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Cut
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Cut
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Cut
Audiobook4 hours

Cut

Written by Patricia McCormick

Narrated by Clea Lewis

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

3.5/5

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Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

Fifteen-year-old Callie is so withdrawn that she's not speaking to anyone, including her therapist at the residential treatment facility where her parents and doctor send her after discovering that she cuts herself. Her story unfolds primarily through dramatic monologues, gradually revealing the family turmoil that led to her self-destructive behavior. Callie's efforts to understand herself and her family illuminate her process of recovery honestly and with hope.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateSep 23, 2003
ISBN9781400085897
Unavailable
Cut
Author

Patricia McCormick

Patricia McCormick is a former journalist and a two-time National Book Award finalist whose books include Cut, Sold, Never Fall Down, The Plot to Kill Hitler, the young readers edition of I Am Malala, and the award-winning picture book Sergeant Reckless: The True Story of the Little Horse Who Became a Hero. Patricia lives in New York. Visit her online at pattymccormick.com.

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Reviews for Cut

Rating: 3.5641023616734144 out of 5 stars
3.5/5

741 ratings78 reviews

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  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I originally reviewed this book on my blog - The Cosy Dragon. For more recent reviews by me, please hop over there.

    Callie doesn't talk about what she does. In fact, Callie doesn't talk at all. At Sea Pines she is expected to reveal all about what she does. What she does should be obvious to you! The book title says it all.

    So this is yet another angsty teen novel I have read lately. And sadly, I found it lacking in a couple of ways. The storyline was very predictable, thin and unsatisfying. There wasn't enough fleshing out even of the environment. I couldn't imagine anything except the laundry and the bathroom, and even then there wasn't enough detail to satisfy me.

    In a way, I found it pathetic. Each of the characters, although they tried to support each other, I just found it a bit lacking. Especially Amanda. Her character is so much in opposition to everything that is trying to be achieved by Callie and the other girls. I wanted to know more behind each of them! Just giving them problems and names wasn't enough.

    Yes, this book did touch me. I felt some shivers. It did disturb me a little. For a book written by someone who has never cut, it's not bad. I guess I'm comparing this book to Scars (Cheryl Rainfield) and The Burn Journals (Brent Runyon). Those books are built on true stories, and the sincerity really shines through to make a well-rounded and developed character.

    Some things I find absurd, such as the therapist visits. I find it hard to believe that the therapist could lie so blatantly to Callie about Becca. Also, the whole thing about her scars fading - that's something that Callie could have worked out for herself - no they won't fade completely, but there is makeup! I guess for a 13 year old girl willing to believe anything she is told, it's ok.

    This book is very female biased. There are no men, except Callie's brother, Sam, who is very sick and so understandably sympathetically portrayed. In contrast is Callie's father, who she doesn't talk about. It seems like there is a deeper issue there - I was hanging out for it to be rape, or something serious - but it was simply something else. Callie did a great job with the situation she found herself. I can't give too much away, or I'll ruin the little suspense the book had.

    There is something about the show Rescue 911. I've never watched it. But apparently everybody loves it! And of course it has relevance to Callie's situation. It's not a subtle reference, and I guess that ruined it for me. This book is going to be dated within a couple of years for sure, and it doesn't even make any attempt to be universal (not that it necessarily should, just an observation).

    I was particularly dissatisfied with the ending. Arg! Would it have killed McCormick to give Callie a decent ending? Sorry, but I know how cutting works, and a on eoff idea that you're going to stop isn't necessarily going to carry on. And I didn't have much faith in talk therapy like that (with no cognitive behvioural therapy) fixing a problem. No wonder some of the girls were still sick.

    The bonus of this book was that it was short and cheap! So I don't feel like I wasted too much on it. I've ripped it apart, but surely there are other people that like it. The cover is surprisingly attractive to my mind.

    I'd recommend this book for teens. It's not a great insight into how Callie's mind works (and certainly not how all cutters' minds work), and I think maybe it could be negative for some other people who have never thought of the idea of cutting before. The idea of a residential facility fixing all mental problems is absurd, and out of reach of most people anyway - they'll never be able to relate.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    "Cut" introduces the reader to the world of a self-harmer. Callie is a fragile protagonist who is in an institute trying to overcome her desire to hurt herself. Struggling with a sense of guilt, there were times I felt really sorry for her, at other times she was extremely frustrating, and then there were times when all I wanted to do was give Callie a big hug. Although I enjoyed the story, I still felt there was something missing and I was disappointed with the ending.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    A very nice quick read that was realistic. The best part about this novel was that the main character is relatable for teenage girls experiencing any kind of emotional distress. Callie's manifestations of her problems are very common, and although the novel is entitled Cut and we know that Callie is a cutter, I found it to be a characteristic that added dimension, but was not necessary to define her.

