TAYSHAS #11

Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow

The TAYSHAS list was released on December 1, and it turns out that ten of the books I read this past summer made the list. This one I had on hold on Overdrive for a week or so, but when I saw it at Target, I decided I was tired of waiting my turn, and just bought it.

I really wanted to read this because the description said it was for fans of Girl, Interrupted and The Bell Jar, two books I enjoyed immensely. This did not disappoint.

Charlotte "Charlie" Davis is a cutter. At the beginning of the book, she is in a mental facility. She tried to kill herself while living in a sex house, and a couple of her friends found her. This is a girl who lived on the streets after her mother kicked her out, and had a rough life. The mental facility saved her. She was there for a few weeks, but then the money ran out, so she was released to her mother's custody.

Unfortunately, Charlie's mother didn't want her to come home, so she gave her some money, and Charlie moves to Arizona to be with one of her friends, a guy named Mikey. Charlie has feelings for Mikey, which he does not return.

Charlie finds a job washing dishes at a coffee shop, as well as a room to let. She is managing to keep from cutting. She meets a man who is all wrong for her, who mostly uses her to buy him drugs. He is the beginning of her undoing.

I am fascinated by "broken" people, so this book was right up my alley. I found myself just wanting to grab Charlie and hug her. I wanted to help her to be better. This one was so worth my time.