Interesting book. Very fast read. Of course it is written for a younger audience but I think young and not as young can both enjoy and learn from this book.

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A slim little volume told from the POV of Callie, a teenage girl who's been sent to Sea Pines, a mental health treatment facility because she cuts herself. At first, Callie doesn't speak at all, to anyone, and the narrative describes flashbacks from her life outside and descriptions of the facility and other guests there. It then moves into the part where she begins to ask for help and works things through with her psychiatrist and the staff. Having worked in an inpatient mental health unit, I have to say her observations are so spot-on that it's easy to see that the author spent three years researching the book. Of course, I've never seen the inside of such a facility as a patient, so it would be interesting to know how it passes muster from THAT perspective. Still, this is an excellent book, although to say I 'enjoyed' it would be not exactly accurate--it's not a book meant for enjoying, really.

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Quick but good read about a teenager who cuts herself. We follow Callie's struggles as she reluctantly enters treatment and comes to terms with her illness.

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At Sick Minds a.k.a. Sea Pines, Callie lives with a bunch of other girls like herself with problems they need to overcome. Some girls are anorexic; others are cutters. Callie is a cutter. What's more, she refuses to speak: during her individual therapy sessions, around the other girls, whenever. Something is obviously eating away at Callie inside. But maybe, with the help of her odd mates, most of who have problems of their own too, maybe Callie will finally break out of her silence and get better.

CUT is perhaps one of the best young adult debut novels of the past five years. Patricia McCormick certainly has done her research well, and is able to, through her characters, empathize with teenagers.

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Callie cuts herself. Never too deep, never enough to die. But enough to feel the pain. Enought to feel the scream inside.
Now she's at Sea Pines, a 'residential treatment facility' filled with girls struggling with problems of their own. Callie doesn't want to have anything to do with them. She doesn't want to have anything to do with anyone. She won't even speak.
But Callie can only stay silent for so long...

A vivid and inspiring first novel...part psychological mystery story (what's eating Callie) and part adolescent drama (will her friends help her get better).

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I was expecting this book to be a difficult / disturbing one to read, but I actually enjoyed reading it after a while. I appreciate how the author kept the book short, since it is on a difficult topic. Another good book about cutting is "Willow" by Julia Hoban.

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Decided that since this book was so short, that I'd just sit down and read it through. I did, in a couple of hours. Definitely kept my interest. It was irritating at first, but as the book went on things became more clear. My biggest beef with this book is that it was so short and wasn't as in depth as it could have been on some parts. I suppose it leaves the mind to debate some things though.

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i really enjoyed this book

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Horrible. Just horrible. Wouldn't recommend it to anyone. Ever.

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Reviewed by Cana Rensberger for TeensReadToo.com

CUT is an amazing first novel by Patricia McCormick that offers a glimpse inside the mind of a 15-year-old girl who cuts herself. For Callie, life just became too complicated. The solution lay right in front of her. One tiny cut. A bubble of red. And yes, pain. Then, escape.

Callie now resides at Sea Pines with several other girls seeking treatment for a myriad of other disorders. She goes to group share time, hooks her sleeves over her thumbs, and hides behind her hair. She sees her counselor twice a day and counts the stripes on the wallpaper. But Callie doesn't share. With anyone. Not even when her mother and little brother visit.

Callie can't bring herself to speak. Instead she watches, and listens. She knows everything about her group mates. But they know nothing about this girl who won't talk. Then, when Amanda joins the group and brazenly flaunts her own scars, it becomes more difficult for Callie to remain silent. And as she begins to speak, she slowly finds she doesn't want to keep it all inside. She wants to get better.

Callie is a bright girl that the reader will easily identify with. You'll care for her the same way she cares about the others at Sea Pines. And you'll be amazed when you find out what started it all; that it's an entire family in pain, not just Callie. She'll make you cry, and make you laugh some, and in the end you'll feel so proud of her progress.

Cutting is a very real issue for teens. Many, like Callie, don't even know themselves why they do it. CUT is an honest look at how cutting can consume a young person. If you know someone who cuts, share this book with them. Let them know they can find help. They can stop. This is a gusty novel that you won't want to put down until you're sure Callie is safe.

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