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Scarred
Becky was once a promising young skating star, but these days she feels numb, disconnected, and very lonely. The only way she knows to relieve pressure is to cut herself. Will Becky have the strength to save another young athlete who's skating down the same path?
168 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2007
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304 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 21, 2017
For the past day I have been reading this book, and let me just tell you I loved it. The story is great and very detailed . My only con was that it was a short book, would've enjoyed reading more chapters. Initially i thought this book wouldn't be so detailed due to it not having loads of pages, but I was proved wrong. I would definitely recommend this to any other reader.
April 18, 2015
CURRENTLY READING (post reading review way, way below):
For some reason, the self-injurer artist stereotype really bothers me. Partially because author's make the character unrealistically talented at it. I get the feeling we're headed that route.
Ah, yes, let's introduce the boy who will obviously end up being the love interest because a teenager can only overcome a mental health issue by getting in a relationship. Because that's realistic and healthy. Why do people keep doing this crap? Do you know what kind of message you're telling teens? This book better fucking surprise me and not go there.
Her mom is an extremely one dimensional character.
Is she seriously going to kind of confide in some dude she hasn't talked to in ages? Really? Because that's logical.
... She's complaining about not being able to eat junk food when she was actually competing but her trainer got to eat junk food. Newsflash, that's how being a competitive skater works. Put junk in your body and you won't be able to perform. You're supposed fuel yourself. If your lunch was such an issue for you (and btw eating a huge ass lunch in the middle of practice will make you want to hurl when you get back to exerting that much energy) your mom could have added some other healthy option. Fucking moron.
And she just suddenly decides she wants to stop cutting. No logical progression of thoughts to that moment. No inciting incident. Just because.
There's a huge victim complex going on here. Or making things incredibly black and white. This isn't how life works. She needs to take responsibility for anything she's done too (but apparently she hasn't don't anything wrong, everyone else has done things to her because she's legitimately fucking perfect). Authors need to stop doing this kind of thing. Nothing is this black and white. Not even self injury despite what the professionals will tell you.
If she "suddenly remembers" one more thing, I might scream. That makes her sound incredibly unreliable. As in "making shit up" unreliable.
How forced is the dialogue and half the situations here?
You don't recognize the arch supports falling out of your skates when you've talked about them for 50 fucking pages? I call bullshit.
You know, I'd be more interested in reading a story about Errol. I'd like to know what's going on with him. That behavior is not normal.
She's using her cuts to threaten someone (and blaming it entirely on one person, which isn't how life works, once again). And Zofia is acting all scared of them. This is the dumbest fucking book.
DONE READING:
... No. Just no.
For some reason, the self-injurer artist stereotype really bothers me. Partially because author's make the character unrealistically talented at it. I get the feeling we're headed that route.
Ah, yes, let's introduce the boy who will obviously end up being the love interest because a teenager can only overcome a mental health issue by getting in a relationship. Because that's realistic and healthy. Why do people keep doing this crap? Do you know what kind of message you're telling teens? This book better fucking surprise me and not go there.
Her mom is an extremely one dimensional character.
Is she seriously going to kind of confide in some dude she hasn't talked to in ages? Really? Because that's logical.
... She's complaining about not being able to eat junk food when she was actually competing but her trainer got to eat junk food. Newsflash, that's how being a competitive skater works. Put junk in your body and you won't be able to perform. You're supposed fuel yourself. If your lunch was such an issue for you (and btw eating a huge ass lunch in the middle of practice will make you want to hurl when you get back to exerting that much energy) your mom could have added some other healthy option. Fucking moron.
And she just suddenly decides she wants to stop cutting. No logical progression of thoughts to that moment. No inciting incident. Just because.
There's a huge victim complex going on here. Or making things incredibly black and white. This isn't how life works. She needs to take responsibility for anything she's done too (but apparently she hasn't don't anything wrong, everyone else has done things to her because she's legitimately fucking perfect). Authors need to stop doing this kind of thing. Nothing is this black and white. Not even self injury despite what the professionals will tell you.
If she "suddenly remembers" one more thing, I might scream. That makes her sound incredibly unreliable. As in "making shit up" unreliable.
How forced is the dialogue and half the situations here?
You don't recognize the arch supports falling out of your skates when you've talked about them for 50 fucking pages? I call bullshit.
