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Cut

3.68 of 5 stars 3.68 · rating details · 22,853 ratings · 1,631 reviews

From National Book Award finalist Patricia McCormick, a new look for her debut novel, which THE BOSTON GLOBE called "Riveting and hopeful, sweet, heartbreaking."

A tingle arced across my scalp. The floor tipped up at me and my body spiraled away. Then I was on the ceiling looking down, waiting to see what would happen next.

Callie cuts herself. Never too deep, never enough

...more

Paperback, 176 pages

Published May 1st 2011 by Push (first published November 1st 2000)

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Nov 17, 2012 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews, trt-gold-star-award-winner

Reviewed by Cana Rensberger for TeensReadToo.com

CUT is an amazing first novel by Patricia McCormick that offers a glimpse inside the mind of a 15-year-old girl who cuts herself. For Callie, life just became too complicated. The solution lay right in front of her. One tiny cut. A bubble of red. And yes, pain. Then, escape.

Callie now resides at Sea Pines with several other girls seeking treatment for a myriad of other disorders. She goes to group share time, hooks her sleeves over her thumbs, and...more

22 likes · like · see review

Jan 17, 2009 jenny. rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: perhaps to people who only want a weak and vague overview?

I actually read this book approximately two years ago, while I was undergoing the problem presented in this book. What I had hoped to find was perhaps a level of understanding, or just some -- any -- meaning. But in all honestly, I finished it about two hours later, consumed by irritation and aggravation at the injustice of this book on a scale of many different levels!

As I've stated, I am one of the people who has undergone the emotions and mentality in order to become so desensitised as to pe...more I actually read this book approximately two years ago, while I was undergoing the problem presented in this book. What I had hoped to find was perhaps a level of understanding, or just some -- any -- meaning. But in all honestly, I finished it about two hours later, consumed by irritation and aggravation at the injustice of this book on a scale of many different levels!

As I've stated, I am one of the people who has undergone the emotions and mentality in order to become so desensitised as to perform acts of self-mutilation. The main problem with this novel for myself was how I could not, no matter how hard I tried, connect with the main character. Honestly, she seemed ridiculous from the very beginning (I don't know why I didn't put the book down then, but I had hoped that maybe some sort of personality would shine through, just a little trace of it). She is stiff; a cardboard cut-out of a human being, with no real sense of personality of identity -- she is just the main character in which all these events revolve around, but it doesn't seem to actually affect her. (Do I make myself clear, or am I just rambling on?)

My main complaint is how short and vague this novel turned out to be. By the end of this short and flimsy book, one actually feels unsatisfied and disgusted (but maybe this is just me? I personally like depth into my stories...) And while, I suppose, this novel would be good for someone who wanted to get the gist of this (but why on earth would you only settle for the gist of it? Personally, I believe that this is quite a serious subject, and not one of those little silly teenage problems, so to speak. How can anyone take it so lightly in writing? It is unfair and unjust that such little effort and research has been put into this, and remarkable how it can turn into such a well-known novel!), it seems, to me, rather poorly researched and hardly believable.

McCormick could have done so much more to the story, such as a more in-depth character development, for one (and it seems to me that it should be something she should work on), and, if she were ever going to attempt another novel on issues similar to this on the future (see: drug/alcohol addiction, rape, etc.), perhaps she should do a bit more research instead of throwing together random facts and half-done characters into a weak plot and tossing it onto the shelves. (less)

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Sep 10, 2007 Robotribble rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Other People? Those Who Aren't Afraid Of Cuts And Blood. :/

I remember reading this book when I was eleven or so, and I found it really interesting. The way it's written [the main character speaks in a way that she addresses You yourself, as if you're her counselor] sort of just sucks you in, and you sort of find yourself in Callie's head, seeing things the way she sees them.
I read this book back when I was a normal little kid, too. The subject matter didn't really bother me then I guess, because it's really, really a fascinating book.

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Jun 10, 2008 m i C h e Lx3 rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

We all get depressed every now and then in our lives and to cure ourselves is a good laugh. But could you picture yourself becoming seriously depressed and your only relief is to self mutilate? Patricia McCormick, the author of "Cut", can. This book is written in the first-hand account of the author. Patricia describes growing up as an empty teen with many hardships and her only escape is to hold a blade against her skin and cut. To think that her troubles would stop there, she's sent to Sea Pi...more

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Nov 25, 2008 Sara added it · review of another edition

This book is obviously called "Cut."
if you like drama and detailed writing, this is the book for you! I do not recomend it to younger viewers. It is about a girl who cuts her wrists to replace her emotional pain with physical pain. She also never talks. After her mom found out she was cutting her wrists, she was sent to a place for people who are, Physicaly hurting themselves, Anorexic and other illnesses. After a month or two she finds ways to cut herself while she is there... And she begins t...more

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Jun 05, 2007 Jack Spicer rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: People who are in the struggle

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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May 18, 2010 Piper rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 3rd-term-read

Cut
By: Patricia McCormick
Published in 2002
Publisher: Push
Classification: Young Adult fiction

This book Cut has a interesting story line. In the book you saw just how kids with "problems" are like.

