Review: Cut by Patricia McCormick

Title: Cut
Author: Patricia McCormick
Series: N/A

Format: Paperback
Release Date: February 1, 2002

Genre(s): YA, Realistic Fiction
Rating:

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Summary

"A tingle arced across my scalp. The floor tipped up at me and my body spiraled away. Then I was on the ceiling looking down, waiting to see what would happen next." Callie cuts herself. Never too deep, never enough to die. But enough to feel the pain. Enough to feel the scream inside. Now she's at Sea Pines, a "residential treatment facility" filled with girls struggling with problems of their own. Callie doesn't want to have anything to do with them. She doesn't want to have anything to do with anyone. She won''t even speak. But Callie can only stay silent for so long...

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Review

Plot: Callie has been put into a treatment facility called Sea Pines (or Sick Minds as the others call it.) There are druggies, addicts, girls with eating disorders, and much more. And then there's her. Callie cuts herself to deal with her emotions. She feels absolutely alone. She doesn't speak at all. Not to anyone. She soon learns that she couldn't even if she tried. Throughout the book, Callie learns how to get better and how to be herself again step by step.

Character(s): Callie- Callie is the main character in this story. She is shy and introverted. She's ashamed of why she's there and feels as though she's worse than everyone else. She blames herself for everything that goes wrong and she hates herself. But in some ways, she's also a very strong young woman who is learning how to recover.

Sydney- Sydney is one of the "substance abuse guests." She claims to be addicted to every drug she's ever tried. Sydney is the girl Callie is probably closest with and she is almost well enough to go home. 

Tara- Tara is a "food issue guest" meaning she's anorexic. Her hair is falling out and she cried when she hit 99 pounds. But while she is having a hard time, she really is trying to get better. She is another girl who always tried to help Callie. She even talked to her when Callie wouldn't speak back.

Becca- Becca is also a food issue guest. She, on the other hand, doesn't want to get better. She manages to hide her food and throw up the little she does consume. Becca is a tiny, fragile thing and is a super sweet girl. She's almost like the baby of the group and everyone makes sure to look out for her.

Debbie- Debbie is and overweight food issue guest who struggles with the the opposite of the other girls. She struggles not to eat. She breaks down sometimes when she can't eat but she knows she needs to get better. She's like the mother of the group, always fussing over the other girls. Especially Becca. Some of the girls get annoyed but she's just trying to help. She has this overwhelming desire to make others feel better.

Tiffany- Tiffany is another on of the substance abuse guests. She doesn't have as bad of a problem. She's mostly there so she doesn't have to go to jail. She has a bit of an attitude and puts on an act of toughness. But in the end, even she sticks up for her group and shows that she really cares about them.

Amanda- Amanda shows up a ways through the book as a new guest. She has a major attitude and doesn't care what people think. She, like Cally, hurts herself. But she's proud of it. She walks around showing of her arms (making Callie feel uncomfortable) and doesn't care one bit about getting better.

Cover: The cover is very simple but to me personally I understood it. While not everyone may get it, I loved it. The words in the background are subtle but moving and the three cuts on the word cut are powerful to me.

Closing Thoughts: I absolutely loved this book. There were moments that made me want to cry and for a good reason. This was much different than the fantasy romance books I'm used to reading but I really liked the change. There was not one bit of romance but I liked it better that way. Weird right? Especially for me. I'd recommend this to anyone who thinks they could handle a heavy topic such as this. A great motivational story and a great theme. 

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Sweet Daydreams,
Brooke