What do you think?
Rate this book
Red Tears
Emily Bowyer is a normal, confident teenager. But beneath the surface she has a wretched secret. Because, for Emily, life isn't as much fun as it would appear. Her friends are going off her and her parents only seem to care about her troubled brother. Tension, pressure, anxiety, anger and self-hatred - where does it go when no one will listen?
240 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2007
16 people are currently reading
2574 people want to read
About the author
Joanna Kenrick
9 books15 followersJoanna Kenrick also writes under the name Jo Cotterill.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 29 of 56 reviews
July 16, 2010
Wow. This book was one of those books that disturbed you but you could not put it down. It's amazing how relateable Emily was in the book and I found that a lot of things she felt were things that a lot of teenagers feel at that point in their lives.
The most disturbing parts were obviously when she self-harmed herself and I have to say that I understand now the mind of a 'cutter'. The fact that they can see the pain on themself is what makes it a reality for them. That was a scary thing to learn.
I honestly have to say that I hated how the mother acted to it all, thinking that this was happening to her. That annoyed me the most and not to mention the fact that nobody wanted to try and understand her, they kept telling her that what she was doing was all for attention because she had nothing in life to worry about. There lay a lot of hidden feelings underneath the surface of Emily and not even her friends wanted to take the time to listen to her. I really despised how they treated her as well, turning their backs on her and then exposing her secret. I wanted to jump right into the book and defend her and listen to her.
I loved her relatability and how much of a good friend she was. The relationship between Emily and her brother was another thing I liked and he was quite smart despite what people actually thought of him.
This book was a terrifying trip into a deadly habit that can infect teens and adults alike, but it is definitely a book worth a read, aslong as you don't judge it straight away. Well worth the late night read.
The most disturbing parts were obviously when she self-harmed herself and I have to say that I understand now the mind of a 'cutter'. The fact that they can see the pain on themself is what makes it a reality for them. That was a scary thing to learn.
I honestly have to say that I hated how the mother acted to it all, thinking that this was happening to her. That annoyed me the most and not to mention the fact that nobody wanted to try and understand her, they kept telling her that what she was doing was all for attention because she had nothing in life to worry about. There lay a lot of hidden feelings underneath the surface of Emily and not even her friends wanted to take the time to listen to her. I really despised how they treated her as well, turning their backs on her and then exposing her secret. I wanted to jump right into the book and defend her and listen to her.
I loved her relatability and how much of a good friend she was. The relationship between Emily and her brother was another thing I liked and he was quite smart despite what people actually thought of him.
This book was a terrifying trip into a deadly habit that can infect teens and adults alike, but it is definitely a book worth a read, aslong as you don't judge it straight away. Well worth the late night read.
Read
July 21, 2010Everyone keeps reminded Emily how clever and capable she is, over and over. How she can do this, and she WILL succeed. But as the pressure builds, with piles of homework expected to be completed exceptionally, parents who are constantly nagging at her, and friends who choose not to stand beside her through all of it. Emily doesn't have a clue what to do. She feels herself slowly going mental with all the tension, and the only way to cope comes from cutting herself..using anything she can find..and nobody can know..
" I open the box Inside it is softness and steel. Tissues and blade."
The author has a skill to present us with the different views of self-harming, never once moving off track. I liked how Kenrick intentionally didn't include any 'proper' explanations or answers throughout the book. There is a real effect that any of the events in this novel could happen to anybody, anywhere, which is why it's so believable.
I loved the fact that at the end, there wasn't a fairy-tale 'happily ever after' and it wasn't one of those really sad endings where she does something like kill herself, in the subtlest way, Kenrick has avoided both these ideas and planted a realistic future in our minds, hopeful, while sympathetic.
Red Tears is a gripping, and powerful story, filled with passion, sympathy, and reality. It may be upsetting, so be warned, to many people, as the detail is quite..explicit and it is possible to *trigger* memories/thoughts, and Kenrick warns that self-harmers should be careful and responsible regrading their own safety, when reading this.
" I open the box Inside it is softness and steel. Tissues and blade."