Cut is about a 13 year old girl named Callie, who likes to cut herself. Never to deep, but just enough for her to feel the pain. Callie's parents sent her to a residential treatment facility to try to get her to stop cutting herself. The only problem is that Callie won't talk. Not until another girl che...more Cut
By: Patricia McCormick
Published in 2002
Publisher: Push
Classification: Young Adult fiction

This book Cut has a interesting story line. In the book you saw just how kids with "problems" are like.

Cut is about a 13 year old girl named Callie, who likes to cut herself. Never to deep, but just enough for her to feel the pain. Callie's parents sent her to a residential treatment facility to try to get her to stop cutting herself. The only problem is that Callie won't talk. Not until another girl checks in who also likes cutting herself, but this time in a different way.

The other girls at the treatment facility are, Amanda, Becca, Tara, Debbie, Sydney and Tiffany. Amanda the new girl cuts herself in a different way. Instead of just slitting her wrist like Callie does. Amanda gives her self tattoos, and after Callie has seen them she wanted to stop cutting herself. Becca, Tara, and Debbie all have eating problems. Becca is anorexic and bulimic. Even though she's at the treatment facility Becca refuses to get help. Like Becca, Tara is also anorexic and is bulimic, but unlike Becca, Tara wants to get help. In the book Tara helps Callie, and becomes good friends with her. Debbie on the other hand is the complete opposite of Becca and Tara. Debbie is a compulsive eater, and she is very over weight. In the book Debbie feels that she has to take care of Becca. Sydney, Callie's best friend there has a drug problem. She get addicted to any drug she has tried. Tiffany went to the treatment facility a.k.a Sick Minds, because she had a huge temper. Tiffany went to Sick Minds instead of going to jail. In my opinion, these characters were well written, and easy to follow. I also believe that Patricia McCormick wrote this book to help educate people about these kinds or characters, as well as just writing for the sake of writing. On the authors note it says that Patricia McCormick spent a few years gathering research for this book and for the characters. I actually quite liked this book because I thought the storyline was good, I also liked how the book was written so it felt like you were reading a letter to someone. Over all I enjoyed this book. (less)

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Feb 13, 2009 Chris White rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: teens and young adults

Recommended to Chris by: noone

Shelves: book-club

This book was amazing to me i liked it a bunch.I usually never finish a book unless it is very well written and has a good pase to the book.this book stars of with a girl running home from a run because she is a runner.she walks home and uses an easy cut to cut a ribbon then she puts the blade to her skin and that was the first time she cuts herself.but wht whole book is about the counsler trying to find out why callie cuts herself this is a great book and i suggest it to just about everyone.thi...more

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Oct 11, 2011 Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The 10thAnniversary edition of Cut includes a brand-new afterword from author Patricia McCormick, an author Q&A, and added resources.

I've reviewed Cut before but I reread it with a fresh mind after having read so many novels that deal with tough issues like mental health, suicide and depression. Cut, is particularly painful in both senses of the word. Something about cutting makes me feel weak and a little faint. I look at my wrists and the thin pale skin there and the blue veins there and k...more The 10thAnniversary edition of Cut includes a brand-new afterword from author Patricia McCormick, an author Q&A, and added resources.

I've reviewed Cut before but I reread it with a fresh mind after having read so many novels that deal with tough issues like mental health, suicide and depression. Cut, is particularly painful in both senses of the word. Something about cutting makes me feel weak and a little faint. I look at my wrists and the thin pale skin there and the blue veins there and know how easy it would be to hurt myself there. But that's not cutting. Cutting is something totally different. Cutting is self injury and is something the injurer is ashamed of and embarrassed about. They wear long sleeves to cover up what they've done, to hide their scars. So why do they do it? For each person it's different. But without help, it will get progressively more self destructive and could be life threatening. Cutting is a way to relieve the emotional pain the person feels inside, a way to release it when they have no other way to get relief.

In the book, Callie is a runner, but something has made Callie stop talking and start injuring herself. So her parents have sent her to Sea Pines for therapy and constant supervision. She has a little brother that almost died while she was watching him, he has severe asthma, but she performed CPR and saved his life. But her parents need to care for him and can't watch her, too. When she gets to Sea Pines, she's greeted by the residents who have renamed the place Sick Minds. Every girl there is there for a different problem and are in different stages of recovery. But Callie's state is particularly difficult because she gave up talking. She's stopped for so long, her vocal chords have seized up on her so that if she wanted to talk she doesn't think she can.

Most of the book is told from Callie speaking through her thoughts. She's hyper aware of everything. She sits in group therapy and talks, but only in her mind. She sits in therapy and talks, but again only in her mind. Then one day another cutter joins the group and unlike Callie, she wears sleeveless shirts and seems to wear her scars proudly, carving actual words into her arms. Callie is unnerved by her. It shakes her up when the girl seems to include her in a group of two. Callie isn't sure she wants to belong to a group with this girl. She's not sure she wants to belong to this group at all. She isn't sure she wants to stop. How will she deal if she does?

The catalyst for Callie trying to help herself, talking to her therapist finally is when her mother tells her over the phone that Sea Pines may send her home, that she has Oppositional Defiant Behavioral Disorder and that it's costing a fortune Blah Blah Blah. Or at least that's what Callie hears. She cuts herself that night and for the first time scares herself and tries to stop the bleeding. She goes to the nurses' station for help even though she'll get in trouble. And the next morning she shows up at her therapist's office before she even arrives for work. And she talks. She secures her spot at Sea Pines and slowly works through what made her start cutting. The reasons are surprising and the guilt and shame she carries is not only about the cutting but about something that occurred that she blames herself for when the fault lies with someone else. When she's taught to see it another way, she's able to begin to heal. But the temptation to cut throughout her stay at Sea Pines is ever present and she is very creative in finding things to use to cut herself with. We are left with a sense of hope at the end of the novel for Callie's recovery.

I can imagine the need Callie felt to cut herself, the desperation she felt to release her emotions. Hurting herself to do that seems so extreme yet I understand being so out of control and desperate for control. I've made no secret of my own mental health issues and those of my children and how fine a line we walk between balance and imbalance. Imbalance is unpredictable and can be the highest high or the lowest low.
Instant relief would be nice, but the relief would be too temporary for what we suffer from.

A great thing about this new version of Cut is that there are new resources and Q and A's with the author. After she wrote about Sea Pines, she visited a place like it and found that she had written it pretty true. It's interesting reading.

As a person living with mental health issues it's refreshing to see any book that doesn't vilify the victim. To see what the victim is suffering, how much she wants to get better, but can't help it, doesn't really know how. It's very much like many of us that live with mental health issues. To see myself not portrayed as a burden or crazy person is encouraging. Though my issues have nothing to do with self injuring, I'm thankful that Patty McCormick wrote this from the victim's point of view. It helps to make mental health not be such a social stigma. Callie is like any girl in high school. She could be your daughter, best friend, girlfriend or sister a neighbor or even a coworker. (less)

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Feb 01, 2008 stephanie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: self-injury, young-adult, 2008

i'm a sucker for the second person, so i think that i enjoyed the book more than i would have otherwise. i'm especially a sucker for second person when relating to a therapist, so this was kind of tailored for me.

that said, i think it could have been more. also, it didn't make a ton of sense - most people don't get shipped to resident facilities the first time they are really caught cutting. the reasoning behind her cutting was vague and, i thought, a little trite when she was so clearly capabl...more

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Nov 15, 2009 Emma rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ssr

Emma Andrews
period 12/13
"Cut"
by: Patricia McCormick
pgs: 160
completed: September 11, 2009
rating: 8
Book #2

Although she may be a very minor character in the book, the waitress from Dunkin' Donuts has a major importance. You're probably thinking "out of all the people that Callie has met, you choose the Dunkin' Donut waitress?" Of course, because this one stranger helps Callie realize that she needs to get better. Whereas people such as her doctors and therapists, have not once convinced Callie that...more

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Sep 25, 2012 Emily Kirmse rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book made me feel that I was actually there with the character. It was very descriptive. Callie, the main character, began to cut herself. She was put into the Sea Pines hospital with many other girls. At first she didn't speak to anyone at all. After a while of getting to know her surroundings and leaving the hospital just to come back, she began to speak to everyone again. She ended up helping herself and enjoying her time at Sea Pines. She made a lot of friends and even spoke out in her...more

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May 20, 2013 Aunesty Baiza added it · review of another edition

Cut

This book is about a 15 year old Callie, she doesn’t speak to anyone. Not even her therapist at sea pines the “residential treatment facility” where her parents and doctor sent her after discovering that she cuts herself. As her story unfolds, Callie reluctantly becomes involved with the “Guests” at sea pines- other young girls struggling with problems of their own although their “issues” different from hers, Callie is drawn into the group, she finds her voice, and, gradually confronts the fa...more

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Mar 05, 2009 Ailin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I just finished reading Cut by Patricia McCormick. Cut I s an inspiring novel about a young girl named Callie that cuts herself. From reading this book I learned that the people you see from their outsides, hurt inside a lot.

This book is about a young girl named Callie. She was sent to rehab because she cuts herself just to feel the pain. Just enough for her o feel the scream inside her. Her family visits her in rehab but she doesn’t say a lot to them. Callie goes through a lot with her insuranc...more I just finished reading Cut by Patricia McCormick. Cut I s an inspiring novel about a young girl named Callie that cuts herself. From reading this book I learned that the people you see from their outsides, hurt inside a lot.

This book is about a young girl named Callie. She was sent to rehab because she cuts herself just to feel the pain. Just enough for her o feel the scream inside her. Her family visits her in rehab but she doesn’t say a lot to them. Callie goes through a lot with her insurance problems because they don’t cover her problems cause there issues. She has problems with the rehab place because they try to kick her out cause of her insurances, but she thinks its something different, about her being to quiet and not responding to people. She just goes threw a lot and doesn’t know a way of working things out.

This book is very touching. The things I see Callie going through happen in an everyday life. We may think we know the things people are going through, but never really know what happens behind our backs. The way she describes when she cuts herself makes me feel like it’s happening to me. I just feel weird. It was very descriptive when she describes cutting herself. For example on page 3 she describes, “ What happened next was that a perfect, straight line of blood bloomed from under the edge of the blade. The line grew into a long, fat bubble, a lush crimson bubble that got bigger and bigger. I watched from above, waiting to see how big it would get before it burst. When it did, I felt awesome. Satisfied, finally. Then exhausted”. The book was really good and understanding. People struggle through a lot of things in life. To know girls like me go through tough problems.

