A Review of 'Cut' by Patricia McCormick

 "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 anyone.  She won't even speak.


But Callie can only stay silent for so long..."

For the longest time, I was afraid to read this book thinking that it would be very graphic and/or gruesome, but I was glad that it wasn't gory (sort of... kind of... it's not what you think... but... yeah...) to make a point, not for shock value.

I possessed face-value information about cutting (which basically meant that I know what you have to do, but not the psychological part of the equation).  After reading this, I've gained a little insight.  There's only so much a thirteen or fourteen year old girl can say about the psychological aspect of cutting, but McCormick has shown the most important side to just about all (if not every) disorder and addiction-- the need to do something.  The need to cut to feel better, the need to eat, to not eat, to make yourself throw up, to drink... the list goes on and on.

Callie's story was an interesting one.  I wasn't totally sure why she decided to be silent, but her thoughts were still interesting.  For a while, it felt like she didn't care, but I think that that was key to the story-- to prove to anyone who would see that she was so detached from the situation.

'Cut' was a sad, powerful, upsetting, insightful, etc. book and I highly recommend that everyone, regardless of age, reads it.

I give 'Cut':

Thanks for reading!

--Jude