Finding Katie by Ms Harmony Kent

by Harmony Kent

I killed someone, you see. I killed the girl, who used to be me.I’m Kate … Kate Charlesworth. I’m seventeen, and self-harming. This time I cut too deep, and I’m in hospital. I hadn’t meant for it to be so bad—it just sort of happened. I needed a lot of distraction that day.You’ve had bad days, right? Days it hurts too much to think. Days you just wanna stay in bed. Days when the world needs to go away for a while. Right?What do you do when you’ve hit rock bottom? When there’s nowhere left to turn? This one little mistake lands me back on a psych unit—the last place I wanna be. Only this time, the nurse I end up with isn’t content to stick on a band-aid and send me home. She wants me to face my demons. But to do that, I’ll have to face who I am … who I used to be … I’ll have to find Katie.

Paperback

First published April 3, 2015

About the author

Harmony Kent is an award-winning multi-genre author of non-fiction, author education, poetry, and fun fiction books that hook.

Along with being an avid reader and writer, she also offers reviews and supports her fellow authors. Harmony works hard to promote and protect high standards within the publishing arena. Always on the look out for talent and excellence, she will freely promote any authors or books who she feels have these attributes.

As well as writing, Harmony offers editing, proofreading, and book formatting services.
With her extensive knowledge, experience, and dedication, she assists fellow authors in achieving their literary goals.

Let's create books that resonate with readers and leave a lasting impact!

Harmony lives in Cornwall, England.


Find Harmony wherever she is online at: https://harmonykent.carrd.co/

Reviews

[Fiza Pathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Finding Katie’ by the highly acclaimed and stellar author Harmony Kent is worthy of all praise and happens to be one of the most unputdownable Y.A. books I’ve ever read in a long time. The novel was gripping, powerful, and skillfully penned. The book is so well written that I was finding excuses during my heavy workday schedule to get back to my Kindle to read this book.

The book deals with young adults and their stay at a rehabilitation centre. Most of these young individuals have suffered trauma and abuse in various ways. They reside at this particular centre to recoup and to try to get back on their feet and live healthier lives. But for this to happen, they have to realize that sometimes, for things to start getting ‘better’, they first have to get ‘quite worse’! One day, a young self-harming young lady called Kate enters this establishment. Whether her life changes for the better or the worse or in-between, that is what one can find out by picking a copy of this engaging and suspenseful book today! Grab your copy, ‘Finding Katie’ is worth it!

I enjoyed the fast-paced narration of the text from the viewpoint of the main character. It was totally in sync with the lingo of teenagers and the character was believable, likable, and relatable. All the other characters were well developed and were living and breathing entities on the extraordinary canvas of Harmony Kent’s lucid prose. The book was suspenseful, intriguing, and tender in many places, bringing to life the various dimensions involved when one has to work with and for teenagers in such set ups.

I admire the professionality and the respect European countries, and the USA gives teenagers and young adults facing distressing abusive situations in their lives, even to the extent of providing them with the facility to continue their school education while at such a center. This is credible and well described by the author which she does with a compassionate and deft hand which was amazing and enlightening to read – we in developing countries need to really catch up in relation to this. We usually don’t even consider mental health as a priority in our working environments in third world countries, let alone in the lives of our vulnerable, particularly the young.

I was stunned and humbled by the vivid descriptions of the trials faced by some of the students and how they still managed to get up every morning to face a new day away from their loved ones and everything they considered to be ‘their home’. Certain scenes between the team members of the center and Kate are so well described and dramatically depicted that it can shake the reader to the core, and one is left still hoping for the best and rooting for the protagonist. One cannot but leave ‘Finding Katie’ without feeling proud that at least somewhere in the world, those who are facing psychological issues, abuses, and trauma are not being neglected or relegated to the blind spots of society and are human beings too. Not for the faint of heart, Harmony Kent’s words are meant to grab you by your shirt collar and pull right into the mind, heart and soul of a person battling with herself and her demons all to find three things – hope, ambition, and conviction in the fact that no one should be put in a corner. Get ready for a roller coaster journey into the very depth of Erebus from which alone can emerge a new heaven of freedom in body, mind and spirit.