You know, I'd be more interested in reading a story about Errol. I'd like to know what's going on with him. That behavior is not normal.
She's using her cuts to threaten someone (and blaming it entirely on one person, which isn't how life works, once again). And Zofia is acting all scared of them. This is the dumbest fucking book.
DONE READING:
... No. Just no.
May 12, 2008
Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com
Becky, a once hopeful, competitive figure-skater, has stopped competing. She knows she has disappointed her parents, especially her mother.
When not out selling real estate, Becky's mother is absorbed in health magazines and planning meals that are designed to "help" her daughter keep the weight off. Thankfully, Becky is not the only target of her mother's desire for perfection. Errol, Becky's older brother, has managed to be a disappointment as well. His hours with a therapist don't seem to help much, as he has dropped out of school and spends all his time in his room building models.
To relieve the pressure, Becky has found a release in cutting herself. Filled with shame and confusion, she is not sure why it helps, but the act of self-mutilation takes away the out-of-control feeling Becky so often experiences. Her best friend is now the Swiss Army knife she keeps in the pencil box on her desk.
Still fond of skating, Becky spends her summer days teaching figure-skating to beginners at a local indoor rink. Working with the little girls keeps her mind busy and gets her out of the house and away from her nagging mother. When one of the girls is about to begin working with Becky's old Olympic-caliber coach, repressed memories of the coach's abuse begin to surface. How can she let this abusive coach mistreat yet another fragile, young skater?
Monique Polak tells Becky's story in direct, no-nonsense prose. The less than 150-page book deals with the increasingly popular teen dilemma of self-inflicted pain. There are suggestions about the underlying causes for cutting and ways regain control. SCARRED is ideal for reluctant readers or anyone wanting more knowledge about cutting and other forms of self-mutilation.
Becky, a once hopeful, competitive figure-skater, has stopped competing. She knows she has disappointed her parents, especially her mother.
When not out selling real estate, Becky's mother is absorbed in health magazines and planning meals that are designed to "help" her daughter keep the weight off. Thankfully, Becky is not the only target of her mother's desire for perfection. Errol, Becky's older brother, has managed to be a disappointment as well. His hours with a therapist don't seem to help much, as he has dropped out of school and spends all his time in his room building models.
To relieve the pressure, Becky has found a release in cutting herself. Filled with shame and confusion, she is not sure why it helps, but the act of self-mutilation takes away the out-of-control feeling Becky so often experiences. Her best friend is now the Swiss Army knife she keeps in the pencil box on her desk.
Still fond of skating, Becky spends her summer days teaching figure-skating to beginners at a local indoor rink. Working with the little girls keeps her mind busy and gets her out of the house and away from her nagging mother. When one of the girls is about to begin working with Becky's old Olympic-caliber coach, repressed memories of the coach's abuse begin to surface. How can she let this abusive coach mistreat yet another fragile, young skater?
Monique Polak tells Becky's story in direct, no-nonsense prose. The less than 150-page book deals with the increasingly popular teen dilemma of self-inflicted pain. There are suggestions about the underlying causes for cutting and ways regain control. SCARRED is ideal for reluctant readers or anyone wanting more knowledge about cutting and other forms of self-mutilation.
January 1, 2014
I've been reading books about mental health issues with a focus on adolescents. Part of my current teaching job involves a program for such kids. I'm trying to learn more about issues I didn't understand well and have read several "how to treat" or theory books on self-harm, as well as a good memoir. I thought I'd give this fictional memoir a shot and felt it was also helpful in understanding the issue of cutting in young people. I am also hopeful that it might be useful to share with some of the students who are also facing this issue.
January 11, 2014
I liked it a lot. It told of the long and harrowing self- mutilation road Becky was taking. There were definitely emotional parts in the story where you could actually feel bad for the character and others involved. However, I found some of the parts a little sudden, like when she finally remembered Zofia. I found the conclusion satisfying though. Becky was finally able to stand up for herself :]
A great read. I would recommend.
A great read. I would recommend.
July 25, 2012
Do not allow the summary posted on the cover to mislead you. In this, Becky is still a teenager and not the coaching adult thecover leads you to believe who must save the pupil she is coaching from harming herself. Rather Becky is coaching young girls.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews