Girl in Pieces

June 6, 2016
Nearly broken by a suicide attempt and a spate of personal losses, 17-year-old Charlotte “Charlie” Davis finds solace in the broken shards of a mason jar and, later, through art, in debut author Glasgow’s visceral novel of self-harm. On the streets of the Twin Cities after her father died and her mother simply stopped caring, Charlie “cut all her words out heart was too full of them.” Bandaged and silent, she ends up in a psych unit for self-harmers. Although Charlie sees herself in the other girls, it’s her friend Ellis she craves the most. But the Ellis she knew is gone, stuck in the limbo of cutting deep enough to cause significant blood loss but not enough to die. When Charlie is discharged abruptly, she leaves for Tucson, following Mikey, a boy she liked but who always loved Ellis more. Glasgow skillfully juggles multiple difficult topics (homelessness, self-harm, etc.) without dipping into melodrama. Charlie’s intimate first-person narration places readers deep within her experience while maintaining awareness of the outside world and the people in it. Ages 14–up. Agent: Julie Stevenson, Waxman Leavell Literary.

Narrator Julia Whelan's initial portrayal of Charlie reveals her unwillingness to speak--as well as her pain, fear, and fury. Charlie has responded to years of abuse, grief, and homelessness by cutting herself and attempting to take her own life. Gradually, Whelan recounts the changes Charlie experiences in a treatment center as she reaches out and hopes for healing. On release, Whelan contrasts the safety Charlie has come to know with her mother's coldness and desertion, but Charlie's grit is impressive as she makes faltering steps to support herself financially, artistically, and emotionally. Whelan's portrayals of minor characters aid the realism of the optimistic ending. The author's afterword tells of her personal trials and offers resources. S.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award � AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine