Title: Cut
Author: Patricia McCormick
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Awards: ALA Best Book for Teenagers
Summary: This novel is about a 15 year old girl named Callie. She blames herself for her brother's illness and begins to cut herself. This leads to her being admitted into a psychiatric ward. While she is in the psychiatric ward, she is very observant of the other patient's problems, but she neglects her own problems. She does not talk to any of her peers, family, or therapist. Her peers start calling her "silent treatment," and nickname her S.T. for short.
This novel is written in first person. Callie explains her troubling experiences and how she deals with them. Most of the novel is composed of her thoughts and feelings throughout the experiences she encounters. Eventually, Callie is able to identify what she wants in life and she is able to move forward in order to obtain her goal.
Reaction: I was a little disappointed with this novel because I was expecting more intense conflicts within the story. The novel is recommended for young adults but I think students in grades 6-8 could easily read this novel. After reading the back of the book and looking at the cover, I was prepared to read a very intense novel. However, this novel is very tame and presents the issue of self injury but seems to be mainly focused on how Callie deals with living in a mental institution. I don't think this novel was bad, I was just expecting more on the issue of self injury.
Recommendation: I would recommend this book to students in grades 6-12. I think females would be more interested in the novel, but some males may find it interesting as well. Any student who has experienced problems or pain in their life would definitely appreciate this book.
Book talk hook: I would either act out a scene that involves Callie talking with her therapist or I would read the following excerpt to draw the reader in.
excerpt: 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......
Cut is a popular book in my library. Whenever I book talk it, most of the students seem really surprised that anyone would actually self mutilate, especially the "guys". However, I have students come in asking for that book about the girl who cuts herself. I'm not sure exactly why they are drawn to the book--the novelty--the edginess--the need to understand other's behavior. The book is often checkedout.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you read this one. I hear a lot about it. I agree with Mary Ann that students would be drawn to the "edginess" of the topic, but would agree with Morgan that I, too, would be disappointed with the content of the book if it is mostly of her dealing with being in the ward and not the actions that put her there.
ReplyDeleteI've heard a lot about this one. It seems that self-mutilation books are hot right now. Even in the book I read for this week, the main character burns herself and bruises herself deliberately. It's telling that the edgy, must read books right now are so focused on teenage self-loathing.
ReplyDeleteI'm actually glad to know you didn't like it so much. That way, I won't feel stupid if I don't like it. If it's as popular as Mary Ann says, though, I supposed it's got to go on the list too.
It's interesting to me that self mutilation is a topic that is openly discussed among young adults in this day and age. When I think back to when I was in my teens, this topic was totally off limits. I feel like if you were caught reading a book of this nature in my elementary school especially, the rest of the class would automatically assume that you had serious problems of your own. In high school this issue did come up some, but I still feel like it was foreign to all of us except for those who did it themselves.
ReplyDeleteHaving books about such a sensitive topic in your library is a great way for adolescents going through a tough time to relate to the pain and angst that is most likely a major theme of this book.
I thought about reading this book for our edgy book selection. I agree with some of the other comments posted in that this topic was so taboo when I was in high school. It is amazing how open middle schoolers are now and it seems like it would be a book they would enjoy. I found in talking with my middle schoolers that anything involving real life situations or things they can relate to are books they are most interested in.
ReplyDeleteI have heard a lot about this book yet I have no experience with it. I think I would find it difficult to read. I agree with Christie that times have changed and if you read this book it would not be assumed you were cutting yourself. Books like these may give teens a way to understand their feelings and realize there are better ways to solve their problems.
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ReplyDeleteThis was a book that I really wanted to read, so I'm a little disappointed to hear that you weren't thrilled with it. Even so I think I'm going to go ahead and read it to see if I would recommend it to my junior high girls. Last year I had a number of girls that were cutting and engaging other destructive behavior. I think that even if it's not the "best" book out there, it would at least speak to readers who identify with Callie's cutting. I feel like self-mutilation is becoming a sad trend, especially among middle school/high school girls. It's important that we provide them with books that deal with these issues.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the insight!
I thought maybe there are a number of teens who cut who could identify with this book. However, after your comments it may not be something that they could totally identify with. Even so, it sounds like many other young girls with problems that don't involve cutting may be able to find answers to their personal problems by reading this book. I am a little surprised by the reading level.
ReplyDeleteI liked your hook alot!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI had a classmate in junior high who would cut herself, never deep enough to do major damage but I'm sure she still carries those scars. I think introducing this to 6th-8th grade level, as you mentioned, is a good idea.
ReplyDeleteI haven't actually read this book. I found McCormick's Sold to be a very intense book so I'm a bit surprised that you found it to be less compelling than you expected. It is good though to have something on the topic that is suitable for less mature readers (regardless of their actual age). Wintergirls by Halse Anderson is very emotionally gripping - definitely for mature readers.
ReplyDeleteI also had a childhood friend who cut. At the time she didn't talk about it (actually went about a year without talking period). She told me recently that it was the only way she could ease a terrible tension that she felt.