I would recommend this to teenagers. For the ones that have or experienced problems like Callie. This book is good and even if you haven’t had these problems its still a good book to read. This book helps you realize everyone has different issue that they go through. People that have gone through this can understand. Not everyone lives a happy life.

In conclusion Cut was a good book I enjoyed reading it. i would like to read this again. Things just happen in life and we have to deal with it.

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Jan 14, 2009 Mike C rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: troubled people

Recommended to Mike by: saw it and read it

I had to read a book for class. I really did not know what I was getting myself into when I picked up this book. I thought that the cover looks simple and I just need to read a simple book right now and then because I had a lot of other work to do. Well reading this made me kind of sick. I read the back and knew that it was of a suicidal girl but to have it go this far and make every thing so vivid and gruesome ug. I had to put the book down. I knew what the book would be about and that it would...more I had to read a book for class. I really did not know what I was getting myself into when I picked up this book. I thought that the cover looks simple and I just need to read a simple book right now and then because I had a lot of other work to do. Well reading this made me kind of sick. I read the back and knew that it was of a suicidal girl but to have it go this far and make every thing so vivid and gruesome ug. I had to put the book down. I knew what the book would be about and that it would be simple but, after reading the summary on the back cover; I was kind of hoping to read a serious novel that truly confronted the issue of self-injury or something of the sort. Not that it relates to me or anything (not Sarcasm). Instead, I found the book to be lacking in depth and using self-injury as a gimmick to establish the lead character, Callie, in the setting of the book.

"Cut" is not a novel about the issue of cutting. It is a novel about a girl in an adolescent psychiatric ward. Fifteen-year-old Callie has a rare problem. She's not anorexic, she's not on drugs, and she's not bulimic. But she cuts herself. Soon she finds herself at a "residential treatment facility", Sea Pines (or "Sick Minds", as she calls it) and her hurt shows its face when she refuses to talk. Nothing seems to break the silence coming from Callie, and sometimes she just gets the urge to slice her skin, to see the blood...and it's like she's determined never to talk to her therapist. Callie's relationships with the other girls at the treatment facility add subtle insights about human nature and the universal need of friendship. I enjoyed how Callie's family life and her reasons for "cutting" were slowly explored and explained in this novel-in a very natural and empathetic way, without being contrite. But the best thing about this book was its hopeful ending that leaves us with the feeling that Callie has emerged from her treatment stronger, wiser, and able to overcome the temptation to cut herself.

It is such a simple book that with very little effort, this book could be rewritten as a story of a girl with an eating disorder or a substance abuse problem--the type of mental-health issue is unimportant to the plot. Seriously anyone can read this. I guess it could help the people out there who do need it.
If you are looking for a story about life in a psychiatric ward, written at a middle school level, this book is perfect and very readable and it does teach a life long lesson. That is to accept the things that happen to you because not everyone will have a good day and also love life. How’s that for simple. So if you are looking for a book for older teens or adults, or for a book specifically confronting the issue of self-injury, you will likely find "Cut" very disappointing on a reading level but, helpful in say the real world.

(less)

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May 18, 2013 Aleyda rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

One of my friends was reading this book and she seemed so interested in it, so I went to the Glendale Public Library and checked it out for myself. Callie cuts herself but never to deep, and not to deep to die, she cuts herself just enough to feel the pain. Callie is surrounded by problems and is under depression. She gets sent to Sea pines, a treatment facility. The girls there are struggling with the same problem but of their own. Callie wants to be independent; she doesn't want to rely on any...more

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May 15, 2013 Jenny Perron rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: english-356

I was attracted to this book because there are issues in the story that I can relate to. Overall, I thought it was a great book. I really liked how Callie narrated as though she was talking to the therapist/counselor, or was thinking about doing so. I found that a very unique and engaging angle. While the ending leaves the reader with hope, I personally found myself a little raw emotionally by the end—otherwise I would have given it five stars in a heartbeat. I can’t believe that this is McCormi...more

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May 12, 2013 Thea rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Patricia McCormick novel is about a 15-year old girl named Callie with an addiction to cutting herself. She seem like an normal teen. She received good grades in school and was on the track team. But she is suffering at home. Her little brother has a very has a very case of asthma and his illness is affecting everyone. Callie's mom quit her job to stay at home to take care of him and her father was really never home anyway because of work but now he is gone even longer. As an result Callie is d...more

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Mar 07, 2013 Staci Nims rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have currently got done reading the book Cut by Patricia McCormick. Published by PUSH. It is mainly about this girl who is put into this rehab center to help her get better. She had cut, a lot. She has to deal with the situations that happen here, and all of the patients there, too. Plus the rules. I think that anyone that has cut or have thought of cutting should read this because, it will explain what you could do if this happens.

