Girl in Pieces

Truly an amazing book. I definitely cried more than once reading it, as its style of storytelling and the plot itself are truly beautiful. Charlie is an amazing main character and how her story progresses is beautiful, You learn to grow with the characters and become attached to them; it is really a sad but amazing and beautifully written book, one of my favorites from Kathleen.

Girl in Pieces is about seventeen year old Charlotte Davis’s life. Kathleen Glasgow begins with Charlotte waking up in a psyche ward for recovering cutters. What brought her to this point is part of the journey. Her time in Creeley is short but the friendships she established are long lasting.…Girl in Pieces focuses on Charlottes interactions with various individuals. Each person she encounters is vital to her journey. Most importantly is Charlotte’s reflection upon herself. With no adult guidance Charlotte is thrust upon the world to figure it out with limited resources. Having been starved of affection and attention Charlotte worries if anybody will love her with her flaws.…Charlotte has many obstacles to overcome. She struggles to function in life feeling disassociated from others. She’s a quiet kid who doesn’t like to communicate. She communicates through her drawings expressing herself in art.…A girl is born then torn to pieces. She learns to heal from the inside out hoping to have a life. Charlotte is the girl with scars wearing the past on her skin. She feels unwhole. She sets out to find her pieces not knowing how they fit back together or how to make them stick. She knows that her pieces will forever be altered by her depressive state of action to cut for release. Much like an addict her coping mechanism is a battle she will have to battle with everyday as life becomes harder testing her emotional strength.…When an author puts heart and soul into her writing it shows. When an author writes what she knows it shows. When Kathleen Glasgow set out to write about her personal experience with a seventeen year old teenager who chose to cut as way to cope through the emotional turmoil of her young adult life it shows. When Kathleen Glasgow set out to write this personal journey taking nine years to sort through her feelings and emotions she was afraid at first to set this story free, but overtime the fear was replaced by this sense of determination to inform others of what it’s like for some individuals struggling with depression. Kathleen touched my heart and opened my mind with this tender topic. Awareness is survival. This book is a testament that individuals can learn to cope even using five or ten minute intervals of time to get there.

Love this book amazing text and love the story behind the book.

We first meet Charlotte “Charlie” Davis as an uncommunicative and angry seventeen-year-old during a stay at a mental health facility after she has a self-destructive breakdown. When her medical insurance runs out, Charlie is discharged into the care of her estranged mother. When that arrangement immediately falls through, Charlie is put on a bus from Minnesota to Arizona where a friend is waiting for her. From there, Charlie struggles to put her life back together.I finished this book yesterday and I’m still trying to decide how I feel about it. There’s absolutely no denying that this is a gritty, dismal and depressing book. Yet, that does not make this a bad book by any means.The rational, analytical side of me wanted to pick apart some of the events that occur in this book. Yes, patients are cut loose from medical facilities all the time because of an inability to pay. But would any reputable facility not try to provide some sort of follow-up care for a minor child? That, to me, was a definite recipe for disaster right there. Knowing how disastrous mental health care is in this country, I was quickly willing to let this go, however.Moving on to the characters – I flip-flopped when it came to Charlie. I connected with her and felt for her, but then I didn’t. Clearly, we’re dealing with a teenager who has not been guided in any way or given any sort of coping skills. Hence, the immediate need to get into a relationship. Most addicts understand that embarking on a relationship early on in recovery is almost certain doom. Yet, Charlie does this repeatedly. It was difficult for me to feel any empathy for her. She was a mess of a girl, who allowed practically everyone to walk all over her. And, her constant jealousy became tedious after a while. But as a former seventeen-year-old girl myself, I was willing to look past this. After all, her lack of coping and people skills were what caused her to self-harm in the first place.I intensely disliked Riley’s character. A grown man in his late twenties, who was clearly a broken person, hell bent on breaking everyone around him – and this included a seventeen-year-old girl – isn’t exactly likable. To me he was despicable. I didn’t give a darn about what happened to him. There were a few likable supporting characters scattered throughout.At times, I felt the dialogue could have been stronger and more powerful, but it just wasn’t there for me. The writing is good, not fantastic, but darn good. So definite points for that.As mentioned in the book’s description and in other reviews, this book reminded me a lot of Girl Interrupted – which I thoroughly enjoyed. Strangely enough, it also reminded me of White Oleander. I felt both of these books were stronger and more compelling than Girl in Pieces.I would like to say that the subject matter in this book can most certainly be triggers for anyone who suffers from addiction, self-mutilation and depression – so know this going in and be prepared. It’s not an uplifting, happy book. The ending was tidy and I found it unexpectedly hopeful. It took guts for the author to write about a subject that was so close to her. Kudos to her for that. Thanks to Blogging for Books and the publisher for a complimentary copy of this book.

Deep, Profound, and Identifiable GriefThis book delves into the complexities of depression, self-harm, heartbreak, and the multifaceted nature of grief. Individuals who have grappled with profound sadness, overwhelmed by sorrows and the harshness of the world will find solace and resonance in the pain and devastation depicted on these pages. The author’s portrayal of the struggles of those suffering from addiction is both unflinching and humanly sensitive. The story’s exquisite writing is a testament to the author’s skill and empathy. Whether you resonate solely with the sadness or experience a deeper emotional connection, it is comforting to know that your feelings are not alone.