    The one thing I found odd about the novel is that it was written in the perspective of Callie's voice, but I would estimate at least 50% of that was addressed to the reader. Additionally, in these scenes the reader was Callie's individual therapist. That made me a little uncomfortable, if I am being honest, because I felt like I was supposed to be the expert. Like I was supposed to be on the other side watching Callie and helping her, and that wasn't what I wanted to be as this reader. I found it difficult to relate to Callie and feel what she was feeling because I had to listen to her and be her sounding board. I liked that it was a unique perspective, I just didn't feel like it was the right perspective for me.

    It took me about 50 pages to actually get into this novel, and considering that's 1/3 of the book, I would say that's not a good thing. I can understand having a drawn-out set up for a long novel that you need in order to develop your characters, but when you are choosing to end the book at 150 pages, 50 of those should most definitely not be spent on trying to make your characters believable, or whatever was the goal for that. On top of that, I feel like it was largely wasted space. So many details about Callie's family were included, but Callie herself never thought about who she was as a person. I think this is huge, although she did get to the bottom of why she was in the facility (presumably- actually, we don't even know if that was why she started cutting, we can only infer that from the details which are provided). I think not being able to understand our main character fully limits the amount that we are able to relate to her.

    My three-star rating for this book was generous. One of the phrases I like using to describe how much I like character development is whether or not the author was able to breathe life into them. This means that beyond just being relatable, could I picture this character walking around and going about their daily life in the way that the author intended. For this book the answer is a hard no. I felt like Becca's character was the most realistic in terms of her disorder, her choices, her actions. Other characters were also, but less time was spent discussing them and therefore it is difficult to say one way or the other. For Callie though, I myself am a runner, and I was hoping that I could picture her running. However, she only ran twice in the novel (which for its length may actually be a lot). And both times she was running away from something, which made me really disappointed. Even though once was for a good reason and the second she came back, I didn't feel like this made her any more lovable.

    This brings me to my final point, in the Interview with Patricia McCormick provided at the end of the edition I read, she says that she had a hard time developing Callie because she couldn't connect with her. I would say that the connection McCormick claims to have made with her final character is still not the connection necessary to write a good novel. Details about her life are thrown in, perhaps in an attempt to make her more like able. The details about her brother loving hockey are consistent throughout, but they don't tell us anything about Callie at all. As I said earlier in this review, for a short novel there was a lot of wasted space.

    I was happy to finish this book because it only took me two sittings. It was so short I just made myself sit down and read it. I was also happy because it just wasn't good. I hate abandoning books, and I don't think this book was worth abandoning, but I also just don't think it was great at all.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I read this book when I was around 12, and I really enjoyed it and have remembered it ever since, so when I came across a copy for 25 cents, I bought it immediately. I was so pleased to find that it was just as good 10 years later. It deals with serious issues that affect some teenagers today, and it does it in a way that is understanding and non-condescending. It ends on a hopeful note that I feel is very important for teens that may be dealing with the same problems.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    A very nice quick read that was realistic. The best part about this novel was that the main character is relatable for teenage girls experiencing any kind of emotional distress. Callie's manifestations of her problems are very common, and although the novel is entitled Cut and we know that Callie is a cutter, I found it to be a characteristic that added dimension, but was not necessary to define her.

    The one thing I found odd about the novel is that it was written in the perspective of Callie's voice, but I would estimate at least 50% of that was addressed to the reader. Additionally, in these scenes the reader was Callie's individual therapist. That made me a little uncomfortable, if I am being honest, because I felt like I was supposed to be the expert. Like I was supposed to be on the other side watching Callie and helping her, and that wasn't what I wanted to be as this reader. I found it difficult to relate to Callie and feel what she was feeling because I had to listen to her and be her sounding board. I liked that it was a unique perspective, I just didn't feel like it was the right perspective for me.

