This novel is a compelling story of a fictional teens' experience in a residential treatment center and the therapeutic process that helps her unravel the reasons she is cutting. The author does a great job of portraying Callie as a likable character, one the reader comes to care about and hopes will stop cutting.
Cutting According to Callie
Callie, age 15, describes her stay at Sea Pines where she is sent when the school nurse observes numerous scars on her arms. During her first days in the treatment program Callie is so ashamed of her cutting she refuses to speak to anyone. Her story is told through her thoughts and reactions to the experience. The initial references to “you” are confusing but it soon becomes clear Callie is referring to the therapist she will eventually trust enough to talk to.
As this intriguing story unfolds, the reader learns how Callie’s cutting started when she felt responsible for her younger brothers’ illness and was overwhelmed by how this changed her family.
Through her participation in group and individual therapy, she begins to identify the painful feelings she’s been trying to avoid and sees how her behavior is similar to other girls in the program with eating disorders and drug addictions, all are trying to achieve a sense of control in their lives. And she learns from the other “guests” in the program, including a girl who talks openly about her cutting and eagerly shows her scars to others.
Through Callie’s eyes we experience her compulsion to cut and her sense of not feeling real when she does so, as well as many other details- such as a peer who uses hair spray to puff up the scars. While in treatment Callie continues to search for sharp objects she can use to cut herself until one day when she cuts her skin and feels considerably more fear than relief.
This provides a critical turning point in which she begins to take responsibility for her behavior and wants to stop, although she fears she may not be able to do so. While Callie’s story doesn’t describe every teen’s experience or their reasons for cutting, this book provides a unique first person perspective that deftly describes cutting and the road to recovery.
Why I Recommended This Book for Parents and Teens
I highly recommend this book to both parents and teens who are trying to better understand cutting in order to help someone they care about.
This story helps parents see why teens sometimes turn to self-harm and offers hope that therapy can change this behavior. Teens who are cutting, or have a friend who's doing so, will relate to Callie's story and gain first-hand knowledge of how treatment programs such as Sea Pines can provide insight and healing.