Tweak by Nic Sheff

So I just finished this one last night. If you've ever felt the temptation to try drugs read this book. It will totally turn you off the idea. Nic Sheff went through solid hell with his meth addiction and he tells us all about it in his memoir Tweak. From homelessness to starvation to much worse things he tells a brutally honest tale of hitting the bottom more than once. His father wrote a companion book called Beautiful Boy which I haven't read but which presumably tells his side of the story.

Nic's story is inspirational but very graphic in many ways...violence, sex, drug use (duh) and it is a nonfiction memoir so this is true stuff. Just something to be aware of when you pick it up.

Open Ice by Pat Hughes

Nicky Taglio has been a hockey star most of his life, but a slew of serious injuries has caused his doctors and his parents to insist that Nicky never play hockey again. Nicky has other plans...after all, his entire life is hockey! There is no way he's going to give up hockey. But. The headaches don't stop. Confusion sets in. Nicky can't seem to get through a day without an asprin and an ice pack even weeks after his concussion. Then there's Devin...Nicky's girlfriend. Why is she being so distant? Could it be that she was only dating him because he was a hockey star? Could she be that shallow? Could he? This is a great book for anyone who likes sports or books about relationships. I'd recommend it to pretty much anyone! -Till next time! Suzanne

Books like Cut by Patricia McCormick - A List

We had a book discussion the other day on Cut by Patricia McCormick. This book is about Callie and how she has to go to a hospital to get treated for cutting, which is a form of self-injury used as a coping mechanism by about 1% of the population. Self-injury is often misunderstood by people who think that the cutter does it to get attention. Actually, cutting is a sickness a lot like anorexia or bulimia. It is usually tied to deeper issues. We had a great discussion on the book. Here are some other books with similar themes you might enjoy if you liked Cut and are interested in reading something else:

OTHER BOOKS THAT DEAL WITH SELF-INJURY (cutting):
The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler
Crosses (coming soon to the YA department)by Shelley Stoehr

OTHER BOOKS THAT DEAL WITH SELECTIVE MUTISM (not speaking):
The Sledding Hill by Chris Crutcher
Silent to the Bone by E. L. Konsgsburg
Blood Secret by Kathryn Lasky
I Can’t Tell You by Hillary Frank
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

OTHER BOOKS THAT DEAL WITH STAYING IN A MENTAL HOSPITAL:
It’s Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini