Cut

This review has been crossposted from my blog at The Cosy Dragon.com. Please head there for more in-depth reviews by me, which appear on a timely schedule.

Callie doesn't talk about what she does. In fact, Callie doesn't talk at all. At Sea Pines she is expected to reveal all about what she does. What she does should be obvious to you! The book title says it all.

So this is yet another angsty teen novel I have read lately. And sadly, I found it lacking in a couple of ways. The storyline was very predictable, thin and unsatisfying. There wasn't enough fleshing out even of the environment. I couldn't imagine anything except the laundry and the bathroom, and even then there wasn't enough detail to satisfy me.

In a way, I found it pathetic. Each of the characters, although they tried to support each other, I just found it a bit lacking. Especially Amanda. Her character is so much in opposition to everything that is trying to be achieved by Callie and the other girls. I wanted to know more behind each of them! Just giving them problems and names wasn't enough.

Yes, this book did touch me. I felt some shivers. It did disturb me a little. For a book written by someone who has never cut, it's not bad. I guess I'm comparing this book to Scars (Cheryl Rainfield) and The Burn Journals (Brent Runyon). Those books are built on true stories, and the sincerity really shines through to make a well-rounded and developed character.

Some things I find absurd, such as the therapist visits. I find it hard to believe that the therapist could lie so blatantly to Callie about Becca. Also, the whole thing about her scars fading - that's something that Callie could have worked out for herself - no they won't fade completely, but there is makeup! I guess for a 13 year old girl willing to believe anything she is told, it's ok.

This book is very female biased. There are no men, except Callie's brother, Sam, who is very sick and so understandably sympathetically portrayed. In contrast is Callie's father, who she doesn't talk about. It seems like there is a deeper issue there - I was hanging out for it to be rape, or something serious - but it was simply something else. Callie did a great job with the situation she found herself. I can't give too much away, or I'll ruin the little suspense the book had.

There is something about the show Rescue 911. I've never watched it. But apparently everybody loves it! And of course it has relevance to Callie's situation. It's not a subtle reference, and I guess that ruined it for me. This book is going to be dated within a couple of years for sure, and it doesn't even make any attempt to be universal (not that it necessarily should, just an observation).

I was particularly dissatisfied with the ending. Arg! Would it have killed McCormick to give Callie a decent ending? Sorry, but I know how cutting works, and a on eoff idea that you're going to stop isn't necessarily going to carry on. And I didn't have much faith in talk therapy like that (with no cognitive behvioural therapy) fixing a problem. No wonder some of the girls were still sick.

The bonus of this book was that it was short and cheap! So I don't feel like I wasted too much on it. I've ripped it apart, but surely there are other people that like it. The cover is surprisingly attractive to my mind.

I'd recommend this book for teens. It's not a great insight into how Callie's mind works (and certainly not how all cutters' minds work), and I think maybe it could be negative for some other people who have never thought of the idea of cutting before. The idea of a residential facility fixing all mental problems is absurd, and out of reach of most people anyway - they'll never be able to relate.

This book has been out for awhile. I remember always seeing it on shelves when I was at various bookstores, but I never picked it up. I’m sure pretty much everyone has read this except for me, but I finally caught up to the bandwagon.
That said, it wasn’t anything like I thought it would be. Except, I don’t really know what exactly I was expecting. With Callie not talking for a lot of the book, I figured that something really terrible had happened to her that was going to come out later in the book. I found myself waiting and waiting, and that HUGE reveal never came. Maybe it was the way is was written and not her actions themselves that made me expect something like that.
I guess that maybe it ended like up that because it is sort of accurate for some mental health cases though. Nothing huge has to happen in order to cause a mental health episode. It could be something small, or have no external trigger at all.
That is why I am leaning more towards the way this story was written leading me to think that something super catastrophic had occurred.

Overall, though, I did enjoy the book. It was a bit different because it was separated only into 3 parts instead of multiple chapters. It is a pretty short book, so I can see why that was the case.
Im starting to think this review isn’t helpful at all, but this book just sort of threw me off. . .

3/5 stars.

Cut.... was a very interesting novel. I’ve read self-harm novels before, and a novel with a silent protagonist, and novels set in treatment facilities, but Cut seemed somehow different from the rest. It was short, sweet, and didn’t dwell on unnecessary things. It simply told the story of Callie and her problems, and how she chooses to deal with them.

In this novel, I really enjoyed the group of girls that Callie is surrounded with. Although Callie doesn’t speak to them, she is still forced to go to group therapy, where we hear of there struggles and feelings, while Callie focuses on other things, such as things outside.

One thing that I found interesting was how Callie doesn’t refer to her doctor (psychologist, psychiatrist?) by name. She simply calls her “you” and speaks to her in second person. This is a bit strange, but in some ways, it worked for the story. It did something for the story that made it feel a bit more intimate, in addition to the intimacy that the short length somehow brought about.

I loved the slow reveal of the root of Callie’s problem, and how Callie slowly comes to accept everything. Throughout the course of the novel, we begin to see some changes in Callie. I don’t want to spoil it for those of you who haven’t read it yet, but some big changes take place, and this growth really surprised me. :)

As for things I didn’t like about this novel, the length was definitely a factor. It was only about 150 pages, which on one hand makes for a small, quick read that’s easy to slip into purse or pocket, but at the same time, could make it feel a bit condensed. With most of the dialogue coming from other characters, the length can be justified due to there not being much of a back and forth between characters. There’s mainly Callie’s introspective thoughts and memories. I personally prefer longer novels, as it allows for more character development, something which I wish we could have had more of in Cut. I’d like to have gotten to know the other girls a bit better, especially Amanda, the other cutter, but then again, it does make sense given that this novel is narrated in Callie’s 1st person POV. Callie doesn’t really connect with the other girls, preferring to observe them instead, so we don’t get to connect either. We only see what Callie sees, which is both interesting and frustrating at the same time.

