Book Review of Girl In Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow

I loved Girl, Interrupted. I also really enjoyed Everything, Everything, whose author, Nicola Yoon, has great things to say about this book. So, I thought there was a good chance I'd really enjoy Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow, and I requested a free review copy from Blogging for Books. However, that was not the case.

My dislike began with the cover design. I don't care for pink, but this shade is muted enough that it didn't sway me one way or another. However, I feel like the red lines clash rather painfully with it. Additionally, I'd be most interested to see a font (which is obviously supposed to mimic handwriting) that looks like a teenage girl, such as Charlotte, the protagonist of Girl In Pieces, might actually use. The handwriting used in the cover design, however, is more akin to that of a middle-aged male who works in science or engineering... which would be apropos if there was such a character documenting Charlotte's trials in the book, but there isn't.

As for the actual story, the narrative moves slowly, and in a frustratingly disjointed fashion. There are details which either aren't clarified enough to make sense, or simply don't line up at all, such as the fact that it says Charlotte was left somewhere naked, wrapped in a sheet, but then a scene is described where those who found her are cutting her clothes off of her in order to treat her medically. These confusing inconsistencies piled up until they overtook the character and her story, making it impossible for me to invest in either.

If you're looking for a YA novel about mental illness, I'd encourage you to read this article and check out any of the books recommended therein: I've read most of them, and enjoyed all of those.