The author has a skill to present us with the different views of self-harming, never once moving off track. I liked how Kenrick intentionally didn't include any 'proper' explanations or answers throughout the book. There is a real effect that any of the events in this novel could happen to anybody, anywhere, which is why it's so believable.
I loved the fact that at the end, there wasn't a fairy-tale 'happily ever after' and it wasn't one of those really sad endings where she does something like kill herself, in the subtlest way, Kenrick has avoided both these ideas and planted a realistic future in our minds, hopeful, while sympathetic.
Red Tears is a gripping, and powerful story, filled with passion, sympathy, and reality. It may be upsetting, so be warned, to many people, as the detail is quite..explicit and it is possible to *trigger* memories/thoughts, and Kenrick warns that self-harmers should be careful and responsible regrading their own safety, when reading this.
February 7, 2020
This book helped me feel good about myself, it helped explain some of the things going on in my head that I didn't know how to put into words. It gave me hope for the future that I feared I'd lost. The poem was beautiful, and some of the conversations just spoke to me and it was like I was there. I don't know how to describe this book to someone, but if you are a self harmer, it's worth a read. Not necessarily triggering, although there is a warning at the beginning that for some it might be, but for those like me struggling to overcome the addiction, it's a powerful motivator and it leaves you crying and happy at the end.
September 11, 2011
Beautiful book. I related to the charater and it made me understand people a bit more. i love the way that this book is written.
About a girl who has a perfect life to begin with but as the story goes on she becomes unhappy and she doesn't know what else to do so she self-harms. her friends hate her, her family expects her to do perfect at school and she has no-one to talk to.
Her life is one that I don't thing people should have. People shouldn't have to be someone their not. and that is what i've always believed.
About a girl who has a perfect life to begin with but as the story goes on she becomes unhappy and she doesn't know what else to do so she self-harms. her friends hate her, her family expects her to do perfect at school and she has no-one to talk to.
Her life is one that I don't thing people should have. People shouldn't have to be someone their not. and that is what i've always believed.
April 10, 2023
Emily is a girl in high school about to sit her GCSE’s. People always describe her as a great and smart student who will succeed. But Emily finds her self having major friendship issues which lead to her best friend moving on to someone else. On top of all this Emily’s family is also a mess because her brother was diagnosed with learning disabilities so she feels uncomfortable at at school and home. Class isn’t much better either as the amounts of homework she gets makes it hard for her to cope with the pressure of her parents, teachers and the upcoming GCSE’s. Emily’s always been so self direct that she finds it hard to find the right time to ask for help so she resorts to self harming. This helps her for a long while and then she meets a girl on the bus (Patrice) who she becomes aquatinted with. This girl is also dealing with an abusive brother and her mum can’t do anything about it so like Emily she is forced to help herself. Patrice soon spots the cuts on Emily’s body and starts resorting to self harm too. People start to believe it was emily who forced Patrice to start self harming and she gets pulled aside by teachers. By this time everyone seems to have found out about emily’s cuts her parents (who in reaction to it send Emily to do counselling. Her dad also can’t acknowledge her and this doesn’t help at all. Her ex friends also find out and they tell the whole school and soon more teachers are pulling her aside again. Emily’s grades start dropping and things seem to get worse then ever. Emily starts talking to her counsellor and by doing then she start to find herself questioning self harming. ‘Do i have to do it tonight?’ ‘Maybe only one cut.’ By this she starts to gain control and she starts to feel happier now that she knows what to do. Her family becomes a happier and more engaged one again and Emily opens up a lot more. Her and her mum have a heart to heart and their relationship starts working again her GCSE’s are less stressful then she thought because her parents are more understanding and say she can take then again in college if needed. Patrice finds a more beneficial home and moves away from her brother. Emily is still covered in scars but she finds a way to cope and finds herself smiling and laughing for the first time in a long time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 19, 2015
This book was incredible. Emily's journey from a healthy, happy teenager to a depressed, introverted girl was full of emotion and insight. It was a very difficult book to put down as I was eager to find out what happens to her. Parts of the novel were so utterly and surprisingly relatable to my own thoughts and emotions that I felt as though I had written the book myself!
It definitely deserves all five stars for portraying such an honest and heartrending depiction of a young girl who self-harms.
It definitely deserves all five stars for portraying such an honest and heartrending depiction of a young girl who self-harms.
December 5, 2009
Wow, so many of the reviews of this were bad but I thought it was a terrific book and Emily was a very believable character. God, I really loathed her mother though. How could she not see that it was her pressure that was driving Emily round the bend?!
October 23, 2017
Red tears was a relatively short book, so I was able to finish it in a few hours.
I felt a lot for Emily, I understood her problems very much having been there myself a few times, even so this was a hard book to read, I felt quite uncomfortable a few times in this book and was told quite suprised that the author hadn't experienced self harm themselves, but had instead spoken to many teenagers put their experiences,
This book certainly didn't feel like it was written by an 'outsider' as can sometimes happen when the author doesn't have firsthand knowledge of a subject.
I felt a lot for Emily, I understood her problems very much having been there myself a few times, even so this was a hard book to read, I felt quite uncomfortable a few times in this book and was told quite suprised that the author hadn't experienced self harm themselves, but had instead spoken to many teenagers put their experiences,
This book certainly didn't feel like it was written by an 'outsider' as can sometimes happen when the author doesn't have firsthand knowledge of a subject.
August 23, 2022
Reading this straight after 'A girl in pieces' Red Tears is completely different as it shows the journey going into and coming back out of self-haa uniqueears is a special book making it very hard to put down however I felt that in some aspects the book was kind of rushed as I thought the book could have been easily longer than it is and that would always be nigling on my mind and preventing me entirely being submerged in this book, but again it is a very good book with a ending leaving you satisfied yet wanting more.
Want to read
February 25, 2021How is it possible Joanna Kendrick named her book “Red Tears” doesn’t she know there was a book “Red Tear” published 1989 ? It doesn’t fell good sharing the same name for different book with a different story in it….
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 1, 2021
This was a very similar book to Paper Airplanes by Dawn O'porter in the sense of friendships. However it touched the topic of self harm very well. Although I would be cautious of this topic if it is something you struggle with. <3
February 4, 2022
This was quite a ride, in Red Tears we get taken through the emotional journey of a teenage girl who's life somehow seems to spiral slowly out of her grasp, and her, and her surroundings trying to deal with it. Heartfelt, tearjerking but overall rewarding of a read.
April 8, 2023
probably one of the better depictions of sh in a book that i’ve read so far! i’m glad that it wasn’t just ‘yeah i’m over it 100%’ at the end of the book & that the plot as a whole didn’t rely on stereotypes
September 14, 2024
I spent my entire journey looking for a fault with this book, and you know what? I found nothing. This book is beautifully researched with the passion of telling such an important story.
1000/10, relatable in more ways than one for both adults and teenagers. A must read.
1000/10, relatable in more ways than one for both adults and teenagers. A must read.
August 24, 2025
A hard read, but a good one. Well written in that it’s accurate & relatable without being in your face or trying too hard to hit the point. We need more of this to help educate & hopefully prompt empathy.
July 24, 2022
This book was an amazing i really related to it!
May 10, 2024
This is a very good book, It flowed so nicely, and I think it showed the progression of what she is going through very clearly and you were really in her head.
April 28, 2023
Obviously a major trigger for SH and there are parts about domestic violence. This book is amazing, you can tell the author has done a lot of research into this subject and portrayed it very well. As someone who has SH in their past i connected with this book in a different way. Couldn’t put it down. Definitely recommend to anyone
June 17, 2015
Red Tears by Joanna Kenrick follows a young girl named Emily. She's a great student. She isn't lacking of friends. She has a good family, a good home life. Until school work becomes too much. Her friends begin to isolate her. Her brother develops learning difficulties and then her home life becomes overwhelming, too. Where does she go when she can't take it? When everything around her is noise, motion, anger, anxiety?
LOVE. AT. FIRST. SENTENCE.
