The Perfect Cut

by Julie Burtinshaw

After the death of his tough, guitar-playing, much-loved sister, Michelle, Brian finds it increasingly difficult to care about anything. He doesn’t care about his parents. He doesn’t care about his friends. He doesn’t care about school. He just doesn’t care anymore. The only time Brian comes alive is in the few seconds it takes for the razor to slice through his skin. But he never cuts deep enough to cause any real damage. At least, not yet... In The Perfect Cut, Julie Burtinshaw has written an incredibly honest and perceptive novel about cutting, revealing why this dangerous practice has become an increasingly common form of stress relief among young adults. Told from the perspective of the grief-stricken Brian who, in his mind, has run out of options for coping, it’s clear that while he makes some bad choices, he’s not a bad person. The book ends on a grace note, reassuring young readers that even terrible obstacles can be overcome, and that where there’s life, there is hope.

Genres: Young Adult, Mental Health, Mental Illness, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Music

308 pages, Paperback

First published July 15, 2008

About the author

Julie Burtinshaw was born in Vancouver, BC and has lived in many different cities and towns both inside and outside of Canada. She has been an avid reader since childhood and began to keep journals and diaries from the moment she could hold a pen in her hand.

Julie is an award-winning author of seven books for young adults and teens. She wrote her first novel in 2000, and has been a full time writer since 2007. When not writing, Julie teaches creative writing workshops, content writing workshops and is an active participant in the writing community. She has served as a judge for the BC Book Awards, Red Cedar Awards, Illinois Women's Press Association Communications and mentored many emerging and upcoming writers.

Julie is a member of the following professional organizations:

• CWILL
• The BC Federation of Writers
• The Writer’s Union of Canada

Julie spent three months (2007) as the Writer In Residence at the Berton House in Dawson City and six weeks as the Writer In Residence at the Gunnar Gunnarsson Institute in East Iceland (2008).

That's because she loves to travel and write.

Reviews

[Liz at Midnight Bloom Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Perfect Cut is definitely not the kind of book you'll want to read if you want something for laughs- it's dark, edgy and focuses on a teen who's experiencing a tough time seemingly alone.

Almost a year ago, Brian's beloved sister Michelle died, leaving him to fend for himself against a cold father and a mother who has taken to drinking at night to ease the pain of losing her child. Brian doesn't care much about anything anymore- his once high grades are slipping, he's skipping school- and he's seriously depressed. The only time when he feels in control and can actually feel something is when he cuts.

In fact, his sister had been a cutter too- a secret he's still keeping from everyone who regarded Michelle in another light and one that's slowly fueling the guilt he feels over her death.

Told mainly in Brian's perspective (sometimes it will randomly switch to another character for a very short time), the book takes place in the present but also flashes back from time to time in the past.

If you've read a 'cutter' book before, you'll probably find many of the events predictable, but if not, prepare to have this book open your eyes to the issues- both social and psychological- this book explores.

[Rai · Rating 2 out of 5]

Because of the subject matter of this book, it could have been very good, and it had a lot of potential. However, I don't think that it lived up to the potential of the story, and here is why...
From the beginning of the book, and through to the end, I always felt like it was designed more as an educational tool than as a story in itself. To me, it felt like the author said, "I want to write a book that will teach people about self injury" as opposed to "I want to write a book about a boy who cuts himself". Important details to the story are left out or skipped over in places where it wouldn't fit with the "educational" direction of the story. I felt as though the writer must have done a lot of research on the subject, but didn't truly understand it on an emotional level.
The main character Bryan reads like a checklist of symptoms throughout nearly the entire first half of the book. I didn't find him particularly well-developed at all, and he seemed only to exist as a vehicle for said symptoms. The other people in his life fell similarly flat. His father is abusive, but seemingly unrealistically so - and I realize that some people are not realistic, but I think a better job could have been done.
Something that bothered me about this book was the author's tendancy to flippantly and unexpectedly switch POV characters. For a fair bit we deal exclusively with Bryan's point of view, until it suddenly switches to that of his housekeeper, Stella, as she thinks her way through what is almost an essay on self-injury. After this, the author keeps switching unexpectedly in the middle of paragraphs, and to me it made it sound like a fable being read to children. In addition to this, the book was formatted so that each paragraph had a full line of space in between it and the next. This made it hard to tell which things were related, as everything was disjointed, and at the time that the book moved forward in time there was nothing to differentiate that from just normal paragraphs. I think it was a poor choice.
Halfway through the book it does get more interesting, as Bryan sort-of makes a friend, and it starts sounding less like just a fable. However it never quite loses that education-ish edge to it.
The second half of the book is much better, with Bryan ending up in the hospital and going through some treatment. I found it a little too convenient that his psychiatrist also happened to run the mental ward at the hospital, but I can look past that.
Finally dealing with the details of his sister's death added some depth to the character, and it was in the final moments of the book that I felt finally able to connect with him. The story was resolved well in those last few chapters and didn't leave me asking more questions. The last half of the book was good enough for me to put aside the first half's shortcomings and actually enjoy the book.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my all time favourite books. I've reread it multiple times and each time I see something new, something I previously missed which changes the story for me.

It's a powerful story about a tragic loss, which I can't even imagine dealing with but Bryan somehow struggles through. The first few chapters completely captivate me and then it drops off for a bit (which I don't mind, gives a slight background of how horrible things have become for Bryan) and then the rest of the book is by far amazing.
It puts into words the thoughts and feelings we have all had at some point in our lives. The loss and the fear, the having no idea who you are or why you're here and sometimes feeling completely worthless. It perfectly shows what happens when you have no one to turn to.

This book is centred around self-harm which still is a social issues and has such strong stigmas attached to it. I often feel like people know the least about this, compared to other issues (i.e. addictions and drugs, eating disorders, sexual assault, ect) and Julie really did a great job at providing insight.
People who self-harm often don't do it because they want to die, they do it because they feel such immense pain - or no pain at all - that they need to do something to psychically even it out. They have so much going on in their minds and the only way they can get it all out is to hurt themselves. And I felt like she wrote Bryan's experiences with self-harm perfectly, letting people understand the why.

Bryan is such a misguided person with so much potential, proving throughout how smart and thoughtful he is but his self worth has been chipped away his entire life. I always sympathize with him and connect with him on that level, knowing that you could do so much but also feeling like you can't do anything at all.

The one thing that bugged me about this book was Chris... for some reason I always wanted to know more about this character and grew very attached by his small supporting role. I don't know why but I always wished that he and Bryan would meet up in the end, especially since Bryan played such a role in Chris wanting to get clean.

This book also deals with self-harm which still is a social issues and has such strong stigmas attached to it. I often feel like people know the least about this, compared to other issues (i.e. addictions and drugs, eating disorders, sexual assault, ect) and Julie really did a great job at providing insight.
People who self-harm often don't do it because they want to die, they do it because they feel such immense pain - or no pain at all - that they need to do something to psychically even it out. They have so much going on in their minds and the only way they can get it all out is to hurt themselves. And I felt like she wrote Bryan's experiences with self-harm perfectly, letting people understand the why.

[Shannon Fay · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I've read a ton of issue books. They're kind of my thing. Whatever, anyway, point is, I know the genre well, and having personally lived through a lot of crap, I also know the reality far too well.

I'm gonna go ahead and say that this book falls somewhere to the higher end of that spectrum, but not at the very top of it.

I read one review that said that this book read more like an educational tool designed to teach people about self-harm and why someone might do that, that it reads like a list of symptoms, a collection of reasons WHY Bryan is the way he is, and WHY he feels compelled to hurt himself. And to some extent, I agree. Mostly because, while Bryan's pain, and the depression and what causes it, while all of that is explained in great detail, I don't feel like we get as deep into his character development. I don't really know who he truly is. There are flashes and pieces, but in the end, he still feels like less of a complete human being that we get to know who happens to be going through a really dark time, and instead, by the time the book is over, he still feels like more of a (sadly) collection of symptoms on the road to getting better. And I think all of it is to do with his character development, or lack thereof.

Beyond that though, I do have to give this book credit for it's great portrayal of a teenage boy on the edge. Now I've never been a boy, so I can't speak to that, but as for all the other stuff, it felt real. His situation with a hypercritical and abusive parent, and one who was so busy dealing with her own end of the family shit that she was checked out, his sister who died in a horrible car accident, but who was struggling on her own, his self-loathing and confusion, his isolation and loneliness. While Bryan never felt fully developed as a character, his situation and his issues did. So while I never truly empathized with him because I knew him and felt his pin, I could still empathize with what he was going through. And I feel like ultimately, that's why this book is like a B (a 4 star read), but not an A (a 5 star read). All the best issue books for me have followed the format of letting you REALLY get to know a character so that when you learn about all the this shit they go through, you empathize with THEM, as people, and not just with the shitty-ness of their situation (if that makes sense at all, hopefully I've articulated the difference well enough). However, in this book, Bryan's problems are painted vividly, so many readers are still able to relate to him and how he feels based solely on how well what he is going through is written. So I have to give the author props for that, because anytime you can write in a way that others can relate, anytime you can craft a story that people empathize with, you should be proud of that, as it's no easy task. I only wish that we got to empathize with Bryan on a deeper human level and not just for what he was going through, because that would have made this good book, STELLAR.

If nothing else though, I can recommend this book to anyone who is struggling, so long as they're not in a place where any depiction of self-harm is triggering. If so, then any issue book is probably to be avoided. But I know that for me, when I was still struggling with all my shit, reading books like this, about characters who were going through the same things made me feel less alone in it. There was a solidarity in stories like these, and I think other people can probably find that in this book. And if not, if they simply don't understand what would drive a person to harm themselves, then this could be the book for them, because while it doesn't delves into Bryan as a character as much as I'd like, it does a PHENOMENAL job of exploring the feelings behind the self-harm. This book looks at all the ways this boy is struggling and all the ways he feels hurt, alone, scared and lost, and presents them in a way that I think could very much help people to understand how someone feels who self-harms, or why self-injury makes sense, when you feel this way and how it strangely makes things feel a little better.

I have to grant this book that, if nothing else. It explains the idea of self-harm well, and creates a character that perfectly defines what this struggle feels like, and where it can ultimately lead if no one steps in when this see this behavior to get that person help. But overall in the end, there is some hope, because this book also details what the beginnings of recovery can look like, when some of the issues start to get dealt with, and people do step up to help and lend a hand to someone who is drowning in their own misery. This story shows us how little things can affect people for better or worse, and in that, I think it did a pretty great job.

[Idit Bourla · Rating 3 out of 5]

HOLLA, so I just finished THE PERFECT CUT and I am ready to rate this one.
There is not much to say, I mostly enjoyed it. I did not care much for Jess and I think their relationship was kinda torn-up; they should have stayed distanced friends, so he would focus on his new buddy, Chris - whom disappeared at the middle oh the story and never came back, even though the author mentioned he was released from the hospital. Why mentioning this if they never meet again? It disappointed me because I loved their friendship and it also cured Bryan in some way. I also would give all the guitar-references a break, because they were pretty long and repeated their-self, though I, myself, played classical guitar for 6 years. I also did not like the fact the author made the father like a shallow, mean character, with no depth at all, even though it is a family drama and it is supposed to be realistic. I also would like the novel to be with more characters around Bryan, not only his mother and his dead sister, which kinda made me feel lonely for him - maybe it was the whole purpose?
HAVING SAID THAT
It was not all bad at all. In fact, I liked it very much. I read A LITTLE LIFE, which is my favorite book all times, which is why I came to be interested in this whole topic of self-harm. It is very important to read about this stuff and to be aware of this syndrome of society. I loved Bryan, he was one hell oh a character. He was funny, intelligent and brilliant. I found myself very much like him, in most ways I do not feel with other main characters in other books, even though it was not always his point of view. I also loved the writing, it was light and nice. The story was pretty addictive and it was pretty easier for me to finish it fast. It was quite a story and I enjoyed it! The only reason I did not rate it 4 or 5 stars is that I was not HYPE for this one. But it was cute, warm and touching.

[Micah Ruiz]

I’ve developed this relationship with reading where I constantly am finding stories that I like the concept of that are executed badly. It’s like judging a book by its cover but the cover is a lot cooler than the contents inside.

The only reason I went back to this book, and I was really excited to do so, was because it meant so much to me when it was published. Back in a time where my cutting was the worst, when I was still heavily mourning the loss of my brother and dealing with a mom that was addicted to drugs. The book had all of it. And more importantly, the protagonist was a guy, too.

But holy fucking shit, the formatting of this book even is horrible, just really choppy and weirdly paced. The fact that Bryan does meth once and it’s never talked on again and he never goes back to his friend Chris again. The fact that it sounds like Julie Burtinshaw read a fact sheet about meth and decided to put it in her writing the next day, and the fact that when she was executing some parts of it it sounded like she was basing her writing off of fun facts about self harm.

This is the second book of hers that I read this year both were teenage male protagonist and none of them felt like a teenage male was leading it lol. It also really bothered me that wow some of the inter monologues were okay, the way that Bryan spoke was off. Why did he not use the word bullshit in speak, instead using the abbreviation BS when talking. That’s like the exact opposite of what a teenager would do lol.

Also the book spells Bryan two different ways throughout the whole thing. How was that not caught during editing?

I just don’t like books about self harm where the ending wraps everything up in a neat little bow and implies that the protagonist has stopped forever or will stop forever. I guess that’s true for some people, but for me, this is lifelong. It’s not as simple as saying I will stop and then actually never cutting myself again. I wish that was the truth.

[Gavin Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed The Perfect Cut quite a bit. Boy cutters are rarely seen in fiction. Usually it's girls. Not only does this book end the stigma of mental illness, it also depicts family drama realistically and with sincere compassion. As a former cutter myself I did really identify with the main character's inner and outer struggles and the grief he was expressing. It was nice to find a book that understands the pain.

It's a tad corny for my liking, with phrases and dialogue no real human being would ever actually say, but it's a relevant and current story that will be right at home in libraries and middle schools everywhere. There aren't a lot of books that look at this problem, especially from a boy's perspective, and the death of the sister showed the rawness and fear associated with grief perfectly.

[Isa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best book you can ever find in a trash bin. Meaning that, if you go to a library and tried getting this book, the whole library will start laughing at you. So like just don't. There is no story, its for tryhards, and only people who have no friends read it. Nevertheless, if you have abs then your dogs a cow, and you will find your self folding the dishes and taking a shower beside a car.

[jazmyn haiayiele · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay. I think that it halfway lived up to it's potential, however, I still think it was a good book and I liked & enjoyed it.

[Vianna Gracie moberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Saskatoon ho!

[Jasmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a bit slow in the beginning, by page 100 I was really into the storyline. My one complaint is I wish they would've touched back base with his street friend Chris..

[Diamond Crover · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was truly amazing. The characters were so realistic and the plot is just heartbreakingly beautiful. I have read this book multiple times and it still brings me to tears. It's as if you can feel the emotions of the characters, especially the main character Brian.

[Canadian Children's Book Centre]

After the death of his older sister Michelle, Brian has difficulty coping and begins withdrawing from his parents, school, and his friends. His only solace comes with cutting. In the few seconds it takes for the razor to break the skin, he feels alive, and it’s only when he takes things one step too far, and another tragedy nearly occurs, that Brian is able to confront his feelings and to live without cutting. In her latest novel, author Julie Burtinshaw has created a raw and realistic look at cutting, which has become increasingly popular among young adults as a form of stress relief. The story is told primarily from Brian’s perspective and the reader will be completely drawn in by his bluntness and his genuine anguish as he spirals deeper out of control. Not just another teen issue story, this rich, multi-layered plot peels back slowly, revealing another dimension with each layer, adding to the richness of the characters, and demonstrating that surface appearances don’t always give a complete picture. While Brian’s ultimate breakdown was easily foreseeable, it is his journal revelations as part of his therapy that are the most heartwrenching and revealing, and the strong support network of friends and family that rally around him end the novel on a hopeful note, without succumbing to a happily-ever-after tidy ending that some readers might expect. Suitable for teens ages 14 and up, this novel works well for opening up discussion about this important topic, and could be studied in conjunction with Monique Polak’s novel Scarred, published as part of James Lorimer’s SideStreets series last spring, which also addresses teenage cutting.

