Fifteen-year-old Callie McPherson of Mississauga isn't speaking to anybody, not even to her therapist at Sea Pines, the residential treatment facility where her parents and doctor sent her after discovering that she self-harms. At some point, Callie does begin speaking to her therapist/doctor, and she helps Callie understand why she self-harms. As her story unfolds, Callie reluctantly becomes involved with the other "guests" at Sea Pines—finding her voice and confronting the trauma that triggered her behavior. Callie gets better with the help of Sydney, Debbie, Becca, Tara, Amanda, and Tiffany. Through support from her family, guests, and therapist she soon learns why she cuts herself.
Characters
Callie - sent to Sea Pines for self-injury, specifically cutting and refuses to talk throughout most of the book but later lets it out. Her roommate Sydney gives her the nickname Silent Treatment, or S.T. for short.
Amanda - Initially introduced as a care-free and frank girl, Amanda is also a cutter and does so for decoration.
Becca - one of the original members of the group and suffers from anorexia and bulimia. She refuses treatment through hiding food and purging. Becca is later transferred to Hammacher.
Tara - The character of Tara is very kind and soft-spoken, attempting to reach out to Callie by trying to understand her. She also suffers from anorexia.
Sydney - suffers from a drug addiction and is Callie's roommate at Sea Pines. She befriends Callie by treating her like a normal person and looking after her.
Tiffany - suffers from an addiction to crack and attends Sea Pines as a way to avoid going to jail. She leaves Sick Minds towards the middle of the book.
Callie's Psychiatrist - who is very kind and gentle towards Callie not speaking. She is referenced in second person throughout the book.
At various times, Callie and others reference the television showRescue 911. At one point, the characters even watch the show. Since the show started in April 1989 and ended in August 1996, this seems to put the time of the novel during this period. However, Callie references a 1997 Krafty Kitchens catalogue earlier in the book., suggesting a later time frame.
Reception
Critical reception for Cut was overwhelmingly positive, with Kirkus Reviews calling the book "a thoughtful look at teenage mental illness and recovery". Booklist praised McCormick's depiction of Callie, saying that she was an "exceptional character study". Publishers Weekly positively reviewed both the paperback and audio versions, writing that the book "sympathetically and authentically renders the difficulties of giving voice to a very real sense of harm and powerlessness" as well as praising Clea Lewis for her narration. Cut has appeared on the American Library Association's Top 100 Challenged/Banned Books.