I especially loved the scenes between the counsellor Mel and Kate. They are excellently crafted and take your breath away. I also loved the romantic scenes shared between Kate and her male admirer whom she encounters at the wellness center. My favorite portion in the novel is when Kate unpacks her suitcases finally in the last part of the text. What she finds there and her reaction to it is worth the read and is a tearjerker like no other. Masterfully written by an author with a heart for the afflicted, ‘Finding Katie’ is a book worth the buy and is especially meant for those suffering from serious psychological trauma and the results of being in abusive relationships both with family and outsiders.

I would highly recommend this book to be used as an awareness tool for those who are novices in this field or those considering doing volunteer work for youth suffering from neglect, anorexia, bulimia, depression, sexual abuse, etc. Parents of young individuals will also find this book helpful as well as teachers. I’d love to mention on passing the excellent editing, typesetting and total look of the book – it was totally flawless and could give the big publishers a run for their money. I always appreciate when a book is well edited and love to mention the same in my reviews, especially if the writer is an Indie-Author.

I hope to read more of Harmony Kent’s books in the near future. Harmony Kent’s ‘Finding Katie’ obviously gets 5 stars from me!

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nail-biting, overweight, seventeen year-old Kate is in a mental hospital against her will. In fact, it is not the first time. She was living with her mother, but feels as though she has been alone all her life. She is misunderstood. Her rage is explosive. And she has a secret.

This is a brutally honest look at a girl who has wanted to do herself in since the age of nine. In and out of mental hospitals, she is misdiagnosed, marginalized and bullied by other patients. She struggles to repress memories of her past, but relationships with a new psychiatric nurse and a young male patient put a chink in the armor of her self-denial and loathing. In fits and starts, the mystery of Kate’s nightmarish past surfaces. If you like brutal, psychological dramas told in first-person, you might enjoy this well-written, moving story.

[Joy Lo-Bamijoko · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is never a happy read to come across a book like Finding Kate. To think that deeds like the one recounted in this book exist, and still do, is the most painful part of this story. Young people, without a voice to defend themselves…old leeches that prey on them…and grownups who in their delusions, feign ignorance, make up this dark world, a place of no return for the helpless.

Kate, and the likes of her, turn their pain, their anger inward, on themselves rather than outward on their assailers, and so, this crime continues to be perpetrated. I know that no crime goes unpunished, and that those who perpetrate such crime against the innocent and helpless, will suffer double what they sow, plus the fact that the suffering they inflict will also be inflicted on them. The ravages of a parent’s sexual abuse on his/her child is irreparable, and the child’s cry and pain reaches straight to the heavens.

Kate will never fully be herself again, but she will come to know that she is not alone. This is a very well written account of the life of a child sexually abused by a parent who then denies doing it. That doesn’t mean it did’t happen. Denying it happened doesn’t free the perpetrator from the punishment he deserves. I am very troubled after reading this story. Anyone would.

[Natalie Ducey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kate is a seventeen year old girl broken by years of betrayal and abuse by the very hands that are supposed to protect her. Written in the first person, Kent masterfully tells Kate’s story, depicting the damaging effects on the mind, body, and spirit of a young girl. Finding Katie, by its nature, is a tough read, but Kent’s ability to portray the realism and expose the delicate layers of this raw reality is flawless. This is a book that you will not be able to put down because you actually become invested in this young girl’s survival.

It is a poignant and compelling read that will certainly evoke an emotional response. So much so, you will smile when there are glimpses of hope. I highly recommend this book to anyone trying to understand the complexities of this reality. Bravo Kent!

[Kim Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding Katie is an excellent, well-written book. Written in first person, you experience the feelings, thoughts, heartache, etc. of a disturbed young woman of seventeen who struggles to find the girl she used to be. Ms. Kent handled the sensitive topics of abuse and self-harming like an expert.

I had a hard time putting it down once I started reading, but since I had to go back to work, I had no choice. However, I may have been late a few times as I dragged myself away kicking and screaming. Great job, Harmony Kent.

[Deb McEwan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t think I’d like to know what goes on in the head of a seventeen year old, but I really enjoyed this book, despite some of the horrendous subject matter. Katie self-harms and as the story unravels we discover the reason she has so many mental health issues. It is very hard to read in parts and I could have screamed at the behaviour of some of the adults and the injustice of the system – this made the story seem very real.
It takes guts and talent to tackle the subjects dealt with in this book and Harmony Kent has both in bucketloads. Challenging reading but highly recommended.