Reviewed by Rachel Steen in Canadian Children's Book News

[Myss-Syckness · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this would be a good book about self mutilation,
However it is not surprising, and I found it sort of dull.
BUT, I was determined to give it a chance, and not put it down
(as I do often)
And it DID get really interesting by the 17th chapter.
I actually really enjoyed the second half of the book.
Although I found some of it really repetitive and unnessesary.
Oh, and the father in this story REALLY PISSES ME OFF.
Like, really, I don't know anyone who's father is that big of a jerk or old fashioned or whatever you would like to call him.
He is extremely rude and oblivious to the fact that his actions are resulting in his son's frustrations.. not that he would care anyway.
Also, the sister seems kind of *bleh*, I think her character could have been made a little more beleivable.
And the mom... what a sap, although I find pride in her by the end.
Also, my opinion on Brian continues to change through the book.
At first he seems like a lame ass I would like to kick in the face, but as the story progresses I seem to grow attatched to his character, hoping he makes the right decisions.
I liked it a lot, but thought it could use a lot of changes.

[Ariel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bryan was a really fucked up boy. It might seem weird but i like reading about teenagers with fucked up lives. How it was written was lovely, and it can show how a self-harmers feels when he self-harms or even when he doesn't. "at least you can be in control of who hurts you." I found it extremely true. His depression was mesmerising, and how he pushes everyone away just made me sad, but at the same time, really captivated.

I loved this book. I've read it 5 times, and I never feel like I'll fall out of love with it. I feel that it kind of relates to me. In more ways than one.

Once again, I've cried at the ending. I'll never get sick I this book. It's one of my favourites, and I'm pretty sure it will stay that way.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

At first, I found the beginning to be very graphic... but in a powerful way - not an unecessary way. There was a little bit of suspense as to what made the main character hurt like he did. I think the booked touched on a lot of issues, perhaps so many that it was hard to get into any depth with any of them. I also felt that there were some storylines and concepts that were introduced in the book, but never really concluded or explained. OVerall, I felt that this book would be a good read for anyone interested in dealing with grief, cutting, mental health, dysfunctional families or even abuse.

[Keena · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to say, I wasn't very into this book for the first 50 pages or so. But once I kept going, it was definitely a lot higher than my expectations. I've read a lot of books about self harm, and this one is definitely at the top of the list with Willow by Julia Hoban. I loved how Julie managed to put in words how so many young people can't put feelings into words. I feel like that would be a challenge to do, but I felt like it was executed very well in The Perfect Cut. If you're looking for a book about a journey to healing, I'd definitely suggest this. But if you're easily triggered, you should probably find a different book.

[Christie · Rating 5 out of 5]

At times people you love leave forever and your left feeling alone and miserable. But others, you may thing fo not love you, are trying to save you from yourself. Bryan finds himself again after his sister's death. He stops cutting himself and discovers that his mother is a stong woman without his father at home. They learn to live with the memory of their lost loved one.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This tragic story of Brian and Michelle who physically and psychologically hurt themselves may seem like a bunch of cliches, but the characters are so well-developed that it difficult to put this book down. This book is no longer in print so it is difficult to find a copy!

[Jaymi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book when I was about thirteen or fourteen and the content was interesting to me but it fell flat in its attempt at articulating mental illness. It's cliche and angsty and also there's an error in the spelling of Bryan's name on page 71 where his name is incorrectly spelled as Brian.

[Carly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing book. I love when people can write a book and you have a very clear picture in your head of what the person looks like. Great description.

[Danielle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was good. Until i got to a certain part, like three quarters through, and I never really wanted to finish it. It was alright, I loved the main character.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

thought this book was really good, inspriring, but sad

[Keana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very inspiring.

[Paraskevi Mazarakiotis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Insightful and informative, but dark...

[Rhoda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it. It's very dark and deep. Very intamate. You feel like you are the character, like you are in a diffrent world. I learned alot about this social issue.

[Fire_Dragon_ · Rating 5 out of 5]

depressing, yet amazing

[Ashleigh Dupuis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It really sowed how people who self-harm themselves feel

[Amy]

How can you read a book on this app?! I really want to read this book but I dont know how.

[Mauricio Lucar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book.