“That’s how hearts get broken, you know. When you believe in promises.”
-Kathleen Glasgow, Girl in Pieces
Charlie uses pain in order to forget all of the people that she’s lost over time. Her father, to the river. Her best friend. Your mother. Each loss pushes Charlie further to the edge, so she learns how to forget. But as she starts to heal from her trauma, forgetting might push her back to where she began.
This is another book that I listened to on audio, and I think the story worked beautifully in that format. The narrator of the audiobook, Julia Whelan, gives a unique voice to Charlie, while still giving unique voices to the other characters. The subject matter didn’t make this the easier book to listen to, but it was still beautiful.
Cutting is a topic that is often covered in young adult literature, but this book felt the most realistic to me (of the ones that I’ve read). Glasgow has crafted realistic, flawed characters struggling through the act of recovery, struggling through their triggers. This is an important book for many teens to read because of how carefully Glasgow tackles the issue of mental illness, and how realistic it truly is for a lot of the teen population.
The author’s note at the end of the book makes the book all the more personal, offering support to girls that may be in the same position. Though this book isn’t plot heavy, the characters aptly make up for it. Each character has their own challenges to overcome, but they’re not defined by their mental illnesses, which is so important for the book’s readers.
The combination of the characters and the delicacy with which the issues are tackled makes this one of the better young adult books on mental illness. I’d recommend also picking it up on audiobook, if you can. It’s definitely worth a listen!
4.5/5 stars