Cut by Patricia McCormick
SUMMARY: Burdened with the pressure of believing she is responsible for her brother's illness, 15-year-old Callie begins a course of self-destruction that leads to her being admitted to Sea Pines, a psychiatric hospital the "guests" refer to as Sick Minds. Although initially she refuses to speak, her individual and group therapy sessions trigger memories and insights. Slowly, she begins emerging from her miserable silence, ultimately understanding the role her dysfunctional family played in her brother's health crisis. (from Amazon.com)
OPINION: It would be obvious to compare of this book to Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson or Silent to the Bone by E. L. Konigsburg or Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes by Chris Crutcher, since all have a character who stops talking as a way to cope with trauma. But this book stands on its own as a unique study of a girl dealing with her issues in a residential treatment facility. Callie's preferred method of coping with her life is cutting, and this book explores the psychological reasons for that behavior. The setting is drawn very realistically, down to the sounds and smells, and the other girls in the center are believable in their struggles. Callie's story is one that you will not soon forget.
AUTHOR NOTE: Patricia McCormick's new book, Sold, was just released on September 15.
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