    It took me about 50 pages to actually get into this novel, and considering that's 1/3 of the book, I would say that's not a good thing. I can understand having a drawn-out set up for a long novel that you need in order to develop your characters, but when you are choosing to end the book at 150 pages, 50 of those should most definitely not be spent on trying to make your characters believable, or whatever was the goal for that. On top of that, I feel like it was largely wasted space. So many details about Callie's family were included, but Callie herself never thought about who she was as a person. I think this is huge, although she did get to the bottom of why she was in the facility (presumably- actually, we don't even know if that was why she started cutting, we can only infer that from the details which are provided). I think not being able to understand our main character fully limits the amount that we are able to relate to her.

    My three-star rating for this book was generous. One of the phrases I like using to describe how much I like character development is whether or not the author was able to breathe life into them. This means that beyond just being relatable, could I picture this character walking around and going about their daily life in the way that the author intended. For this book the answer is a hard no. I felt like Becca's character was the most realistic in terms of her disorder, her choices, her actions. Other characters were also, but less time was spent discussing them and therefore it is difficult to say one way or the other. For Callie though, I myself am a runner, and I was hoping that I could picture her running. However, she only ran twice in the novel (which for its length may actually be a lot). And both times she was running away from something, which made me really disappointed. Even though once was for a good reason and the second she came back, I didn't feel like this made her any more lovable.

    This brings me to my final point, in the Interview with Patricia McCormick provided at the end of the edition I read, she says that she had a hard time developing Callie because she couldn't connect with her. I would say that the connection McCormick claims to have made with her final character is still not the connection necessary to write a good novel. Details about her life are thrown in, perhaps in an attempt to make her more like able. The details about her brother loving hockey are consistent throughout, but they don't tell us anything about Callie at all. As I said earlier in this review, for a short novel there was a lot of wasted space.

    I was happy to finish this book because it only took me two sittings. It was so short I just made myself sit down and read it. I was also happy because it just wasn't good. I hate abandoning books, and I don't think this book was worth abandoning, but I also just don't think it was great at all.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I read this book when I was around 12, and I really enjoyed it and have remembered it ever since, so when I came across a copy for 25 cents, I bought it immediately. I was so pleased to find that it was just as good 10 years later. It deals with serious issues that affect some teenagers today, and it does it in a way that is understanding and non-condescending. It ends on a hopeful note that I feel is very important for teens that may be dealing with the same problems.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A touching and realistic account of life in a psychiatric residential treatment facility for young women who are addicted to a variety of self-destructive behaviours - drugs, eating disorders, and for the main character, Callie, cutting. Following a traumatic experience, Callie has become nonverbal and uses cutting as her means of relieving her inner pain. This story is told through Callie's thoughts and perspectives. A highly recommended read.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I wish it had the full book
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Its a little slow but way better after the first couple chapters...... I found it much better than expected based off the first reviews I red. Glad I didn't judge it off of those. Perhaps I found this better because I could relate to so much.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I checked the cover more than a few times while reading this to see if it was written by Laurie Halse Andersen. It wasn't, but it was identical to Speak with a lot of Catalyst in there, too. Is Patricia McCormick like a pen name for Andersen, or what?
    My motivation for reading this was to be able to discuss this with my students who choose it for self-selected reading, but I certainly don't recommend it to adults. It was good, but nothing life-changing. Thankfully, it also wasn't gruesome.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I'm trying to formulate my thoughts.I read this book all in one sitting. I expected to because it was short, but from the very beginning it sucked me in and I just did NOT want to put it down. When I was forced to for a few minutes, I was rather irritated.I love how it's basically all addressed to the therapist lady person. That just makes it... I don't know, so much more interesting. Not that it wasn't interesting to begin with. Cutting is an issue that no one ever talks about, or treats with disgust as opposed to addicts or anorexics, who are deemed sick or troubled. This is even addressed in the book, when the other girls themselves are freaked out by cutting.What's really striking is how realistic it all is, from Callie to Amanda and to everyone else as well. Perhaps my opinion is rather biased, or maybe I have more of a right than anyone else to attest to the realism of this little novel. Either way I guess I have something of a unique take on it.I'm pleased with the ending. I was scared that it would be too happy or too magical, but instead ended with a little ray of hope in a still-dark world. A happy ending wouldn't have done justice to the real world Callies out there, but Patricia McCormick did a very good job of showing that just because there aren't perfect happily ever afters doesn't mean that there is no hope either.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A good book to end 2014 on
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Years ago I bought the book because I wanted to feel some sort of connection and understanding with someone else that was going through the same sort of thing I was dealing with at the time, even if that someone was fictional. However, this book wasn't what I thought it was going to be. It was very vague and there was basically no character development. Callie's character felt lifeless to me. I felt no connection and reading this book made me feel like the author had no real idea what self-harm is like. There is so much more that could've been done with this book.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    It was an interesting book. The main character and her family were well developed, but I never felt like I really understood the other girls in the story. Also I had the feeling that the author really didn't understand why girls cut themselves and how they feel about their cutting.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I read that the author researched for 3 years before writing this book. Now is that violating GR's terms since I mentioned the author? Heck it's to the point where I don't know how to review a book anymore. I guess since I'm giving it 2 stars (which is not horrible) it's ok? If she did I just don't get it. The characters completely felt lifeless to me.
    Maybe if the book was longer? I've read shorter books though that got their point across better. It's a sensitive subject that's handled here and I have a very close friend who experienced the same problem. It just seems that cutting isn't really delved into in this book.
    Ok, so I'm going to run hide now because I cringe now every time I review a book.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Having read two other of Patricia McCormick's books, I thought I would give her debut novel a try. I was not disappointed. The writing style makes this a quick and interesting read, especially about this subject matter.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Like Speak but with a little Girl, Interrupted thrown in. Quick read too.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This book is in no way a manual for how to be a cutter. The most important thing I got out of this book is the strength it takes to ask for help.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I liked this book alot. It was depressing but at the same time: real and raw. I think everyone from 12 and up who has or has had dpression should read this book.  