The main character is a girl, named Callie. Callie had to b...more I have currently got done reading the book Cut by Patricia McCormick. Published by PUSH. It is mainly about this girl who is put into this rehab center to help her get better. She had cut, a lot. She has to deal with the situations that happen here, and all of the patients there, too. Plus the rules. I think that anyone that has cut or have thought of cutting should read this because, it will explain what you could do if this happens.

The main character is a girl, named Callie. Callie had to be put into this place known as Sea Pines. Everyone here has an issue. It could be because of drugs, anorexia, cutting, or have tried to commit suicide. Callie is a very silent person, she very rarely speaks. Callie is also a very considerate person, along with caring. Her roommate is Sydney, a very nice, energetic, and friendly girl. Sydney has a nickname for everyone. She calls Sea Pines Sick Minds. Then she calls Callie S.T. for Silent Treatment. Here is some evidence from the book, "Twice a day we have Group. Group therapy, according to the brochure they give you at the admissions office, is the "keystone of the treatment philosophy" here at Sick Minds. The real name is Sea Pines, even thought there is no sea and there are no pines. My roommate, Sydney, who has a nickname for everything, calls it Sick Minds. Her nickname for me is S.T. for Silent Treatment." That part from the book describes the type of place Sea Pines is and also a little about Sydney's personality. A new girl arrives here at Sea Pines, she is there because she had cut. They are in their discussion circle, the instructor aks Callie if why she was there, and Callie was shocked. She wanted no one to know why she was there. Callie called home, and spoke with her mother. Her mom said that Sea Pines was thinking about kicking her out because she had made no progress. Sydney was asking Callie why she cut herself, and asked her never to do it again. Then once Sydney fell asleep, Callie was so freaked out and scared, that she got a pie plate. What is she going to do? Callie has to be speaking with a councilor, pretty much everyday. She explained what had happend. Callie still isn't talking about what has happened. Will she ever open up, or will it only get worse?

I think that this book was amazing! I would recommend it to anyone who has thought of cutting or has cut, even if your just afraid to open up. (less)

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Feb 16, 2013 Addie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Cut is a story that has a very dramatic and sad tone. Despite the sadness is couldn't put it down. Patricia McCormick is an amazing author for writing such an unbelievably exquisite book.
Cut is about a teen girl who feels as if self harming is the way to go for inner pain relief. Her name is Callie. Callie was sent to Sea Pines rehabilitation center. She was refusing treatment for self harming until she broke her long term silence.
The tone of the story was so nice it was in Callie's prospectiv...more

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Jan 21, 2013 Alisa Hoerth rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Cut
By Patricia McCormick
Review by Alisa Hoerth
The cover of the book intrigued me because if you look at the cover it describes about cutting. Then, you immediately see the cut marks through the title. The book Cut is based on teens trying to find the easy way to deal with their problems. Callie is a 15 year old girl with a huge addiction to cutting herself. Never too deep and never enough to die, but enough to feel the pain.
Callie seems like a normal teenage girl. She runs in track and is very g...more Cut
By Patricia McCormick
Review by Alisa Hoerth
The cover of the book intrigued me because if you look at the cover it describes about cutting. Then, you immediately see the cut marks through the title. The book Cut is based on teens trying to find the easy way to deal with their problems. Callie is a 15 year old girl with a huge addiction to cutting herself. Never too deep and never enough to die, but enough to feel the pain.
Callie seems like a normal teenage girl. She runs in track and is very good and she does well in school. She also has problems at home which most teens do. Her brother is very ill so her mother decides to stay home and take care of him. She feels like the forgotten and everything now revolves around him. Callie’s father is never around because he works too much.
It is written from the perspective of a 15 year old cutter who has been admitted to an institute. Callie’s story is told like she is explaining to her therapist everything she cannot say out loud. To me it felt like I was in her mind. Sometimes I wanted to just reach out and slap her and other times I just wish I could give her a hug.
Callie cuts herself whenever no one is in sight. She turns almost everything, she can find into weapons in order to cut herself. Her parents later find out and send her to a facility for girls. Which is called Sea Pines or as she calls it Sick Minds, for help. Sea Pines is a facility to help teens with their problems; such as eating disorders, drug dependency and behavioral issues. For the first few weeks she was there she didn’t talk to anyone at all. She would sit in group with all of the other girls there, and would listen to everyone speak. After Callie found out that if she didn’t change her ways the facility didn’t know how much longer they could have her stay. She then began talking small amounts to the counselor and soon enough she began speaking to other residents as well.
The main theme to this book is using physical pain to mask your emotional pain which only causes for more pain. From this, the book is so real for me and many teens because cutting is a serious problem for many. When you start to cut you think it will get rid of your pain but in reality it only stops for a couple seconds. Then your emotions come back and you’re also hurt from cutting yourself. It consumes you to where you want to do it over and over. Cutting is all you can ever think about.
This quotes form the book shows how teens feel after they cut and why they keep doing it. “Then I place the blade next to the skin on my palm. A tingle arced across my scalp. The flood tipped up at me and my body spiraled away. Then I was on the ceiling looking down, waiting to see what would happen next. What happened next was that a perfect, straight line of blood bloomed from under the blade. The line grew into a long, Fat bubble, A lush crimson bubble that got bigger and bigger. I watch from above, waiting to see how big it would get before it burst. when it did, I felt awesome. Satisfied, finally. Then exhausted.”
The only part I didn’t like about this book is that there were a lot of boring sections. But when Callie was talking about how she feels or explaining what is all going on it is very interesting and makes you want to read more.
I personally know how Callie felt and why she did what she did. We both tried the easy way; instead of trying to work things out we used physical pain. If you have felt the need to cut or know someone that does then this book would help you to help yourself or them.
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Jan 16, 2013 M. rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, fiction