Emily Bowyer is a cutter. After she begins she will always be a cutter, there is no cure. There is only control. She is the kind of person that seems as if she has her entire life sorted out. The kind of person that other students envy because she gives off the impression that she is perfect. Underneath all of the layers of Emily Bowyer you will find that she is not perfect, she is tired. She is tired of the pressures of excelling. She is tired of putting people before her. She is tired of everything.
The thing is, she has validated reasons to be tired. This book explains in depth the stresses of doing well in school and the pressures of maintaining friendships, so much that even if you've never self-harmed you could relate to this book in multiple areas. I was with Emily all the way, and I honestly wouldn't believe anyone who says that they weren't.
The story was raw and realistic in every form. The crucial, cringe-worthy details were never left out for sake of people keeping down their dinners. It was honest and I think that is an essential element when telling a serious story like Emily's.
That said, I think it was wise to put a warning at the beginning of the book in case of unsafe triggering due to the book's content. It's really crazy how much power words can have, especially on someone like me. When Emily felt anxious so did I. When she was deep into her addiction I was incredibly triggered, and just wanted to get through those scenes and finish the book so that I could feel better. It made me feel really down at times, but then when she felt happy or something good happened the triggered feelings didn't even feel like they had happened.
It was strange reading this book, as it was an often occurance where I related to the character so much that it was as if they had literally gone into my secret diary or something, if I had one. I'm surprised by the lack of recognition it has received since its 2007 release, considering how by the end I felt like I had grown along with Emily, possibly so much that you could say I even bettered as a person.
If you're a self-harmer, or have known a self-harmer especially, then I recommend this book a thousand times. (That is unless you get triggered easily, then you should probably steer clear of this one). Red Tears describes the thoughts and intentions behind the average self-harmer perfectly, and therefore by reading it you could educate yourself on those around you and possibly save yourself, or someone else, from negative behaviours (whether that be the self-harming itself or making someone feel lesser because they are a self-harmer and you don't understand it).
This book has jumped straight up there with Wintergirls and We Need To Talk About Kevin. That should be reason enough to read it.
LOVE. AT. FIRST. SENTENCE.
Emily Bowyer is a cutter. After she begins she will always be a cutter, there is no cure. There is only control. She is the kind of person that seems as if she has her entire life sorted out. The kind of person that other students envy because she gives off the impression that she is perfect. Underneath all of the layers of Emily Bowyer you will find that she is not perfect, she is tired. She is tired of the pressures of excelling. She is tired of putting people before her. She is tired of everything.
"I like - helping people. I like being relied on. Well, I think I do. I just wish - I could rely on someone else sometimes. Not very often. Just sometimes."
The thing is, she has validated reasons to be tired. This book explains in depth the stresses of doing well in school and the pressures of maintaining friendships, so much that even if you've never self-harmed you could relate to this book in multiple areas. I was with Emily all the way, and I honestly wouldn't believe anyone who says that they weren't.
The story was raw and realistic in every form. The crucial, cringe-worthy details were never left out for sake of people keeping down their dinners. It was honest and I think that is an essential element when telling a serious story like Emily's.
Why do I do this? What earthy reason have I to be unhappy with my life? I have a loving family; I am good at my studies. I have a bright future. I have some problems with my friends, but doesn't everyone?
That said, I think it was wise to put a warning at the beginning of the book in case of unsafe triggering due to the book's content. It's really crazy how much power words can have, especially on someone like me. When Emily felt anxious so did I. When she was deep into her addiction I was incredibly triggered, and just wanted to get through those scenes and finish the book so that I could feel better. It made me feel really down at times, but then when she felt happy or something good happened the triggered feelings didn't even feel like they had happened.
Of course everything is not all right at home. But that is only because I am there. When I am at school, everything is not all right here either. It is not the place, I want to tell her. It is the person. It is me. I am what is wrong.
It was strange reading this book, as it was an often occurance where I related to the character so much that it was as if they had literally gone into my secret diary or something, if I had one. I'm surprised by the lack of recognition it has received since its 2007 release, considering how by the end I felt like I had grown along with Emily, possibly so much that you could say I even bettered as a person.
