Cut by Patricia McCormick

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Push (February 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439324599
• ISBN-13: 978-0439324595
• List Price: $6.99
• I finished this book on Oct. 4

So, cause I am a turbo nerd I joined a book club with some other teen librarians. For the upcoming meeting we are reading "problem novels" to discuss. This is one of those. Also, it's a popular book with my female students (well, the ones who actually read.) So, I picked it up and read in in one sitting.
The truth of the matter is: books like this are upsetting. I teared up a bit here, I'm not ashamed to tell you. (so you know, that's nothing special: I cry all the time, especially at Campbell's soup commercials. say what you want, that shit is deep.)
So, Callie is narrating this book and she's in a loony bin and apparently I'm the shrink (do you know what I mean there? It's that weird first person where she keeps saying "You do this" about the shrink, like I'm the shrink? What's that called? I dunno.) Anywho, Callie won't talk. Life is pretty hard when you don't ever talk. Especially when you get a phone call. No one can hear nodding over the phone. Her roommate calls her S.T. for silent treatment and that is funny to me. Callie is a cutter and that is what landed her in the crazy house, and that is less funny.
Over the course of this short novel we learn more about Callie and watch her as she starts to explore her behavior and starts on the road to recovery. The book is basically Speak-light and if you were only going to read one I would suggest Speak. Nothing against this one, it's just that Speak is a bit deeper and personally I liked Melinda a little better. Also, the other girls could have been a little funnier, or more realistic or more...something.
In my copy of the book (which I got from the public library cause the copy from my school was checked out) there is a little scrawled note from a kid who'd previously checked it out. I was all worked up about it, but I like to think that this book scribbler is on the road to recovery like our Callie. But, for the record: info on teen help lines here, here and here.
p.s. i swear the next book won't be a bummer.