This was in the free box outside of Dog Earred books on Valencia when I was there to meet with Jarett Kobek & William E Jones. Jarett asked if I had ever read it and I said no, and told me that I should take it & read it. Being a free YA novel, I had no reason not to take it, figuring that the book wouldn't take me that long to read anyway, and if I started it and it were crap I wouldn't have to finish it.

So, of course, the book sat in my room for four months until yesterday I got tired...more

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Dec 18, 2012 Rosie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In the story Cut by Patricia McCormick, Callie a 15-year-old girl suffers from cutting herself. She was sent to Sea Pines or as she calls it Sick Minds, for help. Sea Pines is a facility to help teens with mental illnesses and disorders. For the first few weeks she was there she didn’t talk at all, she didn’t say one word to anyone. She would sit in group with all of the other girls there, and not say anything. Callie would listen to everyone speak, but would never say a word. After Callie found...more In the story Cut by Patricia McCormick, Callie a 15-year-old girl suffers from cutting herself. She was sent to Sea Pines or as she calls it Sick Minds, for help. Sea Pines is a facility to help teens with mental illnesses and disorders. For the first few weeks she was there she didn’t talk at all, she didn’t say one word to anyone. She would sit in group with all of the other girls there, and not say anything. Callie would listen to everyone speak, but would never say a word. After Callie found out that if she didn’t change her ways the facility didn’t know how much longer they could have her stay. She then began talking small amounts to the counselor and soon enough she began speaking to other residents as well.
I really like the book Cut because of the way Patricia McCormick wrote it. She used lots of similes and metaphors. For example, on page 14 McCormick says, “Or about telling you that she looked tired, like the Before people in the Before and After pictures in her magazines.” Or on page 29, “Something inside me sags, like a seam giving way.” I also liked how McCormick envisioned Callie’s personality. She’s really shy and keeps to herself. For example, people would talk to her but she wouldn’t respond. Like on pages 47-48, “How do I know if you’re even there?” … “Are you listening?” I forget not to nod- and forget my mom can’t see me nodding.” It always kept things interesting; seeing other characters getting upset with her not responding.
Something I disliked about the book Cut was how Patricia McCormick “jumped” around a lot in the plot. My first example is on page 4, “Her nickname for me is S.T. for Silent Treatment. We, by the way are called guests.” Another example on page 34, “I take the steps two at a time, stomping so hard that the echo drowns out the strange, stifled sounds of me trying not to laugh. The attendant in the game room that night is one I’ve never seen before, young, smiley and obviously new.” Or on page 43, “The clock says we still have fifty minutes left. But you’ve already capped your pen and closed your notebook. I keep my hand on your doorknob a minute, standing in the waiting area outside your office, wondering what I’m supposed to do now.” It took a bit to get used to her writing style, and was hard to follow at first. I was often confused. But after you get into the book a bit, you can figure it out and it gets easier to follow.
Overall, I thought it was a very good book, and McCormick did a great job! I had my share of likes and dislikes about it but wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this book to anyone.
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Dec 16, 2012 Neldy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

i really enjoyed reading this book. this book is about a girl named Callie who cuts herself. Then she went to a residential facility center named Sea PInes. At Sea Pines Callie doesn't talk to anybody. She has scars all over her body. she cuts herself but she doesn't really feel the pain, then one day she cuted herself with a piece of a pie plate and that was the time that Callie really felt one of her cuts. Callie is only fifteen years old. she lived with her brother sam and her mother. her fat...more

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Nov 17, 2012 Owen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In Cut, Callie is a girl who has to go to a mental health facility after she begins to cut herself with her mother's Exacto knife. At this place, Sea Pines (Sick Minds as the girls call it), the residents all have problems, be it cutting or eating disorders, etc. For the first third or half of the book, Callie refuses to speak to anyone, but we still learn who she is as a person through the first person narration. We learn that she feels guilty for her brother's medical problems, and her parents...more In Cut, Callie is a girl who has to go to a mental health facility after she begins to cut herself with her mother's Exacto knife. At this place, Sea Pines (Sick Minds as the girls call it), the residents all have problems, be it cutting or eating disorders, etc. For the first third or half of the book, Callie refuses to speak to anyone, but we still learn who she is as a person through the first person narration. We learn that she feels guilty for her brother's medical problems, and her parents' relationship being called into question. Finally, Callie speaks to the girls at Sea Pines and the doctor who examines her, getting rid of some of the inner problems that are troubling her. By the end of the book, she is a completely different person. Perhaps not happy just yet, but she is willing to get better.