All in all, Cut was a good novel. It’s short, so I might actually reread it sometime in the future. With it being such a fast read (I finished it the day that I bought it) I’m sure that there are things that I missed the first time around, and there will probably be things that I’ll look differently on now that I’ve read the entire thing.

I’d recommend this book to fans of Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak and Ellen Hopkin’s Impulse, and if you haven’t read either of those novels, I highly recommend both of them! The tone of Speak, and the subject matter of Impulse both came to mind while I read this Cut. Be warned that this book could be triggering, as it deals with cutting and anorexia and drug usage.

Happy Reading, Starlight-Readers!

Grade: B

Callie doesn't speak. Not to her roommate. Not to the other girls in the treatment center. Not to her doctor. Not even to her beloved little brother. She doesn't know why she can't talk any more and she doesn't know why she cuts herself. But if she's going to start feeling better, she'll have to start trusting those who can help her figure out how.

Written for tweens and young teens, CUT is a good introduction to the problems and treatment for the mental health issues many teen girls face. The girls on Callie's ward deal with substance abuse, eating disorders and self injury, engage in therapy to various degrees. While this short novel is somewhat dated in terms of technology and length on inpatient treatment, young readers may be able to recognize themselves in the characters and seek appropriate help from parents or other adults.

Themes: self injury, eating disorders, substance abuse, inpatient treatment, family

CUT is an appropriate book for advanced readers as young as grade school to early high school students.

I went into this book not really knowing anything about. I saw it on the shelf at HPB, and the cover kind of drew me in, along with the title. A little weird I know, but if you knew my background when I was younger. I don't think it would be so weird. (Trust me my poetry is proof) I went into the book thinking it would be good (not in like a happy sort of way), but more of an emotional way. I wanted to like it, but it just didn't have the connection with the characters I was looking for I guess.

Callie is the main MC who gets sent to this "rehab" center called Sea Pines, or in the words of the girls that go there "Sick Minds" (I thought this was kind of cute) because of her addiction to cutting. While she's there she doesn't really seem to wanna make any attempts to get better. She doesn't talk to anybody there, not the girls, counselors, or in group. In that way it's kind of hard to follow because you have mostly her thoughts on the girls, the counselor, and others at the place. No actual interaction until almost the end. At the end like I said is when she started to actually open up to people, and started telling her story as to why she was there, and the guilt she had from her brother being sick, and her mom having to deal with her brother, and then her dad's business.

The other characters in it Debbie, the over-weight girl, Becca and Tara the anorexic girls, and Sydney and Tiffany who are addicted to drugs. Then a new girl named Amanda shows up later whose also a cutter. Honestly I couldn't make myself like any of them except maybe Amanda when she showed up just because she seemed like she didn't care. She had that smart-ellic attitude.

So I'm kind of torn between how I feel about the book. I think it could have been more thought provoking for readers had it more details I guess you could say. This is one of those type books where it's hard to write about because I don't really know how to put it into words. It was apparently a banned book too although I didn't see the explicitness of it. That is just me though. *shrugs*

I would have to say maybe 2.5 stars.

Still remember though just because it didn't work for me. It still may work for you and it really is a short read. :)

Cut is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year and it's quite the accomplishment. Ten years ago, young adult literature practically did not exist. It wasn't an actually category in a bookstore. Now it is. With this anniversary, more and more YA readers will be exposed to Cut and hopefully more and more will read it because it is a story to be read.

Cut follows Callie, a 15 year old girl who cuts herself. Callie cuts, but doesn't really know why. Since coming to `Sick Minds,' a youth treatment facility, Callie has been mute. Not speaking, not feeling, not anything. She is in group of girls with problems ranging from eating disorders, to drug dependency, to another cutter. She's not alone and she's not unique, but McCormick tells her story in a way that will draw the reader in, that will capture your attention, and force you to open your eyes.

The writing is a bit disjointed - Callie refers to the counselor as `you,' the reader - and takes a little while to get used to, but once the reader gets past that, Callie's story will pull you in. Without knowing why Callie cuts, her experiences and her emotions still make her someone to care about. Her life isn't all that bad, but I felt for her. I wanted to reach through the pages and give the girl a hug because she sure seems like she needs it. Being with Callie and figuring her out as she figures herself out is an experience unlike any other.

The people surrounding Callie lend a great deal to the story. Even though the shrink, Callie's parents, her brother Sam, and her fellow group members aren't all that fleshed out, their small interactions bring out everything in Callie. Without their appearances, Callie would never grow, she would never break out of her shell and confront her problems. It is quite a feat to have minor characters with short scenes, play such a large role in character development, yet McCormick does it flawlessly.

Cut is one of those books - like Speak and The Perks of Being a Wallflower - that help define a generation. It's timeless and heartbreaking and even though it seems bleak, that silver lining is the bright light at the end of the tunnel. Callie's story is universal, not just with cutting, but with everything. Her emotions, her struggles, and the outcome create an emotional journey that will leave the reader satisfied and changed.

Callie cuts herself. It's never that deep though; the point isn't to irrevocably harm herself. Sometimes, she doesn't even know why she cuts, but usually it's just to feel the pain and the accompanying release. But cutting is the reason that she's at Sea Pines, which is a nicer name for the loony bin. She's surrounded by girls with problems of their own. Callie would rather just be on her own. She'd rather have as little to do with these girls as possible. She'll do what she's told, but she refuses to even speak. Does Callie even want to get better? After finding her own voice, she'll see that maybe that's just what she needs.

