In the end, I still really liked this book. I can see how someone who suffered from cutting might be disappointed by Callie's story, in which the cutting and depression all boil down to a specific incident -- this is very different from someone who experiences mental illness from childhood on, so I could see a lot of people feeling isolated from the protagonist. But as a narrative, it is very strong, and Callie and her cohort are sympathetic. I believe that McCormick did do a lot of research and probably soul-searching to write it. And I love love love books that accurately portray psychotherapy.

[Earlier:] Ah!! This reads so much like John Marsden! Or good Laurie Anderson! All y/a should aspire to this, I feel. This is the third y/a I've read in the last year that features a mute-by-choice protagonist. I thought I would be displeased with the use of second person to address the therapist, but somehow, maybe because the rest of the book is in first person, it just seems more intimate, and the therapist more highlighted as an important character. I think it was actually a smart choice, probably one that McCormick debated for a long time. I'm really impressed, and totally sucked in.

This book really pulls at your emotions and tells of some of teen struggles

It was good. First book I read on my Nook. Touching. Although I love it, she-the author/narrarator(spelling fail)-didn't put much on Callie's past and she-Callie- sure made it seem like she had a bad past. Still, well written. Is there a sequel?

I first read this as a teen struggling with self harm. Reading about Callie made me feel understood and valid for the first time. This book helped me go years without cutting. I read it every year without fail, sometimes multiple times a year.

To say this book is only a short one, and very simply written, it was a really gripping book. I feel like the author really did capture the essences of self harm quite well, and it was a real insight into another way of life.
The last sentence let me down so so much however. It wasn't grammatically correct and for a last line of a book, it was so disappointing.
Other than that, I would recommend this book to anyone who's ever read Prozac Nation, as the two have a very similar feel.

i read this book because i was a teenage cutter and like a lot of teenage cutters i had to read it in secret because my behaviors were all wrapped in secrecy. i really got nothing out of this then and revisiting this i felt i had to revise my rating. i grew out of teenage cutting and into adult cutting which when youre old enough to realize that you can do whatever you want and scare everyone and scare yourself and you no longer have to hide you realize that all of these YA novels you read as a kid trying to understand yourself made even less sense.

im actually totally fine now, thankfully and i look back on books like this as part of a lifelong journey to stability. however, i dont think this book says anything of value beyond bringing up the fact that callie is a girl who cuts. why does she cut? i dont know. why does she stop? i dont know. it doesnt really seem to matter. like all addictions, cutting becomes this all encompassing thing that swallows you whole. you cant escape. its this bottomless hole that you cant dig yourself out of. cut just seems to be girl interrupted for 13 year olds. it doesnt even bother touching on why someone might pick up this book to begin with. so while this book was an important first step towards understanding why i was this way, and i appreciated it at the time for feeling less alone, i think if you are a young person struggling with this issue today, youre better off maybe looking for some psychology books. or better yet...maybe youre better off going to a support group because thats what ultimately really helped me (but ymmv ofc).

Good for teenage girls. Makes them think and know that there is help.

it was ok, wasnt the best book in the world but it did give insight into the depressed mind. weak ending