Review for Girl In Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow

Trigger Warning: Homelessness, Self-Harm, Abusive Childhood, Substance and Alcohol Abuse, Abusive Relationship, Sexual Assault, Human Trafficking, Abusive Parents, Suicidal Thoughts and Actions, Abusive Friendships

This book SHOULD NOT be read by anyone under the age of fourteen. I recommend asking a trusted adult even if you are that age.

As you may be able to tell, this book sent me through the wringer. I sobbed. Several times. I forced myself to put it down more than once; I took a walk with my mom, and--being the amazing woman she is--she let me emotionally vomit all over her for probably an hour.

This book is about a girl who has been through nearly everything- an abusive childhood, friends attempting suicide, cutting, and so, so much more. This girl is the example of someone who has stood up before God (and I am not a religious person) and said, "I CAN get through this no matter how much you think I shouldn't."

Every person, ever, should read this book. Unless of course, it is triggering. My mom asked me, "What is the takeaway from this? Why would you recommend a book that emotionally drained you for hours?" and it took me a while to find an answer. Why would someone want to read a book that doesn't uplift you? Yes, the ending has incredible hope, but it's not the happy, perfect ending books should have. To her, I replied that you may never, ever understand what someone has been through. There are not words that express how terrible Charlie's journey has been, and you simply won't understand unless you've been through it. The power of language is the ability to communicate - this may mean unloading on your best friend after a terrible day, or it may attempt to express a lifetime of abuse, neglect, and absolute pain, which is the case with this book. Girl In Pieces somehow manages to, and beautifully, but even so, I will never understand. I have empathized with her but I'm not going to pretend to fully comprehend.

That being said, besides the content and plot, this book was beautifully edited and written. Although this is definitely a narrative/prose writing, the chapter length, repetition, and even which words are italicized leave the reader with the impression that they are reading poetry. Even the way the sentences fit together added to the incredible impact this book had on me.

Overall, I would rate this as the most impactful book I have ever read. There is one other that had a similar impact, Heroine by Mindy McGinnis, but Girl In Pieces retains this slot. It's hard to give such a heart-rending book a 10/10, but if one single book deserves it, this one does.