Review: Cut

    

Author: Patricia McCormick

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
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Synopsis: Fifteen-year-old Callie isn't speaking to anybody, not even her therapist at Sea Pines, the "residential treatment facility" where her parents and doctor sent her after discovering that she cuts herself. As her story unfolds, Callie reluctantly becomes involved with the "guests" at Sea Pines-other young women struggling with problems of their own. Although their "issues" are different from hers, Callie is drawn into the group, finds her voice, and, gradually, confronts the family trauma that triggers her destructive behavior. 

"Cut" is a compelling and compassionate look at a young woman's struggle to overcome the impulses that led her to inflict harm on herself.

Review:

McCormick gives us a glimpse of what is going on inside Callie's mind; a girl who cuts herself, not to commit suicide but to cope up with stress and the pressure around her.

It is insightful despite of it being short. I love how the author didn't need to make up some big story behind what Callie does. And based on my own experiences, this book speaks the truth. Even small things can cause this.

Review: Hold Still

    

Author: Nina LaCour

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
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Synopsis: In the wake of her best friend Ingrid's suicide, Caitlin is left alone, struggling to find hope and answers. When she finds the journal Ingrid left behind for her, she begins a journey of understanding and broadening her horizons that leads her to new friendships and first love. Nina LaCour brings the changing seasons of Caitlin's first year without Ingrid to life with emotion, honesty, and captivating writing.

Review:

"I am not a darling. I am a girl ready to explode into nothing."

Among all books I've read that involved suicide, I consider this book as the best. Unlike others that seem to talk about why the person committed suicide and sometimes ends up playing a bit of guilt-trip among those who were left. This talks about Caitlin and what she went through on her way to acceptance about her best friend, Ingrid's death.

Caitlin is a very realistic character with real emotions. When her best friend died, of course she felt like her world shaken. What made things worse was seeing how others seem to fake their sympathy or how their favourite teacher, whom she expected to talk to about Ingrid seem to ignore and move on with the death of her friend.

"I should have put on some music on the stereo and sat back against the wall on the side of her room, and hoped that even if I couldn't get into the dark places in her head, I would at least be there waiting on the outside."

With nothing but Ingrid's journal, she slowly understood what her friend has been battling all along, and with the help of her new friends, she soon slowly accepted that it's not only her that's hurting and acted selflessly by sharing Ingrid to those who also love her.

A very moving book that will absolutely capture your hearts. LaCour did a great job in connecting with the reader's emotions with the use of powerful words.

Review: Suicide Notes

    

Author: Michael Thomas Ford

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
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Synopsis: I'm not crazy. I don't see what the big deal is about what happened. But apparently someone does think it's a big deal because here I am. I bet it was my mother. She always overreacts.

Fifteen-year-old Jeff wakes up on New Year's Day to find himself in the hospital. Make that the psychiatric ward. With the nutjobs. Clearly, this is all a huge mistake. Forget about the bandages on his wrists and the notes on his chart. Forget about his problems with his best friend, Allie, and her boyfriend, Burke. Jeff's perfectly fine, perfectly normal, not like the other kids in the hospital with him. Now they've got problems. But a funny thing happens as his forty-five-day sentence drags on—the crazies start to seem less crazy.

Compelling, witty, and refreshingly real, Suicide Notes is a darkly humorous novel from award-winning author Michael Thomas Ford that examines that fuzzy line between "normal" and the rest of us.

Review:

I admit, I read this book because of my obsession with suicide notes and I expected this book to be sad or depression but actually it's not.

Jeff, a 15-year-old kid was confined in a Psychiatric Ward because he tried to killed himself. The reason? He just felt like doing it.. until he finally realised why he slash his wrists on New Year's Eve.

I love the way Ford wrote Jeff in a very witty and sarcastic manner. You'll definitely find yourself laughing while reading lines by Jeff and his description on some things in the ward.

Somehow, it's also self awakening because there are things about ourselves that we do not know until one day it will hit us like a high speed bus on the highway. Jeff doesn't have any reason at first- or that was what he believed in until he tried to recall what happened that night and the reason why slashing his wrists seems to be a good idea at that time.

I wish he and Allie, his best friend talked though. I really want to know what happened to their friendship after he was released from the 45-day program.

It talks about self-discovery, self-awakening, acceptance.