Cut is a very short book that is packed full of some very serious topics, including issues with confidence, dysfunctional relationships, and, most notably, self harm. I didn't read this Cut for its characters or plot, though these were well done, but rather for its discussion of these serious topics. This is without a doubt a very serious novel that delves into some of the reasons that can drive people to such extreme behaviors. Yet McCormick manages to handle these issues delicately so as to not overwhelm the reader. Some of the emotions that Callie deals with are horrifyingly deep and painful, but I never felt like it was too much. I am very grateful for that, because otherwise, Cut would have been a very difficult book to get through. I'm not saying that this is a breezy read either, because Callie's story is such a sad one, but McCormick tells it with such sensitivity and grace. It's also nice to see a positive, or at least not overly negative despite the treatment facility's nickname of "Sick Minds", portrayal of the mental health system. Cut is one of those few books that so clearly states that it's okay not to be okay, and that there are always people who want to help.

Cut is a fantastic novel for any reader who has ever felt not okay. Readers who felt that Break by Hannah Moskowitz and Purge by Sarah Darer Littman really resonated with them will also want to check this book out.

Gold Star Award Winner!

CUT is an amazing first novel by Patricia McCormick that offers a glimpse inside the mind of a 15-year-old girl who cuts herself. For Callie, life just became too complicated. The solution lay right in front of her. One tiny cut. A bubble of red. And yes, pain. Then, escape.

Callie now resides at Sea Pines with several other girls seeking treatment for a myriad of other disorders. She goes to group share time, hooks her sleeves over her thumbs, and hides behind her hair. She sees her counselor twice a day and counts the stripes on the wallpaper. But Callie doesn't share. With anyone. Not even when her mother and little brother visit.

Callie can't bring herself to speak. Instead she watches, and listens. She knows everything about her group mates. But they know nothing about this girl who won't talk. Then, when Amanda joins the group and brazenly flaunts her own scars, it becomes more difficult for Callie to remain silent. And as she begins to speak, she slowly finds she doesn't want to keep it all inside. She wants to get better.

Callie is a bright girl that the reader will easily identify with. You'll care for her the same way she cares about the others at Sea Pines. And you'll be amazed when you find out what started it all; that it's an entire family in pain, not just Callie. She'll make you cry, and make you laugh some, and in the end you'll feel so proud of her progress.

Cutting is a very real issue for teens. Many, like Callie, don't even know themselves why they do it. CUT is an honest look at how cutting can consume a young person. If you know someone who cuts, share this book with them. Let them know they can find help. They can stop. This is a gusty novel that you won't want to put down until you're sure Callie is safe.

Reviewed by: Cana Rensberger

Excellent reading. I have used this in my professional realm for understanding and to develop discussion in larger group settings. This is a true story of a young person that cuts to feel -- perfect to gain insight and understanding into this behavior and also to "normalize" and re-frame the behaviors and thinking. Not easy reading and most of us have a tendency to wish we could "jump in and save" the person in the story -- or the person we know that also participates in this "cry for help."
Use this as a place for understanding - the person with this behavior needs professional help......it won't just go away.

Cut Review
By: Karly Iversen

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to cut yourself just because you hated your life? Have you ever wanted to ask that person why they do it or get into their head to understand? I have always wondered why someone would ever be truly upset enough to resort to that. By reading Patricia McCormick's mind blowing "Cut" all those questions are answered.
The story of Cut tells a story from the view of a teenage girl named Callie. This girl lives in a center for girls that have "issues." The center is called Sea Pines and she was sent there by her overprotective family because she cuts herself. She never does it to deep, but she likes the feeling and it's the only way for her to relieve some of pains of life. Callie hates the center she is at and she is forced to attend boring meetings with the other girls suffering from there own serious problems. The one thing that makes Callie so different from the other girls is that Callie never opens her mouth. She never talks. Not a single word to anyone.
When I read this book my favorite part was when Callie finally speaks. She goes to a counselor everyday at Sea Pines and the whole book is anticipating the day when Callie will break out of her shell and talk about her problems. I knew that if she never talked to anyone about her problem, it would just get worse. As the book goes on you start to really understand why she resorts to cutting and you wish she would just talk about it to others. When she starts to talk it is such a sigh of relief. It makes you wonder if she will ever get better and if she will ever stop the cutting.
Cut teaches a very valuable lesson for anyone who reads it. I really believe that the author is trying to get the point across to teenagers that if you have a problem similar to Callie's; you need to talk about it. I also think he wants other teens that might be going through something similar to know that others go through it too. This book shows that there are always people out there to help kids in need and there is always something whiling to talk about it.
This book really surprised me with how much I enjoyed reading it. When I first saw it I thought that it might scare me or gross me out, but it did the complete opposite. It made me connect and understand the life of someone who cuts them self. It made me think of how scary it would be to have cutting yourself as your comfort. It makes me feel sorry for someone who actually is that depressed with life. Since the whole book is on Callie's thoughts, you really get to know her. By the end you get so into it that you can't put it down. I felt like if I could have done anything to get her better, I would have done it in a second.
I would defiantly recommend this book to teenagers who are whiling to step out of the box and read about something you don't see in your everyday life. This book makes you think and it keeps getting better and better as the book goes on. If you are looking for a book that is different then the normal and so entraining that you don't want to put it down, then "Cut" is the right book for you.

CUT is an amazing first novel by Patricia McCormick that offers a glimpse inside the mind of a 15-year-old girl who cuts herself. For Callie, life just became too complicated. The solution lay right in front of her. One tiny cut. A bubble of red. And yes, pain. Then, escape.

Callie now resides at Sea Pines with several other girls seeking treatment for a myriad of other disorders. She goes to group share time, hooks her sleeves over her thumbs, and hides behind her hair. She sees her counselor twice a day and counts the stripes on the wallpaper. But Callie doesn't share. With anyone. Not even when her mother and little brother visit.

