HELP ME! by Donna M. Zadunajsky
Amazon Description:
A novella about a boy named Mick and his
struggles with life. His parent’s divorce and a friend’s suicide make
his world unbearable. Each “cut” has a deeper meaning. A cry for help.
“I spin my dad’s Ruger SP101 revolver on the wood floor of my bedroom. Sometimes, just to see what it feels like, I place the tip of the gun against my temple, but I never once pull the trigger. NO!”
“I’m more into the slice of the blade against my skin and the blood running down my arm.”
“It relieves so much pressure.”
“And I can breathe again…”
My Review:
When I saw this book, I immediately knew that I needed to read it. As a recovering cutter who began doing so about the same time as the main character, I immediately identified with Mick. While this book would be a helpful resource to those who wish to gain insight into the mind of a suicidal teen, I would NOT recommend it to a teen who is dealing with self harm-- the descriptions of Mick's actions are both realistic and graphic and could easily serve as a trigger for some one who is trying to quit.
The story itself is told from two perspectives. First is Mick, the title character. He feels alone after his parent's divorce and his best friend's suicide. He moves to a new school after his best friend's death, hoping that there won't be bullies there. Much to his chagrin, there are bullies at the new school as well, but he latches on to Layla, his crush and friend. The second perspective in the book is Layla's. I loved getting to see both sides of every interaction, it left out a lot of the guess work about what was happening in each character's mind. Layla has a surprisingly strong relationship with her mother, who helps Layla help Mick throughout the book.
All in all, I thought this book had strong characters and a strong plot. I was a little disconcerted by the name dropping of apps and social media sites in HELP ME!, however. Considering how fast technology changes, it seems like it would make the book relatively obsolete in the next few years. Kik and Oovoo may very well be the next Myspace.
“I spin my dad’s Ruger SP101 revolver on the wood floor of my bedroom. Sometimes, just to see what it feels like, I place the tip of the gun against my temple, but I never once pull the trigger. NO!”
“I’m more into the slice of the blade against my skin and the blood running down my arm.”
“It relieves so much pressure.”
“And I can breathe again…”
My Review:
When I saw this book, I immediately knew that I needed to read it. As a recovering cutter who began doing so about the same time as the main character, I immediately identified with Mick. While this book would be a helpful resource to those who wish to gain insight into the mind of a suicidal teen, I would NOT recommend it to a teen who is dealing with self harm-- the descriptions of Mick's actions are both realistic and graphic and could easily serve as a trigger for some one who is trying to quit.
The story itself is told from two perspectives. First is Mick, the title character. He feels alone after his parent's divorce and his best friend's suicide. He moves to a new school after his best friend's death, hoping that there won't be bullies there. Much to his chagrin, there are bullies at the new school as well, but he latches on to Layla, his crush and friend. The second perspective in the book is Layla's. I loved getting to see both sides of every interaction, it left out a lot of the guess work about what was happening in each character's mind. Layla has a surprisingly strong relationship with her mother, who helps Layla help Mick throughout the book.
All in all, I thought this book had strong characters and a strong plot. I was a little disconcerted by the name dropping of apps and social media sites in HELP ME!, however. Considering how fast technology changes, it seems like it would make the book relatively obsolete in the next few years. Kik and Oovoo may very well be the next Myspace.
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