22 Scars

Amy leads a tortured life. She has a monster for a father and a distant mother. Amy self-harms and has suicidal tendencies. Then tragedy in her life leads her in a dangerous direction.

'22 Scars' highlights  mental illness in teenagers. With recent events, I think a young adult book that focuses on mental health is an important thing. '22 Scars' did an excellent job taking on this difficult topic. I did read '13 Reasons Why' and found it somewhat lacking. Not only was the plot unrealistic and contrived, I don't think that it really approaches the underling mental illnesses that drives someone to suicide. I think '22 Scars' approaches this subject better. Not only is Amy's deep seeded problems explored but it also shows how her mental illness progresses through time.

'22 Scars' has two storylines. The connection between these storylines is not realized until late in the book. I found both storylines interesting although I did find that the one not involving teenage Amy more interesting. The main issue I had with teenage Amy's storyline was the plethora of characters, especially Amy's friends. There were so many I could not keep them straight. Also, the character of Beth's father helped the reader understand that someone can have major flaws and still be an ok parent, he didn't really add a lot to the story other than that. I would have liked to have read more about Amy's boss. I felt like there was more to him as a character. From the few times he is mentioned he seems interesting and kind and I would liked to have heard more of his story and maybe, even his point of view.

'22 Scars' is a wonderful story that takes on the subject of domestic violence, mental illnesses, and teen suicide.  I really loved the way this novel approached each of these subjects. I highly recommend '22 Scars' and recommend it as an alternative to '13 Reasons Why'.