Callie can't bring herself to speak. Instead she watches, and listens. She knows everything about her group mates. But they know nothing about this girl who won't talk. Then, when Amanda joins the group and brazenly flaunts her own scars, it becomes more difficult for Callie to remain silent. And as she begins to speak, she slowly finds she doesn't want to keep it all inside. She wants to get better.

Callie is a bright girl that the reader will easily identify with. You'll care for her the same way she cares about the others at Sea Pines. And you'll be amazed when you find out what started it all; that it's an entire family in pain, not just Callie. She'll make you cry, and make you laugh some, and in the end you'll feel so proud of her progress.

Cutting is a very real issue for teens. Many, like Callie, don't even know themselves why they do it. CUT is an honest look at how cutting can consume a young person. If you know someone who cuts, share this book with them. Let them know they can find help. They can stop. This is a gusty novel that you won't want to put down until you're sure Callie is safe.

Reviewed by: Cana Rensberger

While this is a fictional account of self-harm, I felt that it was a fair portrayal of the main character who is attempting to deal with familial issues the best way she knows how. I have read horrendous books that were intended to have the same effect that this story had...and from my reading (so far) this story is the closest that I have found to reality. Yes, Callie has problems...Yes, she hurts herself... but she is not hollow. She is just a normal teenage girl who doesn't know how to cope with the emotions that she is feeling.
I can say that as a current recovering harmer (I am 29 now...I have harmed for 17 years), this book most closely resembles my experiences with self-harm...including the confusion and frustration that you feel. The alienation that you go through...when you harm and while you are trying to recover. This book shows that it's not as simple as just stopping.
I felt that the other characters were inconsequential to the underlying message that this book was sending out. Yes, the other characters are a catalyst to Callie's road to recovery...but their influence in minimal. I think that this too is an accurate depiction of how relationships can be when on is trying to recover from this particular illness. One doesn't just open up to anyone and everyone they meet...
While this is a fictional piece, I felt that Callie was not an "overdone" character. McCormick focuses mainly on Callie's introspection about her problem, and not so much about the problem itself, which is a crucial part of the healing process.
I recommend this book to people who are looking for fictional piece that gives a fair portrayal of a young lady who self-harms.

Callie is sent to a treatment facility after her parents discover that she's been cutting herself. After a while, she finally opens up to her psychiatrist and begins to re-examine the fragile home environment that prompted her distress. Although not as powerful as others of its kind in the "teen issues/bibliotherapy" genre, the message that Cut provides is a heartwarming one: we all have the power to change our situation, if we only are willing to take the initiative. Despite the novel's short length, McCormick provides a solid picture of life at the facility and lets us get to know its inhabitants. The one problem-character that stands out, however, is the character of Amanda. A cutter like Callie herself, she is so unrepentant of her cutting compulsion that she seems to have been planted by the author as the persona of temptation. She often tries to draw Callie into discussions of different ways to cut oneself, and she even goes so far as to proudly display her scars to the other patients (she has the words "life sucks" carved into her arms). Sound edgy? It's a little uncomfortable to read at times, but compared to other works, shouldn't be too intense for younger teens. Recommended for Ages 15-Up.

The main character in this book is Callie. Throughtout the book, it tells you that Callie is going through a lot in life, such as family problems. She is usually in stress, and to get of her problems and stress, she finds anything sharp, such as metal, and cuts her wrists with it to make her feel better. She has been doing this since she was little and when her parents divorced. Right now she is at a place called Sea Pines which gives every girls who is sent there, help with whatever problem they have. Every girl in there calls Sea Pines, Sick Minds. What they do there is they have what they call Group where they tell eachother what they do and what is on there minds. They also have therapists to talk to everyday. Callie doesn't really talk to anybody because she isn't really social. But the other girls always try to talk to her.
Throughout this book, there has been some literary elements. One literary element is a flashback. Callie went back to where she was suppose to watch her brother Sam. She had to make sure that he ate dinner and then take his inhaler. Well, she went out of the room, and he started to have an asthma attack. She came and he was on the floor. The ambulance came and she regreted that time. Another literary element is foreshadowing. She keeps on thinking about getting out of Sick Minds and seeing her family together again. One more literary element is she uses imagery. Callie uses imagery by thinking about her, Sam, her mom and her dad sitting at the breakfast table all together.
My personal opinion about Cut is I actually liked it! When I first got it, I didn't think I would like it that much. The title didn't really catch my attention, but when I read the back, I thought I might give it a shot. I really got into the book and whenI finished it, I loved it! All of my friends who read it, told me that it was a great book. Now I recommend it to everyone!

Cut by Patricia McCormick :
This book is about a young girl named Callie. Callie was sent to a treatment center for girls with various disorders, Callie herself struggles with an addiction with cutting and at first refused to talk to others about her problems.
Personally I thought this book was very inspiring at times, but also triggering. I have been in Callie’s shoes and still struggle with my addiction of cutting. Treatment centers are scary, especially when it’s your first time experiencing them. This book in my opinion should have a warning label on it… just like on a television show when they have warning labels about “sexual content” or “ for mature audiences only”. Being only eighteen years old and experiencing a lot of what the character in the book does, I believe this book could be a turning point for a lot of people dealing with mental health issues. I do recommend this book, but not for anyone who has mental health issues and would be triggered from a book like this.

Cut is very realistic and certainly one of the best books I've read in recent memory. While not as good as McCormick's recent Sold, Cut is regardless a personal and smart view of 15-year-old Callie's steps down the road to self-destruction. Encouragement from other girls and gentle guidance from the staff of the institute she is staying at, Sea Pines, are all that keep her from surrenduring her life. But she hates it so much, she won't even speak.

