Book's I've Loved: Girl in Pieces

This is kind of a harrowing book, but probably the most honest and real portrayal of self-harming I've ever read.

Charlotte is one hugely damaged human being.  Life has hurled a lot at her, and she's survived it, but not without marks.  And when the world hurts so much, sometimes the only way to control it is by controlling pain.

But this book only hints at the pain and desperation Charlie has lived through because the story takes place after she's been hospitalized and given therapy.  It deals with her life after being released from the institution and her struggle to live without the self-destructive tools she's relied on for so long.

And it's a struggle.  As situations grow challenging, Charlie has to fight herself not to fall back into those self-destructive habits.  But the joy of this book is watching Charlie's strength grow as she faces each new situation without cutting herself and begins to open up to others and allow them to help.  And then for her to find the strength to help others who are struggling with their own issues.

It's not an easy read.  These are genuinely damaged people and their choices and decisions are often so far off base you want to drag them off the page and back on track.  But having lived through years of a friend's self-harming, I believe this is an honest, realistic and essential story for anyone who can't imagine intentionally hurting themselves.  And probably for those who can too.

But don't just rely on me. Here's the blurb:

Charlotte Davis is in pieces. At seventeen she’s already lost more than most people lose in a lifetime. But she’s learned how to forget. The broken glass washes away the sorrow until there is nothing but calm. You don’t have to think about your father and the river. Your best friend, who is gone forever. Or your mother, who has nothing left to give you.

Every new scar hardens Charlie’s heart just a little more, yet it still hurts so much. It hurts enough to not care anymore, which is sometimes what has to happen before you can find your way back from the edge.