I had heard of this book but I wasn't planning on getting it at the library when I did. I was perusing the shelves when I noticed the worn paperback copy slightly behind the two hardcovers on both sides. The reason I decided to get it? Not for its small size (about 150 pages), but for the fact that I figured it would be a dark book and I often read darker books to learn about issues that trouble people. I'm not exactly sure why I prefer to read these kinds of books. I read this book in one sitting. At first, I wasn't sure how I felt about this silent girl named Callie. But eventually, I understood that she wanted to speak but she was afraid of what she might feel, after experiencing so much guilt over her family.

This is probably one of my favorite books that I have read this year. The only thing I had trouble with was understanding exactly who the other characters were at times and the problems they were facing, like who was a cutter or who was anorexic. But this is such a powerful story that even if Callie was the only person in this book, she would be unforgettable. I demand that you read this book. The back cover says it is only seven dollars (US paperback) but if you can't buy it, get it from the library. Like so few other books, this one is a book that should be read by all to understand problems that people we know are facing, so as to stop the cutting or emo jokes in our society. Because Callie might not necessarily be suicidal, but her inner guilt for some reason made her decide to pick up a blade and cut herself, replacing happiness with a feeling or rush that briefly makes her feel awesome and happy.
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Sep 02, 2012 Ashlee rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
I just finished reading this about 10 minutes ago, and I wanted to get this review written while my emotions were still fresh. I have to admit though, it's kind of hard to have many emotions with this book. I picked it up at The Goodwill after a friend told me she read it and liked it. It's a pretty short read, so I picked it up. Sometimes the shortest books are the most delightful reads. This one however, wasn't. It's a story about this girl named Callie, who has some kind of connection with ru...more
I just finished reading this about 10 minutes ago, and I wanted to get this review written while my emotions were still fresh. I have to admit though, it's kind of hard to have many emotions with this book. I picked it up at The Goodwill after a friend told me she read it and liked it. It's a pretty short read, so I picked it up. Sometimes the shortest books are the most delightful reads. This one however, wasn't. It's a story about this girl named Callie, who has some kind of connection with running...although the author never really touches up on it. She is in a mental institution called "Sea Pines" which all the girls call "Sick Minds" instead. Callie is a cutter. She doesn't cut herself because she feels she has to, or to release any kind of pain, it's just something she does every now and then. Her little brother has asthma and it sick a lot, so she doesn't do much with her family, because her mom, dad, and Sam are always busy being careful that Sam is okay. When she flashes back to memories before she was in "Sick Minds" she basically just talks about how she'd always have to be quiet when Sam and her mom were resting, and her dad wasn't around much. I don't really see why she would start cutting because of that. The whole book is her narrating this inner diary to her psychologist. Also, while she is at this place, she doesn't talk. She just completely gave up speaking altogether, but I don't understand WHY. At one point, her psychologists brings up her dad, and Callie didn't want to talk about him. This part of the story was a bit of a mystery, and I was holding out hope that it would go more into depth and the story would finally have some purpose. Maybe her dad has abused her, or was cheating on her mother, or had something BIG going on that affected Callie. Instead, we find out that one day the dad was supposed to be watching Sam, and he instead was at some bar, so Callie was watching him. He had his first asthma attack and Callie gave him CPR. Sam lived, and he was okay after that. I suppose that was the incident that made Callie start cutting. She thought Sam being sick was all her fault. Again...this doesn't really seem like a deep enough issue to harm herself over. Her parents never held her responsible, her brother didn't either. I have to be honest and say that I think Callie was just an attention-craver. She cut herself, but she didn't need to, she just did it sometimes. Also, after she stopped speaking for no real reason, she just magically starts yapping again. It didn't really make sense to me. The other girls in the book (she also narrates their day to day lives as well) are serious cutters, or girls with eating disorders, or one girl who is way overweight. They have serious issues while Callie just decided not to talk and felt the need to cut herself every now and then. She had no deep rooted home problems or any mental problems that were rooted as a child. I just don't like how she seemed completely normal but the author was trying to make her out to be such a basket case. Also, randomly and out of nowhere, there are two occurrences where she feels the room move, or shift, or something out of the ordinary but it never leads anywhere. Where are THOSE hallucinations coming from? The whole thing just made me mad. It was an okay story as far as details. I liked Callie narrating what other girls were doing and how they felt, I'm a big fan of detailed writing. But I can't help but wish this same book was written with one of the other girls at "Sick Minds" as the main character, and maybe by a different author as well. The story had potential to be really deep, but it lacked in my opinion. If the plot had been in another writers hands, maybe it could have been more believable. Maybe if Sam had died or Callie had started seeing his ghost or something totally crazy happened like that, it would have made much more sense for her to be at the institution. The back of the book said the story was part psychological mystery and I just couldn't disagree more. It also compared this book to "Speak" which I read earlier this year. I think it's an insult to compare this book to Speak because Speak was a very deep and meaningful book, the main character was raped and dealing with inner demons throughout the entire book. She has real issues whereas Callie just felt like everyone blamed her and boo-hoo she cut every once in a while for no real reason. The one night she did cut deep enough to scare herself, she immediately went to find help. She didn't cut to find a release, she didn't want to feel the pain, she had no idea what she was doing and it just made her look ridiculous. I know after the fairly harsh review I gave, it seems like I really don't like Callie...but that's not it. I really like how she cared about the other girls, and there are certain things about her that I think would make great characteristics in a book...but this was not the right kind for a person like Callie. A different storyline would have suited her much better. She is not the mental-cutting-psycho that she is trying to be perceived as. Just my opinion. (less)

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Jul 27, 2012 Särah Nour rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Self-mutilation can be a tricky subject to write about, requiring not only knowledge but understanding and compassion, and Patricia McCormick’s ambitious undertaking does have its emotionally resonant moments, along with some shortcomings. Though sensitively written and carefully researched, Cut, as a young adult novel, delivers in some respects and turns up short in others.

