Girl in Pieces Paperback – April 10, 2018

I was beyond excited to read this book for the Sunday Street Team. I think more people should tell darker stories, because they exist in our world. This was an amazing book. The writing was heartbreakingly beautiful. I received a copy from Netgalley to review, and ended up giving this book 5 out of 5 stars.As soon as I picked up this book, I pretty much didn’t want to put it down…except to take some breaks when my heart felt like it had cracked open in my chest. The book wasn’t all darkness, but it definitely wasn’t a happy book. Which is fine with me, because life isn’t sunshine and daisies 24/7. Charlie’s story, and even a lot of the secondary characters stories, will resonate with a lot of people.I absolutely loved Charlie’s character. She seemed so real. My heart ached for her, and the people surrounding her, that have to deal with inner and outer demons. I really liked a lot of the female characters in this book, but barely any of the male characters–except a couple. A lot of the guys were jackasses. Charlie goes through so much in this book, and by the end, I’m glad she has people she can turn to, people she can rely on.Honestly, I think everyone should read this book. It reminds you that sometimes bad things–overwhelming things–happen. But with some supportive friends, you can embrace life to its fullest. One of my favorite things about this book is that you can feel the raw pain and emotion. Kathleen wasn’t scared to show the downs of life, to show how the tornado building inside you can lash out at any moment.I made notes of some gorgeous lines while reading: “We all have our Kiefer stages, when we want to destroy ourselves in order to create. To see if that’s beautiful, too.” and “I say the wrong thing, if I can bring myself to say anything at all. I’ve always felt like an intrusion, a giant blob of wrong.” and “I’m so unwhole. I don’t know where all the pieces of me are, how to fit them together, how to make them stick. Or if I even can.”Final note: An amazing book. It’s definitely dark, but it has an optimistic ending. I’m so glad I read this book. As soon as I finished reading, I bought myself a copy for my personal collection. I’d highly recommend this one.

Gut wrenching. If you are currently struggling with substance issues or self injury/suicide don’t read this book right now. If you are managing theese issues than read this book asap because it is perfect. It’s the worst most amazing book I’ve laid my eyes on.

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.