[Yvette Calleiro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This book captivated me from page one. It's about a 17-year old with a traumatic past who has no healthy way of dealing with it. From page one, you become immersed in her voice and her anger and despair and self-depreciating personality. You feel her apathy as well as her fight against the world. This book is SO powerful!

I found this book to be quite realistic as to how a person who has found themselves in Kate's situation might feel and react. The emotions and inner voice are raw and real. I couldn't help but feel for Kate, and I loved Mel's persistence and the strategies she used to get Kate to open up.

This book is not for everyone, though it's one of those books that I want to recommend to the whole world! That I'm aware of, it's not a true story, but there are SO many children who experience these issues. As a society, we are so quick to blame the child for misbehavior or for behaviors that do not fit into the norm. We don't want to dig too deep for fear that we will become dragged into a deeper issue, but these children need someone who cares enough to dig deep enough. Teachers, psychologists, and nurses are usually the ones who try, but sometimes the system works in favor of the adults. I hope this book sheds some light on the need for adults to reach out to children and teens who are struggling so that kids can get the help they need with their first cry for help.

[D.L. Finn · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Finding Katie” is a beautifully written story about a difficult subject. Katie’s a seventeen-year-old girl who cuts herself to deal with childhood abuse and flashbacks. Being written in first-person present really pulled me into the story and I found it a hard book to put down. Katie ends up in a mental institute after she cuts herself too deeply. Although this isn’t light reading, I found a glimmer of hope when a nurse stepped in to help this young woman. I rooted for Katie and felt her pain as she opened-up to herself. This may have been a fictional tale, but this is a reality for some children. I finished this with a little more understanding of the people who pull others out of that darkness created by their loved ones. I highly recommend this psychological thriller.

[Gwendolyn Plano · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very emotional read for me. As a former university administrator, I worked with young women who, like Katie, cut themselves. It is a problem, hidden under long sleeves and layers of sweaters, that shrouds deeper wounds -- just like that of Katie. I commend Harmony Kent for writing about a topic that is frightening to most and probably repellant to others. Her sensitivity, in describing the rush and the absolution that is experienced in self-harm, is simply extraordinary. I don't recommend this book to everyone, because of the topic. But, precisely because of the topic, I wish everyone would read it.

[Karen Ingalls · Rating 5 out of 5]

A heart wrenching account of a seventeen year old who does self-cutting to deal with the pain of her abusive and unloving childhood. She is put in institutions and slowly works through her demons and finds herself. It was hard to read some of the passages knowing that this situation is true for too many people. Well written. I thank the author for bringing attention to the act of self-cutting which does occur too often.

[Maureen Twomey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gripping novel! It's not a "light" read, but I was rooting for Kate every step of the way!

[Robin Chambers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this a fascinating, revealing and affirming read. I normally avoid books written in the continuous present, but there are occasions when that ‘oral’ way of telling a story is absolutely appropriate; and this is one of them.
Kate’s history of eating disorder, self-loathing and self-harm clearly indicates how deeply damaged she is. She suffered systematic abuse throughout her childhood and early adolescence. She had an obsessive-compulsive, violent, cruel mother and a sexually abusive father, and it was drummed into her that everything bad that ever happened to her at home happened because she was a disobedient, selfish, wicked, corrupt daughter. Only when she cuts too deep at the age of seventeen does she find herself in a place where slowly, gradually, she can begin to heal and find again the child she was before her grandmother died and her father’s abuse began – when she was nine years old…
This book has particular personal resonance for me. I am still in almost daily communication with a former pupil (now in her late forties) with whom I had weekly, one-hour, after-school sessions from when she was 13 to when she left school at 16. She was victimised by bullies like Carly and never dared admit it at the time. She was/is highly intelligent and - like Kate and Harmony and me - loved literature. Like Kate too, she had been conditioned by her highly abusive family into believing that she was the daughter from hell for attempting to resist their systematic abuse. The eating disorder, the self-harm, the secrecy, the self-loathing were exactly as Harmony Kent’s character portrays them. Many of the things Kate says about herself and how she feels eerily echoed the attitudes and feelings that were expressed to me by that desperately unhappy girl all those years ago. Like Kate, she got away from them as soon as she was able.
What Harmony Kent is revealing here is the tip of an iceberg. How many girls are growing up right now within sexually and psychologically abusive families, hiding the systematic abuse of children behind their closed doors? How many of those abusive parents were themselves abused as children? And how many girls – and, to a lesser extent, boys - never dare to tell, and are doomed to suffer the destructive repercussions throughout their adult lives?
This is a well-written book, but it’s the author’s bravery in writing it that I am applauding. Many abuse victims will absolutely identify with it, if they are lucky enough ever to come across it. Reading it will help those fortunate enough to have had a caring, supportive, loving childhood to better understand the challenges faced by the considerable numbers of children who didn’t. I would like to see it sensitively taught in colleges and at the senior end of schools.
Please read it. It should be read by as many people as possible: for only then can it play its rightful part in helping to make this deeply damaged world a better place.