Fifteen-year-old Callie resides at Sea Pines (nicknamed “Sick Minds”), a psychiatric ward, where she was sent when her pare...more Self-mutilation can be a tricky subject to write about, requiring not only knowledge but understanding and compassion, and Patricia McCormick’s ambitious undertaking does have its emotionally resonant moments, along with some shortcomings. Though sensitively written and carefully researched, Cut, as a young adult novel, delivers in some respects and turns up short in others.

Fifteen-year-old Callie resides at Sea Pines (nicknamed “Sick Minds”), a psychiatric ward, where she was sent when her parents discovered she was cutting herself. Among her fellow residents are Sydney, her drug-addicted roommate; anorexic girls Tara and Becca; Debbie, the compulsive eater; and the tough-talking crack-addict Tiffany. Callie, known as the silent one of the group—nicknamed “S.T.,” short for “Silent Treatment,” by Sydney—has sessions with her therapist, during which sits unresponsive, refusing to speak. Over time she receives visits from her parents and younger brother, and gradually becomes more involved with the happenings of her fellow residents, such as a discharge, a relapse, and the arrival of a fellow cutter; events that eventually get her to being speaking again, and confront the traumatic events that triggered her cutting.

Though she spends the majority of the book silent—refusing to speak her therapist, the other residents, or to anyone else—Cut is narrated in the first person, and directed towards the unnamed therapist who eventually gets through to her. This method not only allows readers some level of intimacy with Callie’s character; it also lets readers easily place themselves in her therapist’s position, while she gently probes Callie’s fragile mental state and provides her with comfort and understanding.

Unfortunately, the novel is marred by an unsatisfactory cop-out of an ending with little closure. Though readers are left reassured that Callie will recover, there are issues are left unaddressed, and the person responsible for Callie’s downward spiral into self-destruction goes unpunished. Though McCormick does take her time delving into Callie’s damaged psyche, she seems to run out of steam towards the end and tacks on a half-baked revelation followed by a too-neat little wrap-up.

For a book geared towards young adults, Cut satisfies, and may provide some consolation for teens struggling with self-harm. However, for older teens or adults, its treatment of the subject matter may seem superficial. If one considers the novel’s positive aspects to outweigh its flaws, then Cut succeeds where it counts.(less)

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Jul 23, 2012 Tananya rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

After Reading the book Cut I Came to to the conclusion that i really liked this book.I liked this book because it gave you the perspective of a troubled girl who slowly recovers.For example on page 40 Callie cut her self really badly at this home and she also never talked.But then on page 70 she starts talking to her therapist.I also liked this book because it could be inspiration for a lot troubled teens.For Example on page 17 they tell the story of about 7 other girls who suffer to recover an...more

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May 14, 2012 Esther rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Cut is a very interesting book. It is has an unusual topic but is written very well. It is about Callie, a girl who cuts herself. It starts out with her talking about the rehab facility that she is staying at. She was sent to sea pines because a teach at school found out she was cutting herself and thought she might be a danger to herself. In the beginning she is very bitter about everything. It is mostly her complaining about the place. She is a very quiet girl and doesn't want the help. As the...more

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Apr 10, 2012 Lauren Kramer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This story of Callie being in a facility for her behavior of cutting herself really bring the reality and emotions that she encounters to the readers minds vividly. What makes this story interesting is the fact that Callie does not talk for the majority of the book and everyone in this facility is trying to open her up. However, the reader gets the inside view of what Callie is thinking which is sometimes more enriching than anything she could have said to them. Throughout the story, she becomes...more

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Approriate for school?	19	105	Apr 26, 2013 10:22am
got EMO???	17	85	Feb 22, 2013 08:53pm
why did you like this book or what made it most stick out to you?	10	16	Feb 12, 2013 02:22pm
HUM 9: A Book	1	4	Oct 25, 2012 08:44am
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About Patricia McCormick

Patricia McCormick is a journalist and writer. She graduated from Rosemont College in 1978, followed by an M.S. from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in 1986 and an M.F.A. from New School University in 1999. Her first novel for teens was Cut, about a young woman who self-injures herself. This was followed by My Brother's Keeper in 2005, about a boy struggling with his brother's ad...more

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Quotes from Cut

“Look. I have a strategy. Why expect anything? If you don’t expect anything, you don’t get disappointed.” — 235 people liked it

“I imagine you working on me as an algebra problem, reducing me to fractions, crossing out common denominators, until there's nothing left on the page but a line that says x = whatever it is that is wrong with me.” — 72 people liked it

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