If you're a self-harmer, or have known a self-harmer especially, then I recommend this book a thousand times. (That is unless you get triggered easily, then you should probably steer clear of this one). Red Tears describes the thoughts and intentions behind the average self-harmer perfectly, and therefore by reading it you could educate yourself on those around you and possibly save yourself, or someone else, from negative behaviours (whether that be the self-harming itself or making someone feel lesser because they are a self-harmer and you don't understand it).
This book has jumped straight up there with Wintergirls and We Need To Talk About Kevin. That should be reason enough to read it.
June 8, 2011
OK, I guess it’s something to get through… the teen self-harming books. I mean, I don’t want to belittle self-harmers or anything, but writing a book about a sensitive topic like self-harm is just not an easy thing to do. If you are called Laurie Halse Anderson you can pull it off and you have found a way for your writing to surpass the mere teenage “my life sucks and I have so many issues to deal with and I can’t cope so please notice me” complaint fiction. Seriously, I’m not belittling self-harmers, but I’m questioning Joanna Kenrick’s ability to stay critical towards her writing subject.
In Red Tears, we meet Emily Bowyer, 15 and from a loving family. She has a couple of close friends and is academically successful. So what’s the big deal, right? You know, those of any "ordinary" teenager: GCSEs and the stress of it all. She basically has to find a way to balance her friends (they dump her), schoolwork (she can’t keep up) and family (the pressure is on!). And she finds a way to deal with all these issues by cutting herself. What follows is apparently an insight into the mind of a self-harmer. The introduction shows that Kenrick did a lot of research about her topic, and apparently much of it in self-harmers' online support groups (you should see some of the rave reviews these teens give the book). Anyway,… Emily’s character is intended to be believable (“this is what happens to all of us self-harmers”), but at the same time it should be able to show that this is something that can happen to anyone (careful, Emily was completely ‘normal’ too!). Kenrick is obviously very sympathetic with her topic and her main character, but for me, this is exactly what makes it all so…well, stereotypical, and samey. For me, this book doesn’t stand out from the crowd and there is very little to lift this novel out of the teenage pit of doom and despair.
Why is that? No idea, really. You could say that it’s because we basically have only Emily’s point of view and she tends to be well, depressed…but then, why is Speak such a powerful novel? Here we also only have Melinda’s mind and she doesn’t even speak! Is it because of the very rushed ending (no, not a happy ending and no, not a sad ending but you know, something in between, as it should be…). We spend 95% of the pages on Emily’s self-harm and then the ‘solution’ the book offers is just too rushed. In a matter of a few pages Emily comes to the insight that yes, it’ll be hard to stop cutting but at least after all she’s gone through, and with the right guidance, she has it in her to get better… Or is it again because I have so little in common with the topic at hand? Then, why did Wintergirls make such an incredible impression on me?
Is Red Tears a good book for self-harmers? Hell, what do I know. Kenrick does warn them in the beginning that there are some scenes that might be hard for them to take and that might trigger their errr..urges, so if you’re a self-harmer, put away your blades! Is this is a good book to get an insight into self-harmers? Probably, I mean, Emily’s character is well-developed (oh and Kenrick even makes publicity for teacher packs so it’s all very responsible and everything ). Is this a good piece of literary fiction? Nah, not so much. The line between ‘complaint’ fiction and ‘critical’ fiction really is very fine. At least that is something Red Tears proves.
In Red Tears, we meet Emily Bowyer, 15 and from a loving family. She has a couple of close friends and is academically successful. So what’s the big deal, right? You know, those of any "ordinary" teenager: GCSEs and the stress of it all. She basically has to find a way to balance her friends (they dump her), schoolwork (she can’t keep up) and family (the pressure is on!). And she finds a way to deal with all these issues by cutting herself. What follows is apparently an insight into the mind of a self-harmer. The introduction shows that Kenrick did a lot of research about her topic, and apparently much of it in self-harmers' online support groups (you should see some of the rave reviews these teens give the book). Anyway,… Emily’s character is intended to be believable (“this is what happens to all of us self-harmers”), but at the same time it should be able to show that this is something that can happen to anyone (careful, Emily was completely ‘normal’ too!). Kenrick is obviously very sympathetic with her topic and her main character, but for me, this is exactly what makes it all so…well, stereotypical, and samey. For me, this book doesn’t stand out from the crowd and there is very little to lift this novel out of the teenage pit of doom and despair.