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I LOVED THIS BOOK. It was amazing being able to know what it is like to live in a mental hospital.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I loved this book in high school and read it at LEAST four times. A definite good read.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Review by: Annie Tough topics: cutting, cursing, run away In my book, Cut, the main character's name is Callie. Callie has no friends, and she cuts herself. Her parents find out, and make her go to an institute. The institute is called Sea Pines. Sea Pines is like one big house without doors on the rooms, and everyone who is new has to be escorted until they are a 2. A 2 is when they are in the next level to recovery, and they don’t have to be escorted. At Sea Pines the people who go there do drugs, don’t eat, and cut themselves, etc. All the people who go there call it Sick Minds. When Callie first goes there she doesn’t talk. Callie finally comes out of her shell and starts talking after about half a year. Callie makes friends after she starts talking. After Callie becomes a 2 and she doesn’t have to be escorted anymore, she runs away. Callie runs until she reaches a pay phone. She calls her dad so he can come and get her. Her dad knows exactly where she is, and he tells her to go to the donut shop across the street. Callie’s dad shows up and asks her if she wants to go back to the institute. She thinks about it then says “yes.” She realizes that she wants to get better, and that her problems are her own fault and nobody else’s.My least favorite part is when Callie cuts herself. My favorite part is when she realizes that she does want to get better.I would recommend this book to teenagers. I think that the teenage stage in your life is the hardest, so that’s why I wouldn’t recommend this book to adults. I know they’ve already been through their teenage years, but times have changed. Things aren’t the way they used to be. I also wouldn’t recommend this book to young children. Children wouldn’t understand why Callie cuts herself, or why she runs away. This book tells how you could feel when you’re in your teens. It tells how some people are peer pressured into things they don’t want to do, or what they think they have to do to make life right.On a scale of 1-5 this book deserves a 4.5. This book deserves a 4.5 because it grabbed my attention right from the start. It kept me interested in what was going on. This book made me realize that you need to learn that the mistakes you make are your own fault and nobody else’s. I also learned that life doesn’t always go the way you plan it.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Definitely a great book. As a freshman in high school who struggled with Self-Injury I absolutely loved how well this book spoke to me. I would recommend it for anyone who has gone through a similar situation.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I didn't know what to expect going into this book. I had a brief encounter with the phenomenon of cutting in Laurie Halse Anderson's Wintergirls and I was surprised at the lack of compassion I felt then. I thought it was perfectly vile, selfish and fell under the blanket concept of "things that are done to get attention." I think the difference in perspective in the two books made all the difference for me. I did not like Lia in Wintergirls, and I just adored little Callie. Silly though it may seem, I was willing to try to understand Callie, because I felt she deserved it. Callie, however twisted it may seem, had a very sound reason for her self-inflected violence. It made perfect sense in her mind, even if it didn't to others. I cared so deeply for Callie that I was willing to set aside my prejudice and listen to her. Which is the very point of the story. I can admit now that McCormick's smack down smarted and made me feel a little ashamed. Kudos. I deserved it.Callie's place within her family has taken on an almost wraith-like form. A little brother with chronic asthma, a very, very, very (add a few more verys) weak mother and a cowardly father make up what Callie knows as family. Her parents are so engrossed in their own self pity that they fail to notice that their daughter is fading, blending into the background so that maybe no one will notice that she carries a secret- she feels it is all her fault. Everything. And since she goes unnoticed, no one bothers to ask, so Callie never tells.We all continually beat ourselves up over a certain amount of self made guilt that we harbor, believing that something is our fault, regardless of the truth. It would shock us to discover that were we to voice our account of our supposed wrongs, we would be the only one pointing the finger at ourselves. So much of what we perceive is imagined. I guess the balance lies in knowing when we've shouldered enough, and simply need to tell someone to relieve the pressure. For Callie, there was no one to listen, and the pressure grew until it was either explode or find an outlet that could release some steam. For her it was a simple cut, nothing major, just enough, to release the