Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow

"Im 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."

Girl in Pieces is Kathleen Glasgow’s first contemporary young adult novel, about 17-year-old Charlotte Davis who’s lost so much in her age. She’s been in pieces, trying to pick them up and feels like she can still lose so much more.

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The book is written in a poetic and metaphorical way in Charlie’s POV. It’s a very raw and straightforward writing about mental health, self-harm and drug addiction, the risk it brings to people, and how it affects people under certain circumstances. This is up to the point of showing readers that not only people who are privileged go through it, but anybody. This was in no way written to romanticize mental health, self-harm and drug addiction, but rather a perspective of how ugly it is to go through both in extreme. The book can be confusing at first, since there’s a mix of flashbacks and current flow of the story, yet it gets easier each turn.

Charlie’s character is also unpredictable, where readers might feel a bit careful with her just as she is trying to be careful herself. The character buildups also go hand in hand as the story progresses, without giving too much away per page.

"And you know what makes me super mad? If a guy has scars, it's like some heroic shit show or something. But women? We're just creepy freaks."

Other parts might come off quite a bit unrealistic/cliché to some, however the closure that Glasgow wrote for her characters was just appropriate and gave justice given the circumstance they are under. It is not the happy ending anyone would expect, yet it opened a new beginning to the characters, especially to Charlie. Some parts might raise a few eyebrows but they actually served its purpose in the long run that will make readers understand why its there.

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Some readers wanted more backstory but my personal take on this is that it was enough, since it might seem like there’s so much going on if too much backstory is written. Given the premise of the story, emotions can be heavier or more triggering to some, especially those who are still going through something so there’s a more tendency to relate with Charlie’s character. I suggest taking the time to read the book since the start of the story can be triggering. 

However, despite it being heavy and triggering, it’s something you can’t just put down. Its truly a page turning book that would stay with you for a long time. Kathleen showed the ugly truth of mental health and drug addiction. She showed how one can keep people at arm’s length but still long to be validated. And when someone is available to make them feel validated, they hang onto that person and end up asking validation from the wrong person. Yet, she shows readers how there is still hope left for everyone who are going through something, and that the right people always come along.

I love how this book can be unpredictable and heavy, yet there is hope being emphasized as the story progresses and how healing takes time.

Kathleen Glasgow did a great job on writing this book, letting people know that they’re not alone and are still worth loving. So, if you love contemporary young adult books like All the Bright Places or 13 Reasons Why, this is for you. But I would also recommend this to people who also want to understand more about mental health. This is definitely a 5-star rating for me.

"I don't feel sad. For just now, I don't feel scared. I feel, for right now, well, kind of triumphant."

Writer, 

Thin Girl