Patricia McCormick is a great author, and she earned my respect with Sold. Now that I have read this, that respect is double. She has a real gift for description and putting the readers right inside Callie's consciousness. As the story progresses, we see her reasons for cutting herself, and her steady journey out of the closet, influenced greatly by the arrival of another girl with the same dangerous habit. The narration she gives recalling her experiences is so authentic--I was pulled in, and felt like I was the one with the blade against my wrist.

While the book, like Sold, does end on a seemingly positive cliffhanger, the middle of the book is what really makes it so compelling. Callie discovers shocking secrets about the other girls in her therapy group, and their struggles only make her feel more lost and alone. But finally she gains her footing and the dynamic of the book changes steadily, until a heartbreaking conclusion that lets readers know Callie is ready to change herself.

I have only one gripe about this book: Callie's individual therapy sessions, which are written in second-person. Callie refers to her psychologist as "you", and the reader is supposed to be the one treating her. While this technically should make one feel more involved as they read, it only ends up akward and strange. It makes the book seem less approachable as opposed to more.

Cut is nonetheless another triumph for Patricia McCormick, and a sturdy debut compared to the early work of some of my other favorite authors. While this was not the first book of hers I read, it is just as clever, unique, and believable, which more than makes up for its strange perspective.

I'm reviewing a great book called Cut by Patricia McCormick. It is a wonderful descriptive novel about a girl named Callie who cuts herself and her father works a lot to make money so they can take care of her brother since he's sick. Her mother doesn't work and she stay's home with her brother Sam so he doesn't get sick anymore. Callie's parents send her to Sea Pines so she can get better just with a little help. Her parents can visit, and do a couple of times. She has to go to group with other people with the same problem as her or something else. Callie doesn't talk during group or even sit by the group. She sits by herself by a window not really paying attention. After group she goes to talk to a counselor to talk about things somewhat personal. To find out what else happens and what Callie decides to do you have to read the book yourself.
I thought this book was very descriptive, and really good to read. If I could rate this book between 1-10 I would rate it a 10. That's how much I liked it. I don't have the same problem as Callie, but I know people that are so it gave me some new perspectives to think about. If you like books about real life problems then you would like this book.

Cut is very realistic and certainly one of the best books I've read in recent memory. While not as good as McCormick's recent Sold, Cut is regardless a personal and smart view of 15-year-old Callie's steps down the road to self-destruction. Encouragement from other girls and gentle guidance from the staff of the institute she is staying at, Sea Pines, are all that keep her from surrenduring her life. But she hates it so much, she won't even speak.

Patricia McCormick is a great author, and she earned my respect with Sold. Now that I have read this, that respect is double. She has a real gift for description and putting the readers right inside Callie's consciousness. As the story progresses, we see her reasons for cutting herself, and her steady journey out of the closet, influenced greatly by the arrival of another girl with the same dangerous habit. The narration she gives recalling her experiences is so authentic--I was pulled in, and felt like I was the one with the blade against my wrist.

While the book, like Sold, does end on a seemingly positive cliffhanger, the middle of the book is what really makes it so compelling. Callie discovers shocking secrets about the other girls in her therapy group, and their struggles only make her feel more lost and alone. But finally she gains her footing and the dynamic of the book changes steadily, until a heartbreaking conclusion that lets readers know Callie is ready to change herself.

I have only one gripe about this book: Callie's individual therapy sessions, which are written in second-person. Callie refers to her psychologist as "you", and the reader is supposed to be the one treating her. While this technically should make one feel more involved as they read, it only ends up akward and strange. It makes the book seem less approachable as opposed to more.

Cut is nonetheless another triumph for Patricia McCormick, and a sturdy debut compared to the early work of some of my other favorite authors. While this was not the first book of hers I read, it is just as clever, unique, and believable, which more than makes up for its strange perspective.

I'm reviewing a great book called Cut by Patricia McCormick. It is a wonderful descriptive novel about a girl named Callie who cuts herself and her father works a lot to make money so they can take care of her brother since he's sick. Her mother doesn't work and she stay's home with her brother Sam so he doesn't get sick anymore. Callie's parents send her to Sea Pines so she can get better just with a little help. Her parents can visit, and do a couple of times. She has to go to group with other people with the same problem as her or something else. Callie doesn't talk during group or even sit by the group. She sits by herself by a window not really paying attention. After group she goes to talk to a counselor to talk about things somewhat personal. To find out what else happens and what Callie decides to do you have to read the book yourself.
I thought this book was very descriptive, and really good to read. If I could rate this book between 1-10 I would rate it a 10. That's how much I liked it. I don't have the same problem as Callie, but I know people that are so it gave me some new perspectives to think about. If you like books about real life problems then you would like this book.

Imagine being the only one who truly understands how you truly feel. Everyone around you tries everything they can do to help but you don't speak because deep down inside you know that they have no clue. Callie is a 15-year old girl who has a big feeling of guilt building up inside of her. This feeling of guilt started when her brother came down with an illness and for some reason Callie Blames herself. She, on her own, decides she needs to be punished and the punishment is so severe that she wants to take her life. With this, what Callie does not realize is that she's not cutting herself to be punished but cutting herself in response to her dysfunctional family. After being sent to "Sea Pines" or also known as "Sick Minds" to the girls that are staying there, Callie frequently finds a way to either commit suicide or try to severely hurt herself.
In this story you will travel back with Callie to the early childhood memories that she's had and how she starts realizing everything isn't her fault.
This book I think will have a big effect on a teenage girl who is struggling through life, or thinks the same way as Callie. I think a lot of girls will be able to relate to Callie. I really cant agree or disagree with this book because I haven't been in the same situation as Callie, but other girls might have and this is why it will be easy to relate too.

the store recommended this book to me, probably because I bought, The Burn Journals by Brent Runyon. A far superior book about mental illness, I recommend that you read that instead. I read this back in High School, it left no impression on me whatsoever, it's boring and underwhelming. It will leave no mark on you, whatsoever. It will take you an hour and a half to read, it's a very short book. Not saying that's a bad thing, but it is just lame, that's the best word to describe it, I can barely remember it at all, and I usually have a good memory for this sort of thing Don't bother with it, but if you're at all curious, and you do read it, won't be wasting that much of your time and it's a relatively harmless little book.