tension. My heart ached for her, not for what she was doing, but because she did what she did and no one so much as batted an eye.This was such a tough story for me because, well, I'm a tough chick with the possibly equally self destructive ability of being able to tell the world to go to hell. I could never hurt me and I have a hard time understanding others who would willingly hurt themselves. I've felt helpless only a handful of times in my life. But I've always known what Callie did not, and that's if you scream loud enough, people are forced to listen. Callie didn't know that it was OK to scream because no one ever taught her to use her voice to defend herself and her own sanity. I blame her selfish, pathetic little snit of a mother who lacked the strength to care for both of her children at once and sacrificed the emotional health of one for the physical well being of another. To me that's almost a form of abuse.I was grateful for the fairytale tie in that became the ending. Something good that came from outside Callie needed to happen. As great as it was that she made the breakthrough that she did, I would have felt a bit cheated if the story had ended with her still feeling detached from her family.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Cut was a very engaging read; I now know why Robert Cormier read the whole book in one sitting. I saw a lot of echoes of Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak in it, which made it that much better.The storytelling is cool in that the psychiatrist is referred to in the second person. I really liked that choice, because it allowed the entire story to be a confession to the reader. The story became more personal, at least for me.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    A short quick read that packs a punch! The author did a very good job of getting inside her character's heads.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    While confined to a mental hospital, fifteen-year-old Callie slowly comes to understand some of the reasons behind her self-mutilation, and gradually starts to get better.This book is a fascinating and realistic tale of a disturbed girl who cuts herself, ironically, to ease her pain. I know people who have done this and some who still do. It is such a horrible method of dealing with troublesome issues, and I have always been curious as to why someone would cut themselves and how it makes them feel. This book helped me understand.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Cut is a book by Patricia McCormick. This book is about a young girl named Callie who cuts herself. She says it gives her relief and makes her feel better inside. The way people found out about her cutting is by the school sub nurse named Miss Magee. So ever since then she was kicked out of school until she seeked help for this problem. So she goes to a rehab treatment center called Sea Pines but the "guest" calls it Sick Minds. She becomes muted and does not talk but just sits counting and daydreaming about simple things. Then one day while in treatment she decides to cut herself but this time instead of feeling good and relief she feels pain like never before. So from this point one she begins to speak again. She finds her voice and begins to open up about how and why she begins cutting.When I become a teacher I will use this book in my class, if I am allowed, because some may think its too real to talk about in school. We all know that this is going on in real life and believe it or not the students respects you more when you keep it real with them. Now days it is important to dicuss "touchy" subjects with your students. I believe if we can talk about having safe sex, how to say no to drugs we can talk about this.I really enjoyed this book. I recommened everyone to read it because it will open your eyes to a whole different world.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Callie is a fifteen year old who is sent to Sea Pines (Sick Minds) a residental treatment facility, after a school nurse and her parents discover she self mutilates. There she refuses to speak, her roommate calls her ST (silent treatment). Callie eventually opens up and begins to interact with the other girls there and her therapist. Realizing that she's not the root of the problems that exist in her home. "Cut" can be incorporated in a junior high or high school classroom. Several lessons can be taught, problem solving methods. Discussing what to do in a similiar situations, maybe creating a crisis hotline or something to help students in need. Researching eating disorders, depression, self-mutilation, and other issues that teens deal with. Showing students the effects of these and other issues, may prevent cases such as Callie's or the other girls."Cut" is a great book, that opens your eyes to the issues surrounding many teens today. This book was very informative, I would use it in my classroom with teenagers.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This book is a very revealing book about why people resort to cutting. It exposes the why to this behavior as the character discovers why she herself cuts.