Cut -- a review by Vicky Jun

Cut

By: Patricia McCormick

★★★ stars

Have you seen any of your teenage friends cut themselves? According to Self Growth, there are millions of American teenagers and adults who voluntarily injure themselves today. A 15 year old girl, was named Callie, was sent to the hospital, by her parents. They found her cutting herself in silence. It was not a normal hospital, because it was a place for teenagers who were mentally ill. The first days in the hospital, Callie wasn’t improving at all, because all the people were talking about their children living in a “residential treatment facility.” Callie acts like she doesn’t care about what people say, or do, however she listens and worries about what people are saying so much that she is stressed. She doesn’t like to talk anyone. When she was young, she had to take care of her brother who was sick; while she was caring for him, he was rushed to emergency room. After it all happened, she thinks her parents hated her, and decides not to talk to anyone in her family. She wasn’t very happy with that, and decided to cut herself. What is going to happen to Callie in the hospital? Is she ever going to talk? Is she going to stop cutting?

After reading this book, I was scared to talk to people. I started to think that perhaps I could hurt someone's feelings without knowing it. I am also a teenager, and sometimes I feel the same way Callie does. The author says that I am the only one who can keep me safe and control of me. I was sad that Callie didn't have any physical problems; however her mental problems caused her to not talk.