I appreciate the feedback of all the reviewers who have experienced cutting themselves. This book was recommended by a colleague to offer a different reading experience than that from a textbook. The topic was dissociation and not cutting. So I read the book from a different perspective.

There is a dearth of such accounts of psychological and emotional experience from the perspective of the client, especially in a compact and compelling novel format such as this. I take heed of the very excellent and cogent criticisms presented here.

I feel that the value, such as exists, of this fictional account is in both (1) the experience of traumatic dissociation; when it may occur, and it's potential situational initiators, and (2) the very distinct approach in which the clinician builds a therapeutic relationship with and "treats" this fictional, traumatized person.

Given that this is not an actual account, and reading the responses on this page, it's clear that this may not be recommended reading for those who are cutting. It may be more valuable as a brief primer for those seeking to understand the difference between treating a client and advocating for a survivor of traumatic experience.

Callie is living at Sea Pines (known to the guests as Sick Minds), a residential facility for people with mental health problems. Most of the girls have problems with food (too much or too little), or problems saying no to drugs. Callie is different though, she cuts herself and watches herself bleed. She never cuts too deep, but enough that she has ended up in the home. Callie silently watches events around her until one day Amanda arrives - Amanda cuts herself too. Somewhere inside Callies mind is the reason that she hurts herself - why does she do it?
Callie is a normal teenager who has had one too many problems to deal with in the normal way - so she withdraws within herself, refusing to speak and cutting herself. Told mainly as an internal monologue to a therapist Callie leads the reader to the heart of her problem in flitting imagery and moments that at first leave you somewhat confused - but which open out eventually to lead you inside her mind and the source of her pain.
This is not an easy book to read. If you like the style of this book then try reading "Speak" and "Georgie".

15-year-old Callie has been institutionalized for what she's doing to herself. She cuts her wrists, arms, and hands and she doesn't know why. It could be her parents who don't know how to deal or her brother who is very sick or maybe something else. She doesn't know. But she's not willing to ask for help. In fact she's not talking at all. She doesn't say a single word in therapy, or group therapy where both girls with eating disorders, and drug addictions talk about their problems. As Callie starts to come out of her shell and speak in therapy a new girl comes to the clinic who cuts herself and shows off her scars with pride. Cut is amazing book about an issue that is rarely dealt with in teenage literature but is often dealt with in real life. If you enjoyed books such as Girl interupted and want to learn more about self mutilation and mental hospitals, or just read a great YA book, this is for you. I reccomend this to anyone who's a fan of realistic teenage books.

Callie seems like an average teenager. She has a normal family consisting of her parents and younger brother Sam, goes to high school and runs track. Although her younger brother is often sick, Callie's life seems normal. But Callie's life is not normal. Callie has a dangerous secret, she cuts herself. One day, a school nurse sees the scars on Callie's arms, and it is decided that Callie needs help. She is sent to a residential treatment facility called Sea Pines. The residents of the facility have nicknamed the place "Sick Minds". Some of the girls Callie meets there are like herself. Others are anorexic, and some even have drug problems. At first, Callie is totally silent, not opening up to anyone, including her therapist. But soon, with the help of her doctor, the mystery behind Callie's dangerous actions are revealed. She starts talking and makes new friends. Callie learns that if she is going to get help, she has to want help. Her doctor helps her to confront her family problems and her internal problems. . Callie cuts herself. She does not do it to kill herself, but rather to take away the pain of life. Eventually, she find herself in Sea Pines, a residential treatment facility. She is in group therapy with girls with eating disorders and substance abuse issues, but no one else has self-mutilation problems. Until Amanda comes. Before Amanda came to Sea Pines, Callie did not talk in group therapy, and no one besides the staff knew why she was at Sea Pines. Finally, Callie opens up in both group therapy and personal therapy. However, it all becomes too much soon, and she runs away. She returns, though, when she realizes that she really does want to help herself. As teens around my age tend to go through things, such as parent issues, losing a loved one, or anything in general that makes in impact emotionally, which then twists a teen's perspective of life, and changes their personality, looks, and their life altogether. This connects to my life, due to being a teen myself and knowing how other teens my age might feel the same way Callie did. I tend to be depressed due to past experiences, like bullying and such, and all that negativity has shaped the person I am, whether good or bad, and I always had suicidal thoughts, even to thinking of cutting myself, just like Callie would cut herself, but I never did, and I sought help, and my friends helped me be a little more positive, this is how I know how Callie feels. I'm sure that teens worldwide feel the same way as Callie, but if they would all accept help, then things might turn out good for them.

Let me give it to you straight. "Cut" by Patricia McCormick is NOT one of those books you are going to read over and over again. It is NOT one of those books that is going to keep you up at night. It is NOT one of those books that will send a self-injurer (SI) into a relapse [at least, it didn't send ME into one]. Though the book claims to be basically a melodrama where the main character, Callie, needs immediate help and to battle a big, bad monster, i.e. self-mutilation, this is not so in my eyes. Reading the book made me think that McCormick just wanted an excuse to write about some kid in a mental hospitol. This kid could be an anorexic, or a druggie, it didn't really matter. Maybe McCormick knows someone who cuts or possibly is a cutter herself: I wouldn't know, I haven't met the woman.
But what I DO know is that this was just like every other book about SI, such as "Saint Jude" and "The Luckiest Girl In The World", to name a few. These authors seem to be copying each other, big time. Not the words, but the major ideas. The number of SI in the United States is rapidly increasing. We realistically do not have the time or the facilities to take on a few million of them. What we need a book about is a kid coping with self-mutilation without a special treatment center or group home. I honestly think that McCormick must have thought, 'hmmmmmm, wouldn't it be fun if I made a girl go on a little field trip to a loony bin, and then let her struggle there?'
I am just wondering where these authors get their ideas!!! Half of these stories are really a load of bull. However, I think that Patricia McCormick may, in fact, have a knack for writing, that is just still a little underdeveloped. I can't be TOO hard on her: afterall, it WAS her first novel.

