Cut

by Layla Harding

Persephone has been at home with danger all her life. One way or another, it's time to leave.

Genres: Young Adult

164 pages, Paperback

First published June 27, 2015

Reviews

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't think a single book has had as much of an impact on me as Cut by Layla Harding did. I cried far more than I care to admit, and I related so much to Persephone and her struggles. Cut is an important novel that everyone needs to read.
This book has somehow managed to both break me and fix me all at once, and I don't know if I can ever enjoy another book after reading something as beautiful as Cut.

[Karen Eisenbrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book because I know Layla Harding can write. She has a gift for fully inhabiting characters in the middle of living their lives, creating something on the page that feels absolutely real. But I did put off reading it for a little while because I usually avoid "literature of dysfunction" -- misery memoirs or novels where characters are little more than their issues. In my own youth, the first novels to be classified Young Adult were so-called "problem novels," concerned with one issue at a time: divorce, teen pregnancy, drug abuse, suicide, etc. Was this going to be one of those?

Well, yes, in the sense that main character Persephone has been "practicing suicide" and doesn't expect to be around much longer. Her home life is a mess, with her father abusing her and her mother absent through drink. She doesn't expect anyone to believe she has less than a perfect family, so doesn't speak up. Although she's a good student, she hasn't made plans for the future because she doesn't think she has one. Then a wrong number leads her to Ken, an intimidating Vietnam-era Marine Corps veteran who has a way of commanding respect -- and the truth. This unlikely pairing benefits both in ways neither expects and gives Persephone a glimpse of a different kind of escape from her life.

Part of what made this story work for me was the understated mythological underlay to the very realistic, contemporary story. The touch is light enough that it doesn't interfere with or force the plot, but I enjoyed picking up the allusions. Gruff, craggy Ken has cancer; his home is Death's realm but offers sanctuary to Persephone when she needs it. Being close to death brings her back to life.

Persephone came across as so real that when she started going to read to Ken after school, my first thought (as the parent of a recent high school graduate) was that she should be getting service hours for that. Her behavior with her parents is different from her behavior with her friend, which is different from her behavior with Ken or by herself. Yet each side of the character was believable and consistent, leading to heartfelt worry and relief on the part of this reader. I will be watching for more fiction from Layla Harding.