Cut by Patricia McCormick

ISBN: 978-1-886-91061-4
Front Street, Asheville, NC 2000
168 pages

Plot Summary

15-year-old Callie is in a residential treatment facility after her school nurse discovered that she "cuts" herself. She is in a group of girls with eating or substance abuse disorders. At first the other girls don't even know why Callie is there as she doesn't talk. She doesn't talk in group therapy, or to her psychiatrist or to the other girls in the program at Sea Pines (or as they call it "Sick Minds").

As she watches everything going on around her though, she discovers that she likes the other girls. At first she opens up to the late night attendant, Ruby, then she gradually starts talking to her therapist and to the other girls. She had blamed herself for her brother's illness but Callie comes to the realization that it was her father who was supposed to be taking care of him.

Critical Evaluation

This is a book that should be read by teens and by those who work with teens. It has similarities to Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak; both are troubled teen girls who won't speak, but Callie in Cut is at least in a treatment facility where she can be helped and her parents and doctors know that she is cutting herself. The character of 15-year-old Callie is finely drawn - we can hear her observations even when she can't verbalize them - and she finally allows the adults around her to help.

Reader's Annotation

15-year-old Callie finds herself in a residential treatment facility because she cuts herself. How can she get better if she won't talk to the other girls there or even her therapist?

Author Info

Patricia McCormick graduated with her MFA from The New School in 1999 and published her first book Cut the next year. She has since written other award-winning books including My Brother's Keeper and Sold (also included in this blog). Her new book, released this year is Purple Heart. She is also a free-lance journalist and says that she grew up in ordinary suburbia, similar to the type of place where Callie's home is located.

Genre

realistic YA about troubled teens

Curriculum Ties

Life Skills classes could use this book to open up a dialogue about "cutting." An estimated 2 million teenage girls cut themselves according to info included with the book.

Booktalking Ideas

1. Callie finally talks in her group session. Debbie blames herself for Becca's continuing eating disorder but Callie says that it's not Debbie's fault. Whose fault does she think it is?

2. Callie runs away from Sea Pines - she realizes that she needs to see her father. What did she need to talk to her father about and why did it help in her healing?

Reading/ Interest Level

Middle school to high school for both - ages 12 +

Challenge Issues and Defense

I don't really see any challenge issues other than the subject matter is a serious one.

Why I Included This Book

Sold was a very well-written book, so I decided to read another of the authors books. Cut was written in a more straight-forward style but it was also well-written. VOYA called it "extraordinary," and it was an ALA Top 10 Quick Pick and a NYPL Best Book for the Teenage.