Why is that? No idea, really. You could say that it’s because we basically have only Emily’s point of view and she tends to be well, depressed…but then, why is Speak such a powerful novel? Here we also only have Melinda’s mind and she doesn’t even speak! Is it because of the very rushed ending (no, not a happy ending and no, not a sad ending but you know, something in between, as it should be…). We spend 95% of the pages on Emily’s self-harm and then the ‘solution’ the book offers is just too rushed. In a matter of a few pages Emily comes to the insight that yes, it’ll be hard to stop cutting but at least after all she’s gone through, and with the right guidance, she has it in her to get better… Or is it again because I have so little in common with the topic at hand? Then, why did Wintergirls make such an incredible impression on me?
Is Red Tears a good book for self-harmers? Hell, what do I know. Kenrick does warn them in the beginning that there are some scenes that might be hard for them to take and that might trigger their errr..urges, so if you’re a self-harmer, put away your blades! Is this is a good book to get an insight into self-harmers? Probably, I mean, Emily’s character is well-developed (oh and Kenrick even makes publicity for teacher packs so it’s all very responsible and everything ). Is this a good piece of literary fiction? Nah, not so much. The line between ‘complaint’ fiction and ‘critical’ fiction really is very fine. At least that is something Red Tears proves.
March 4, 2014
This book is painful in the best possible way.
I can honestly say I have never connected so much with a character in a book about self-harm in my life. And as an ex-self-harmer, that says a lot. Normally, authors give characters super tragic backstories in order to "validate" the character's reason for cutting, as if having a super tragic life is the only reason someone turns to self-harm. Some people are perfectionists, some people have a chemical imbalance, some people have anxiety, some people can't handle life, some people just hate themselves. There are a ton of reasons someone could turn to self-harm.
And Joanna Kenrick is clearly well aware of that.
I appreciate the amount of research she has clearly done in writing this book. This was real. And I felt it. I even cried in the middle of reading this. Not because something tragic happened but because I know what Emily is feeling, I know what she's going through, and, damn it, it hurts. I have felt almost every single thing she's felt, I have had the same thoughts, and to see them on paper for once... well, it's hard.
Is literary excellence? No. Was the ending a little rushed? Hell yeah. Are some of the lead-ins for chapters repetitive? Sure. But this book is meant to accurately depict the mind of someone who self-injures. Red Tears wins a ton of points for that.
This is obviously not a representation of what every self-injurer feels and goes through. But for some us, it's pretty damn accurate.
I can honestly say I have never connected so much with a character in a book about self-harm in my life. And as an ex-self-harmer, that says a lot. Normally, authors give characters super tragic backstories in order to "validate" the character's reason for cutting, as if having a super tragic life is the only reason someone turns to self-harm. Some people are perfectionists, some people have a chemical imbalance, some people have anxiety, some people can't handle life, some people just hate themselves. There are a ton of reasons someone could turn to self-harm.
And Joanna Kenrick is clearly well aware of that.
I appreciate the amount of research she has clearly done in writing this book. This was real. And I felt it. I even cried in the middle of reading this. Not because something tragic happened but because I know what Emily is feeling, I know what she's going through, and, damn it, it hurts. I have felt almost every single thing she's felt, I have had the same thoughts, and to see them on paper for once... well, it's hard.
Is literary excellence? No. Was the ending a little rushed? Hell yeah. Are some of the lead-ins for chapters repetitive? Sure. But this book is meant to accurately depict the mind of someone who self-injures. Red Tears wins a ton of points for that.
This is obviously not a representation of what every self-injurer feels and goes through. But for some us, it's pretty damn accurate.
