Review Detail

What I Liked: This is one of those super emotional books that has you jumping up and pacing because you’re too mad/anxious to continue. For the first half of the novel, I was pretty much gnawing my fingers, hoping things would go the way I wanted them to.

In the beginning, the mixture of thriller/mystery and recovering teen seemed to work well. You got the emotional connection with Kendra and the suspense all rolled into one neat package. It might have been a risky decision on the author’s part, but it seemed to work.

I also really liked the way Kendra was portrayed for the first half of the novel. Her need to cut seemed to be legitimate in its depiction, and it was defiitely very poignant and uncomfortable for me, the reader. She was a strong character and I did admire her.

What I Didn’t Like: First let me say that I have no experience with self-harm, and I cannot even begin to imagine how awful it must be to get to that point. However, from my limited experience, I do not think cutting is a good practice to engage in, for obvious reasons.

So that was why, when Kendra finally opened up to her therapist and shared that she had been cutting, I was so shocked by the therapist’s response. According to the therapist, cutting was a legitimate coping technique, and she merely cautioned Kendra to be sure to santize her blade and arm before doing it again.

Uh. Sorry, but if my daughter was engaging in self-harm, I would want her therapist to help her find alternative (and less dangerous) coping strategies, not agree that maybe cutting was her best option at this point in time.

And after that rather disturbing scene, the book really went downhill. The big reveal of Kendra’s rapist was overly-showy and dramatic (and not at all surprising), and then the glimpse of the aftermath, with Kendra now moved on with her life (but still cutting and without another coping technique to use) was very mellow and emotionless.

Verdict: I really did like Scars, and I did like Kendra and her story. The author mentions that this is autobiographical, so it could explain her defensive handling of cutting and self-harm. In any case, I do recommend this book, and I do think it was worth my time.