It was nothing like reality ( )

This short book covered the seventy-two hours that Kenna was in rehab after being caught cutting herself at school. I must admit, I winced at her descriptions of self-cutting and the relief it brought her. It also horrified me that she made her first cut because of peer pressure and her desperate desire to 'fit in' until it became an addiction. Sadly, I think many young people could relate to this and sympathise with Kenna's flaws and insecurities. The fact that cutting, and the resulting scars, became a competition between Kenna and her friends was appalling. I also hated how Kenna felt unloved at home.

My one gripe about this story would be the romance. I didn't think it was necessary. It detracted from the series issues and never felt real. Instead, I would have liked the author just to focus on Kenna, Skylar and Donya, and their struggles, hopes and developing friendship. In fact, I thought Skylar was the nicest character in the book and definitely my favourite. her poems were poignant and I loved the idea of the sharpie butterflies.

Overall, "Kiss of Broken Glass" was a raw, honest read and a solid debut. ( )

I think verse novel was a powerful way to write about the subject of cutting. The words are so carefully chosen and richly express the story. I learnt about the Florida Baker Act that allows for the involuntary detention of individuals to assess their mental health. Kenna finds herself in one of these facilities for 72 hours, the time period that the novel is set in. The characters hold back from speaking the truth about their feelings, they play it safe and say all the right things. As a reader it feels like a privilege to be able to know what is really going on for them. It reminds me there is always more to a person' s behaviour, and my response to it can be positive or negative. Kenna and the people we meet in the story have been hurt, whether physically or emotionally. It is not overdramatised but the effects are manifested in the destructive behaviour they undertake. I felt the ending allowed for hope. It intimates that the road to recovery starts with yourself despite the circumstances you are in.

The content was sobering but I loved the writing. A literary feast. Highly recommended. ( )

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I have read only two other books written in verse, but I have found I do enjoy the ones have read and look forward to reading more.

Kiss of Broken Glass deals with a hard topic – cutting – and what could drive a person to do it. I found Kenna to be very realistic and tortured, even if she didn’t want to admit it to herself. Through Kenna we learn about the drive and ache of her addiction to self harm and the author does a great job of making us feel that need right along with Kenna. The book spans only 72 hours, but in that short period, things become very eye opening. The book was an incredibly fast read, but it was also powerful.

The few characters we meet during the commitment weren’t around very long, but they each had their own special impact on Kenna. I especially liked Skylar and her honesty. She was very open about everything and I think that helped Kenna be more honest with herself. Donia was ok, but she was also someone who wanted to help Kenna keep cutting and didn’t seem like someone much into quitting self harm. I didn’t get to know Jag too well, but the little bit I did see of him I did like him.

I definitely enjoyed this book and look forward to more work from this author!

Well written, powerful, fast read, really puts you in the main character’s shoes. ( )

Having just finished reading recently, Ghosting by Edith Pattou, I was familiar with the verse writing. Which I am slowly coming around to liking this style of writing. The only downside to this style of writing is that if the characters in the story are not strong enough, then it can leave me unattached to them. Which kind of happened with this book. I was not fully invested with all of the characters. Although, I did find it intriguing on all the different reasons why people hurt themselves. It is sad and people need to be able to get help when they need it. Thank goodness for authors like Madeleine who are not afraid to write about these subject matters and help bring light to this serious topic. ( )