Review: Girl in Pieces, by Kathleen Glasgow

Hm, this is a tricky book to rate. I feel like I should give it a high rating because it’s a well-researched look at a serious matter—self harm. But I can’t bring myself to give it any more than two stars simply because I didn’t enjoy Girl in Pieces.

You’re probably thinking, “How could anyone enjoy a book about self harm?” But with these kinds of gritty, realistic novels, I can usually appreciate how the author chose to tackle such a delicate subject, or at least take away new knowledge from being able to step into the shoes of a character who’s gone through so much more than I ever have.

Why didn’t I like this book? Let’s start with the narrator, Charlotte. Charlotte cuts to rid herself of the pain her life has caused her—her father abandoned her, her mother abused her, and she lived in a sex house.

When Charlotte poured out her tragic backstory, I felt like I should have been sobbing at the sheer misery of it. But I honestly couldn’t have cared less because her voice was so flat. As I was reading, she carried no emotion whatsoever and it sounded like all of those horrible and heartbreaking things happened to a robot. I don’t know if I’ve ever been as unattached to a narrator as I was with Charlotte.

Another big problem I had with Girl in Pieces was the seriously unhealthy relationship that was a main focus in the plot. Charlotte got involved with her co-worker, Riley, who was said to flirt with “every female person.” Now, I didn’t care how much of a womanizer Riley was, but he was ten years older than Charlotte and she was underage. Charlotte was so broken that I don’t think she should have been involved in any romantic relationship, much less with a fully grown man while she was still a child.

Also, the poetic writing style made me a little uncomfortable since it was describing such a gruesome topic. I’m not saying the author did anything wrong, but when the main character was describing why she cut herself and comparing the world to an “ocean” and water “drowning” her heart, it was a little disbelieving.

“I cut because I can’t deal. It’s as simple as that. The world becomes an ocean, the ocean washes over me, the sound of water is deafening, the water drowns my heart, my panic becomes as large as planets.”

You should probably take my opinion with a grain of salt, however, since this book has been out for less than a month and already the high ratings and rave reviews are pouring in. It seems I am in the minority here.