid with a bright future ahead. I’m happy it ended the way it did, with Charlie getting closure from Riley at the concert and her on the way to achieve her dreams of becoming an artist as she starts a letter to Elise. It was the official end to that era of her life so she can truly gain the happiness she needs after a lifetime of misery.

Content Warnings

mossythreebark's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

The relationship between Charlie and Riley made me extremely uncomfortable and almost made me put the book down for good, but I'm glad I decided to push through as the ending was lovely. In the words of Ellis: The book was positively angelic.

Content Warnings

mrsfields0822's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book was definitely heavy, I would check out any triggers before reading. I really enjoyed reading this book and I can see why it is so popular. When it comes to the flow of the book I loved that there were no numbered chapters and that the chapters were all pretty short. As for the story, I found myself truly feeling the emotion Charlie and many of the other characters expressed and I’m so happy there is a happy ending. There were a couple of moments that had me completely shocked and I didn’t know what to expect next! I think this will be a book I recommend in the future!

Content Warnings