Girl in Pieces is a very emotional and raw book. With this book, you take a deep dive into the life struggles of Charlotte Davis, a teenage girl with mental health issues. From her backstory of being homeless after her father’s death to her new life working for True Grit after getting out of the psych ward. This book threw me into a rollercoaster of emotions. There has always been a huge stigma around things like mental health and self-harm, this book has a way of helping you look into the eyes of someone who struggles with those things, as well as her path to recovery after her discharge. 

The author, Kathleen Glasgow, does a very amazing job at describing things like intrusive thoughts and how mental health can really affect someone, especially with the amount of trauma that Charlie has. People who don’t suffer from these kinds of disorders can never completely grasp how it can feel to have to live a “normal” day-to-day life, and I feel people who read this will have a closer look into the mindset of a person who is struggling mentally. The way mental illnesses are portrayed, in my opinion, is very accurate to real life and how they present themselves in a group of those with the disorders.

After Charlie’s discharge from the group home, you would think that her life would get better, but that’s not always how life works. She goes through more trauma and has to learn other ways to cope with it other than her previous method of self-harm. It is harder to cope for her though, because she is still surrounded by a ton of influences who aren’t getting help and in a way “taunting” her. 

Though Charlie struggled throughout her journey of healing, eventually she found her way. This book helps show, that even if you feel like it, you are not alone and you are not the only one who is struggling. There is always help if you need to talk to someone. Don’t fight the battle of mental health alone.