"The Girl Who Was Broken" by Kathleen Glasgow!

There have been many times when I read a book because of the crazy hype it had on TikTok, and I was bitterly disappointed.

However, there are times when I come across books that I end up loving, and after a while, I label them as my favorites.

One of these is Girl in Pieces, whose hashtag #girlinpieces on TikTok has 222.5 million views.

One might say that these are a looooot of views, and thus the question arises:

“Is it really worth reading?”

Shattered Girl

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5

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from 16,43 €

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Charlotte Davis is in pieces. At seventeen, she has already lost more than most people lose in a lifetime. But she has learned to forget. The broken glass drives away the sorrow and leaves behind only peace. You don't need to think about your father and the river. Your best friend, forever lost. Or your mother, who has nothing left to offer you.

Each new scar hardens Charlie's heart a little more, yet it still hurts so much. It hurts enough that she doesn't care anymore, something that sometimes needs to happen before you can find your way back from the edge.

A deeply moving portrait of a girl in a world that owes her nothing and has taken so much from her, and her journey to get well again. Kathleen Glasgow's debut is heartbreaking in its truth and fearless in its honesty. It is a story that will not let you put it down.

I won't delay your answer.

Obviously, it's worth it, and below I will explain the reasons why I loved it and now recommend it.

Let's start with the plot for a bit.

Charlotte, at seventeen, has lost more than most people lose in their entire lives. But she doesn't need to think about it, or at least she tries not to think about it, and the broken glass is her ally in this. Each scar hardens her heart more and more, but it's still not enough.

When she is forced to leave the clinic for self-harming individuals where she was hospitalized, she finds herself alone, in a world that hasn't treated her well and doesn't know how to trust.

As soon as you start the book, you dive into the deep end, you may feel a discomfort perhaps, as the subject is undeniably heavy and you didn't expect something like this in a book aimed at teenagers.

However, the atmosphere lightens a bit as it goes on, a crack of light opens and you think, "Ah okay, yes, maybe it's not that heavy after all." Then, of course, it darkens again. And brightens again. And then you read the epilogue and cry.

(I don't know why I used the second person singular, I'm talking about myself)

This book surprised me by how much I liked it, especially after I realized that the author was inspired by her own experiences.

I believe that issues of depression, self-harm, and mental illnesses in general are unfortunately still considered taboo. But it shouldn't be that way, and I'm glad the author found the courage to draw strength from her personal experiences to write something dedicated to this. It's important to be able to talk about these things without shame or fear, because there are thousands of people who might be going through something similar and could find comfort in a book like this (or in books about mental health in general).

But the book is not just for people who identify with Charlotte.

It's also for people who want to get into the mind of a girl who is really struggling and try, even a little, to understand.

Nevertheless, I am hesitant when recommending it, because it is quite heavy despite the optimistic message it wants to convey in the end.

Therefore, I would say definitely check the Trigger Warnings, especially if you are under 18.

For me, it's one of those books that I was really glad when it was translated, and even more so when I realized that it deserves all the hype it has.

A heavy and sad book.

A terrifyingly realistic book.

A hopeful book.

An important book that must be read.