[Gracie Bradford · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend reading "Finding Katie" by Harmony Kent. Epic. Riveting. I was mesmerized by how vivid the author describes the hunt for Katie. She pulls you into the story with twists that you could not imagine. Nothing like I expected. A story that brings out so many emotions. The lead character, Katie, is developed exceptionally well. Katie is a troubled teen that secretly endures unimaginable horror from age seven to age seventeen from folks you don’t expect. She carries the fear inside for ten years without speaking about it to anyone until the internal mental pain overflows out of control. Katie cannot forge normal relationships until Katie finds Katie. She is forced to face her demons by people she did not expect to take an interest in her plight. The author scores again.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the story of Katie, who has been admitted to a psychiatric institution. It may not be for everyone as it contains themes of self-harm and sexual abuse. It's written in first person and so you really get to experience everything that Katie is feeling. Harmony did a great job of getting into the mind of a seventeen year old. In my opinion this is superbly written. I felt Katie's sense of self-loathing and held my breath every time she was tempted to self-harm to take away the pain she was feeling. But it's not all sad. There were uplifting moments, friendships formed, and even a little romance. Adam was the sweetest guy, who had problems of his own. Overall this book gives the message of hope. Kudos to Harmony for tackling a serious subject with such sensitivity.

[Stevie Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written tale from the perspective of a 17 year old girl. Kate is a victim of childhood abuse, and uses self-harm as a way of dealing with flashbacks. She wakes up in hospital, and initially rebels when she is sent off to a locked institution for rehabilitation and therapy. However, the staff are kind, and Kate begins to wonder if she might one day find happiness........

This book would not appeal to everybody, especially those of a depressive nature, but Ms Kent has obviously done her research well. Well done to the author for choosing to write about such a sensitive and difficult topic.

[James Sinclair · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have just finished reading Harmony Kent’s FINDING KATIE. It is a book that takes you into the mind of a troubled and disturbed teenager who is set on self-harm. Katie gives vent to her thoughts and feelings throughout the book – some positive and some negative. She is institutionalised in a mental hospital, and tries hard to form relationships with her fellow internees and the staff. She struggles to find herself and with the help and support of the hospital staff she slowly begins to find herself and come to terms with the abuse she suffered as a child. Harmony Kent has written the book with her usual skill and candour in handling this difficult subject.

[Matthew Armstrong · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book starts with Katie a teenage girl waking up in hospital after self-harming. After some self talk, she decided to try and escape but is stopped by the nursing staff and subsequently sent to a children's psychiatric ward, where she is to stay until they deem her fit to enter the real world again. During her stay here, we learn about what it must be like for someone in this position and start to connect with Katie as she slowly shares her inner thoughts and eventually we learn how she came to be in this position in the first place (I won't spoil it for you). This well-researched book makes for an interesting and thought-provoking read. Well done Harmony Kent.

[Gisele Siegmund · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved the premise for this story; it reminded me of a girl I knew growing up who used to cut herself (I never asked her why ... but she was also in and out of hospitals. I lost touch with her but later found out she became a psychologist). The author did a great job of creating a realistic character in order to bring the reader into Katie's unfortunate predicament. A child should never have to suffer like she did, but the sad truth is that there are a lot of Katies in the world. after being a part of her journey it was nice to see her find herself again.