Girl in Pieces

June 6, 2016
Nearly broken by a suicide attempt and a spate of personal losses, 17-year-old Charlotte “Charlie” Davis finds solace in the broken shards of a mason jar and, later, through art, in debut author Glasgow’s visceral novel of self-harm. On the streets of the Twin Cities after her father died and her mother simply stopped caring, Charlie “cut all her words out heart was too full of them.” Bandaged and silent, she ends up in a psych unit for self-harmers. Although Charlie sees herself in the other girls, it’s her friend Ellis she craves the most. But the Ellis she knew is gone, stuck in the limbo of cutting deep enough to cause significant blood loss but not enough to die. When Charlie is discharged abruptly, she leaves for Tucson, following Mikey, a boy she liked but who always loved Ellis more. Glasgow skillfully juggles multiple difficult topics (homelessness, self-harm, etc.) without dipping into melodrama. Charlie’s intimate first-person narration places readers deep within her experience while maintaining awareness of the outside world and the people in it. Ages 14–up. Agent: Julie Stevenson, Waxman Leavell Literary.

May 15, 2016
After surviving a suicide attempt, a fragile teen isn't sure she can endure without cutting herself.Seventeen-year-old Charlie Davis, a white girl living on the margins, thinks she has little reason to live: her father drowned himself; her bereft and abusive mother kicked her out; her best friend, Ellis, is nearly brain dead after cutting too deeply; and she's gone through unspeakable experiences living on the street. After spending time in treatment with other young women like her--who cut, burn, poke, and otherwise hurt themselves--Charlie is released and takes a bus from the Twin Cities to Tucson to be closer to Mikey, a boy she "like-likes" but who had pined for Ellis instead. But things don't go as planned in the Arizona desert, because sweet Mikey just wants to be friends. Feeling rejected, Charlie, an artist, is drawn into a destructive new relationship with her sexy older co-worker, a "semifamous" local musician who's obviously a junkie alcoholic. Through intense, diarylike chapters chronicling Charlie's journey, the author captures the brutal and heartbreaking way "girls who write their pain on their bodies" scar and mar themselves, either succumbing or surviving. Like most issue books, this is not an easy read, but it's poignant and transcendent as Charlie breaks more and more before piecing herself back together.This grittily provocative debut explores the horrors of self-harm and the healing power of artistic expression. (author's note) (Fiction. 14 & up)

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June 1, 2016

Gr 10 Up-The story begins with 17-year-old Charlie in a mental health facility that specializes in the treatment of girls who have self-injury disorders. When Charlie is released prematurely because of a lack of insurance coverage, she must find her own way in a world she is unprepared to deal with. Readers follow her as she struggles to meet the challenges of survival and as she follows the path of least resistance. As her story unfolds, teens will discover that a lot of horrible things have happened to Charlie, including losing her best friend, father, and mother-all in different ways. She is a cutter, but she's also a lot of other things, too: artist, survivor, scammer, and waif. She's in such a deep, dark place, and it seems impossible she'll ever get out of it. This realistic fiction title is heartbreaking and thick with emotion, and the characters are fully formed and realistic. The book is written in short chapters and can feel a little choppy at times, but the narrative still captivates. It will keep young adults engaged and rooting for the main character throughout. VERDICT Purchase for avid fans of Jennifer Niven's All the Bright Places or Susanna Kaysen's Girl Interrupted.-Danielle Fabrizio, Swanton Public Library, VT

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Starred review from July 1, 2016
Grades 10-1 *Starred Review* When Charlie cuts into her skin with a broken piece of mason jar, she inflicts wounds that are deep and wide. Found almost dead from her latest grievous self-attack, Charlie winds up at a treatment facility. There, she slowly responds to therapy and the camaraderie of the other patients. But her struggles to cope with years of neglect, abuse, and homelessness have rendered ropy scars on her arms and legs, and even deeper wounds carved in her heart. Unexpectedly, Charlie's insurance is cut off, and her mother will not take her back home. Through a tentative connection to an old friend, Charlie winds up in Tucson, once again left alone to fend for herself. Soon it becomes apparent that the cruelties of poverty shrink in comparison with the cruelties of human relationships. In Glasgow's riveting debut novel, readers are pulled close to Charlie's raw, authentic emotions as she strains to make a jagged path through her new life. Love and trust prove difficult, and Charlie's judgment is not well honed, but her will to survive is glorious. Recommend to readers looking for gritty, complex novels such as E. R. Frank's Dime (2015) or C. Desir's Other Broken Things (2016).(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)