May 5, 2014
With the content of this book in mind it is certainly disturbing to a certain extent but if you look past that it offers a much deeper insight to the mind of a teenager in this day and age, pressured by everyone around them.Emily represents anyone and how we never know what's going on in that persons life, they may seem to have everything but there is so much more to that persons life than we think. The book gives out a message that needs to be heard by EVERYONE. And it's not just Emily herself who show the full struggle it's all the other characters in the book, their responses to Emily's self harm, the teachers, her peers, her parents and her brother who add to the emotional story of Emily's battle with depression and self harm and this book was effective in achieving what this book was supposed to achieve and I recommend this to anyone who wants a very relatable character and an insight to what could be going through anybody's mind.
September 18, 2014
This book have such a very deep expression and feelings I almost thought I was actualky Emily. Because all the words explain beautifully and really well I can almost feel all the pain and thoughts that Emily was facing. I never self harm but I could relate to how Emily feels at some point. This story literally touch my heart and breathtaking. I couldn't stop myself from crying while reading it because of how tough Emily's life is. I feel like I want to dive into it and hug her and try to help her feel better. It shows everyone have their own hard time even though their life seems perfect with straight As grades, lots of friends and normal family etc. Everyone have their own story and battle that no one knows but them only. The ending are really realistic even though its not happy ending and not finally live happily ever after. She strengthen herself to fix herself and stand up back on her life to move on to a better life.
January 8, 2012
This is a book that I read a good few years ago and has stuck with me ever since its a horrifying book that really makes you think that you have no idea whats going on in someone else head you cant really know what they are going through unless your them.
This story was captivating and thought provoking but at the same time it was awful and terrifying, to think that at 15 years old you have so much pressure and people who you think you know using you - and to get the blame for everything when this go wrong thats hard.
I had forgot what this book was called even though the story stayed with me.
I hope that to whom ever picks this book up remember that you are never alone that there will always be someone to help you all you have to do is ask. And also its okay to say no to those that demand to much of us.
Alisha x
This story was captivating and thought provoking but at the same time it was awful and terrifying, to think that at 15 years old you have so much pressure and people who you think you know using you - and to get the blame for everything when this go wrong thats hard.
I had forgot what this book was called even though the story stayed with me.
I hope that to whom ever picks this book up remember that you are never alone that there will always be someone to help you all you have to do is ask. And also its okay to say no to those that demand to much of us.
Alisha x
March 13, 2016
This book is about how a normal happy teenage girl's life slowly starts falling apart. It shows the inside of her mind and how she decides to act when something has gone wrong. She starts to suffer from depression and turns to self harming to help her get through the twists and turns of the roller coaster ride that is her life. I love how this book shows the decisions and struggles she has to go through. If anyone in real life went through these issues we would know how to deal with it and help them.
May 29, 2012
am very happy so far with this one. apparently features cutting and there's a disclaimer in the introduction 'warning if you are a self-harmer you may find parts of this book triggering. please take responsibility for your own safety.
UPDATE I GOT AN EMAIL FROM Joanna Kenrick !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
UPDATE I GOT AN EMAIL FROM Joanna Kenrick !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
October 10, 2016
i read this book a few times back when i was 13/14 and loved it, thought i'd buy a copy to reread it and i can still relate lol
i still hate emily's mum, she sounds like a fucking nightmare and makes me extra grateful that my mum's amazing and i love her brother which makes me extra pissed that my brother is such a fucking nightmare. funny, huh?
but anyway it was fun to look back on this book lol
i still hate emily's mum, she sounds like a fucking nightmare and makes me extra grateful that my mum's amazing and i love her brother which makes me extra pissed that my brother is such a fucking nightmare. funny, huh?
but anyway it was fun to look back on this book lol
December 29, 2010
This was the first book that I've read touching on self-harming so immediately it stood out as the emotions the character felt were things I didn't exactly know how to put into words.
However upon second reading I did find that it could do with more emotive description and better linkage between the chapters.
All in all, good, worthy read for a growing teen :)
However upon second reading I did find that it could do with more emotive description and better linkage between the chapters.
All in all, good, worthy read for a growing teen :)
Displaying 1 - 29 of 56 reviews