The book I have recently finished is called Cut. It is about a girl named Callie who is placed in a treatment center called Sea Pines. The girls in treatment have realized that Callie hasn't been talking ever since she got there. She won't talk to them she won't even talk to her own parents. Her case is that she is a cutter. Until Sydney her roomate starts to talk to her about how she doesn't want to see her cutting herself or hurting herself in any form or way. When Callie decides to talk for the first time everybody is in shock. The other girls who are in for treatment have problems such as anorexia, cutting and obisity. When a new girl Amanda come's in Callie finds out that she is in for cutting her wrists aswell. Then she comes to the conculsion of why she is cutting herself.
Overall I enjoyed this book because I like reading about books that are real and what people are really going through in the "real" world.
People who would enjoy this book would be if you don't like to read about the same old book's about love that you already know the ending too.

The book Cut was written by Patricia McCormick in October 2000. I give this book of fiction three stars out of five. If you like to read about young adults with “problem” and how some teenagers solve that “problem” I will recommend this book. This book is written in first-person point of view by Callie. It describes her thoughts, feelings, and behaviors which revolve around the title Cut. The beginning of the book grabbed my attention immediately. I want to know what happened to this girl and why she is cutting herself. Then, this book tells us about her having hard times with recovery from depression and making new friends. After Callie opens her mind to ask for help on how to overcome her problem, she feels much better and starts to communicate with other people and make new friends. Overall, this book is a great book to read for anyone who works with teenagers, any teenagers who may suffer in a similar situation, and anyone who has a danger secret. At the end, we all need care from our, especially teenagers. When we have some problems that we cannot solve by ourselves, we should try to talk about it with other people and ask for advice and help, and this book focuses on this idea.

Patricia McCormick wrote a very interesting novel on a girl who cuts herself. Callie, a young adult, blames herself for her families problems. Her brother Sam had really bad asthma, which makes her mother worried and always busy. Her dad has to work more so he can get more money to pay for everything. Callie lives at Sea Pines, or as the girls there call it "Sick Minds" rehabilatation center. At first Callie doesn't talk and doesn't care about cutting herself, but over time Callie starts talking to other people and another girl who cuts herself comes and tries to keep her down, but with the help of the other girls their and her pyschologist, Callie finally realizes that the problems at home are not her fault and finally wants to get better. Callie becomes closer to her dad and the rest of her family. Patricia's book was an easy which I would recommend because it shows the true meaning of family and how you shouldn't be so hard on yourself about problems.

A short and interesting story.

Teenage Callie cuts herself. She starts cutting after her younger brother, Sam, gets ill with a serious case of asthma and he has to go to the hospital. Callie is sent to Sea Pines, or better known as "Sick Minds" by Callie and her fellow "guests". Sick Minds is a rehab center for girls with problems like cutting, drugs or anorexia. Even though Callie's fellow girls are nice to her, Callie does not talk; to the other girls, to any of the attendants/nurses or even her therapist. Callie is somehow convinced to talk and she tells her therapist that she believes that it is her fault that Sam got sick.

Callie's feelings are portrayed very well and every event, feeling and person is interestingly explained. Worth buying and reading.

~Atalanta

This book is really good i really enjoyed reading it! When i first got the book i wasnt so sure about reading it. But after i started to i really enjoyed it and i couldnt put the book down. It is a moving book and informative. Patricia McCormick is very descriptive in the book which helps to see whats going on in Callie's mind while all of this happening. Callie cuts herself to relieve all the things that are going through her mind it is how she deals with all her problems but she ends up in a mental hospital and will not talk much at first. She realizes later that she is there to get help and opens up. I enjoy reading books like this because they help me to see why people with problems like this do these things and they help me to understand a little bit better about the problems.

After reading the jacket summary of this book, you may think, why would I ever want to read a book about "cutters," but this book has something to offer to everyone. Pat McCormick captures the teen voice in this book, feelings of confusion, guilt, superiority, and depression. Though I wasn't a cutter myself, I remember having some of the same feelings S.T. has and never found a release for them as she did through self-mutilation. Her desperation and desire for help is moving, though seemingly unwanted, and by the end of the novel you cry with hope for her future, as well as that of the adults in the novel. Speaking of the adults, they are neither altogether blamed, nor exonerated of guilt.
I would call this a masterpiece and VERY deserving of the Printz Award.

Cut is a deceptively simple novel about family pressures, illness in the family, alcoholism, mental illness, finding oneself, and figuring out how to fit in. 15-year-old Callie has been committed to a mental hospital (oops, I meant "residential treatment facility") for her inclination to self-mutilate her body with bloody scars. In addition to her hidden scars (and the overwhelming desire to cut her arm on anything available, from a broken pie plate to a paper towel dispenser), Callie has become mute. She has no desire to speak, yet even when she desperately tries to form words, she can't make her body respond.

Slowly, Callie learns to like, and to learn from, the other misfits she shares a wing with in the Sea Pines facility. Cut is an eloquent work on mental afflictions, friendships, family secrets, co-dependency, and survival. Recommended to any teenager. Another great work is Bottled Up.

Patricia McCormick has taken three years to write this short book, and I took five nights reading this book and I must say that this book was an excellent title. Sadly, many teenagers are living with depression and cutting themself, but thankfully there are many solutions to heal the pain. This book could be one of those solutions. With every page is a girl someone could relate to, but you could learn from her.

Callie cuts herself, and now she's at Sea Pines or what she calls "Sick Minds" refusing to talk. Instead, she listens to people in her surroundings who are just like her. They are hurt, and they don't want to be trapped. They know why they are here, but they'll have to learn how to fix that.

I recommend this book for teenagers, cutters, children, mothers, and teachers. Learn from Callie and enjoy this book like I did.

Recently I read the book Cut. The main character of Cut is a teenage girl named Callie. The plot of this book is sometimes happy, sometimes sad and sometimes just confusing.
In this book Callie cuts herself and goes to a treatment center called Sea Pines. Callie calls it Sick Minds. She doesn't speak for a long time until someone with the same problem comes to Sea Pines. Everyone is shocked when Callie speaks, once she starts speaking she finds out that she really likes the girls she lives with.
As I said before Callie cuts herself, never enough to die, just enough to feel the pain. Callie is most likely cutting herself because she is feeling angry or depressed.
I recommend this book to people that like realistic fiction that are in the seventh grade or older and aren't looking for a flowery book.
If I had to rate this book on a scale of one to five, I would give it a four out of ten because it could have been longer. It left me hanging a little bit.

This book's popularity is mainly based on the fact it was a semi-good novel about self-harm when it has become more common, and alientated teenagers flock to anything that will make them feel understood. Any parents should know that this book does NOT glorify self harm in any way, and if your kid believes that this book does so, they are too impressionable and a little stupid. This book is narrated by a self-harmer and since it is in the voice of a self-harmer she is obviously addicted to the act and fantasizes about hurting herself and thinks it will make her feel better because that is HOW self harmers think. This is extremely similar to how a drug addict would talk about their drug of choice and how they think it will make them feel better. If you have a very impressionable, naive kid don't let them read it. But if you have a smart kid that is aware of mental illnesses and twisted thought processes this is fine. For teens interested in this, it's ok. It's def blown out of proportion and like I said it's popular because it was published at the right time when the demand was high. If you are a self-harmer it might be good to relate to, but you can tell that the the woman writing it never actually experienced self-harm herself. Crosses by Shelley Stoher is better, but nearly unheard of because it was written years ago when self-harm was still rare. The Luckiest Girl in the World by Steven Levenkron is also pretty good.

It's very difficult to speak about self-mutilation without sensationalizing it. It's also very easy to turn the subject into those rather pathetic girl books where everyone has such pathetic lives, dies of cancer and attends summer camp to get over things. This book does justice to the topic. It's an interesting storyline. It never makes the cutting seem silly or contrived. It successfully attempts to help one understand why you would do something like this to yourself. This is too deep of a subject to just hand the book to a child and let them figure it out. The story lends itself to discussion between child and adult. I would recommend this for high school students, or as a guided read for junior high.

I appreciate this book so much. McCormick writes an accurate depiction of what it is like to be a self-injurer without over-dramatizing or making the novel intense, creating a book that is simple and straightforward and worth the short amount of time it takes to read it. I would recommend this book to anyone, especially if self-harm has touched your life in some way. And for those like me who deal with this issue, this book is a reminder that there is hope waiting for us if we'll only try to reach it.

*9/10*

Callie is inflicted with guilt,blaming herself for her brother's illness.She cuts herself with sharp objects and refuses to speak.Because of these problems she is placed in a mental health facility and slowly makes friends with the other troubled teens inside.Cut shows just how much can go wrong when we don't voice our problems,and believe the lies inside our minds,which can lead to darkness,devastation,self-destruction.I would also like to say this:Has anyone ever wondered why so many kids are developing mental health problems,like Callie??Could it be that we live in a cynical world that offers little hope or faith?Adults should realize how important it is to share positive attitudes.

This book is about a troubled teenager who cuts herself. The troubled teenagers names is Callie and her parents found out she cuts her self and brought her to Sea Pines a mental institut hopping she gets better. Callie then blames eveything on her about her brother gettin sick and her mom being depressed. There are other girls in Callie's group but are there for other things like anaraxcite,and temper,and food depresent,So callie feels alone in all this and never talks to any one about it so it builds up inside and then she cuts. But Callie is not the only one that knows about her cuttin mrs.Ruby would stay up with Callie some nights to make her feel comforted and loved. Callie would find an object no one would think of her using and one night she cuts her self with a pie plate and relizes that it actually hurts and she wants to get better. Callie then opens up after she meets the new girl amanda she cuts too, Callie finally talkls in therapy and everybody notices the new callie. Callie gets away and decides to go back home or to sea pines?

I recently bought this book, probably due to my own problem with self mutilation. I have to say that even though I did like this book,the end didn't leave me with any real answers because to me it just didn't seem realistic. Anyone who shares this problem, and who reads this book may realize that you just cant stop cutting as easily as the author made it for Callie. Although, maybe it was just me and I was looking for answers in the wrong book. Anyhow,this was a fairly good book,especially for someone who would like to read about a girl who is also into cutting. I would reccommend this book to my fellow self mutilators, but not if you are looking for answers.Personally,although I identified with Callie in so many ways,I still felt empty at the end.

Ms. Greco loves hamburgers?

This is a book about a fifteen-year old girl named Callie who cuts herself. She is sent to a treatment facility by her mother and father. As she struggles with her family and her counselor, she still found little things to cut herself with and doesn't talk to anyone. After a while, she begins to talk to her counselor and figures out why she cuts herself. She also begins to talk to people more often and at the end of the book, she is still at the facility, but she is getting better with everyday. This was also a powerful book and I would recommend it to anyone who might understand.

Sierra E.