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Pieces of You
Wise, tough, heart-breaking, funny, this compulsive love story is about facing your demons.
Fifteen-year-old Rebecca McQuilten moves with her parents to a new city. Lonely but trying to fit in, she goes to a party, but that's when things really fall apart.
I couldn't tell anyone what had happened. Especially since I was the new girl in town. Who would want to believe me?
Things look up when she meets gregarious sixteen-year-old Cory Marshall.
'You're funny, Becs,' Cory said.
'You have no idea,' I said, and clearly he didn't, but I was smiling anyway.
And after that, he was all I could think about.
Cory helps Rebecca believe in herself and piece her life back together; but that's before he shatters it all over again . . .
333 pages, Paperback
First published May 29, 2017
12 people are currently reading
351 people want to read
About the author
Eileen Merriman
25 books109 followersEileen Merriman works full-time as a consultant haematologist at North Shore Hospital. Her writing has appeared in a number of national and international journals and anthologies, including Smokelong Quarterly, The Island Review, Literary Orphans, the Bath Short Story Award Anthology 2015, the Sunday Star-Times, F(r)iction, takahe, Headland and Flash Frontier. Her first novel was Pieces of You, with reviewers calling it 'compulsively readable' and 'compelling, challenging, and heartbreaking'. It was a 2018 Storylines Notable Book and, along with her second novel, it was shortlisted for the NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults.
Her other awards include runner-up in the 2018 Sunday Star-Times Short Story Award, third for three consecutive years in the 2014-2016 Sunday Star-Times Short Story Awards, second in the 2015 Bath Flash Fiction Award, commended in the 2015 Bath Short Story Competition, and first place in the 2015 Graeme Lay Short Story Competition.
Her other awards include runner-up in the 2018 Sunday Star-Times Short Story Award, third for three consecutive years in the 2014-2016 Sunday Star-Times Short Story Awards, second in the 2015 Bath Flash Fiction Award, commended in the 2015 Bath Short Story Competition, and first place in the 2015 Graeme Lay Short Story Competition.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
July 23, 2017
Rebecca isn’t looking forward to her new life in Auckland and when she’s assaulted on the way home from a party, she can’t see how the move can possibly turn out okay. She starts cutting herself while cutting herself off from everyone around her – until Cory, the boy next door, breaks his way through her barriers. Cory can’t save her, but maybe she can manage to save him.
This book is … iffy. I wouldn’t say it’s all the way to problematic but it’s definitely not perfect. The writing isn’t great and the characterisation is poor. The plot was a little left of centre but it was more frustrating than interesting. And then there’s the treatment of mental illness.
I’ll be kind first: Merriman handles the sexual assault, and the PTSD resulting from it, very well. Rebecca’s triggers were clear and consistent and her reactions were reasonable. But she never tells anyone so she doesn’t receive help for it and that’s not okay. It’s also not okay that
It’s very clear in the middle sections of the novel that Cory has some sort of mental illness too. I couldn’t decide if it was straight depression or some kind of bipolar disorder. And I was not surprised when Keep it simple and actually execute what you’ve been building up to.
Then there’s the self-harm. Ugh, the self-harm. Novels like this are why we need trigger warnings on books – to warn me about the content and to be on the lookout for shitty representation.
For those of you who don’t know, I’ve struggled with self-harm since 2008 and was diagnosed with severe clinical depression in 2009. And the first instance I knew this book was going to annoy me came on the first page.
My actual thought process: Oh sweetie, you can do so much damage with a safety razor. I’ve got nearly 10 years’ worth of scars to prove it.
I knew from then on that this was going to be tedious and it was. Merriman clearly did absolutely minimal research into self-harm. There was no evidence throughout the novel that she understood the ritualism, habit, and secrecy that most people cloud their self-harm in. And she didn’t seem to have a clue the lengths some people will go to for release.
When you’re that desperate, you will try anything and you will find ways to make them work. The first time I cut myself was with a blunt knife in the dark. It took me an hour to break the skin, even though I was trying pretty damn hard. I’ve heard of people using the corners of furniture, bits of broken glass, keys, safety scissors, pencils, even just fingernails. I didn’t buy that Rebecca had to use a utility knife refill and I resented that choice of a tool because they are so dangerous. Self-harmers know what will take us too far and since most self-harmers aren’t trying to kill themselves, it’s unrealistic to portray us using something so dangerous.
And no self-harmer I’ve ever met goes around with their scars easily seen. None of them just admit, whether asked or not, that they cut themselves. And what kind of parents find out their teenager is cutting themselves and don’t do anything about it? If Rebecca’s parents were abusive or something, I’d have bought it, but not when they were concerned enough to ask and find out. Granted, they did eventually take her to a psychologist but those two scenes were so inconsequential I don’t feel they really count.
Then there was the most unpleasant line in the book:
She fell in love with him the day he encouraged her self-harm? No thanks. That line literally made me want to vomit. That whole thing where they cut each other and “bound themselves to each other” was gross, both in a literal sense and in how it romanticised Rebecca’s self-harm. It’s 2017, aren’t we past that harmful trope yet?
There are a lot of things about this novel that feels like they’re stuck 10 years ago. The use of “transv*stite” made me outwardly cringe. The thinly veiled racism towards Maori people - despite Cory being half-Maori. All the female characters being bitchy and nasty all the time even when there was no reason to be.
I didn’t like this novel. It took some of the things that are most important to me (New Zealand, representing self-harm) and tainted them with poor writing and awful characterisation. I was so excited to read this book – to help support an even smaller publishing industry than my own – and it’s just been disappointing. I’ll keep looking for New Zealand YA, but I won’t be looking for anymore Eileen Merriman books anytime soon.
This book is … iffy. I wouldn’t say it’s all the way to problematic but it’s definitely not perfect. The writing isn’t great and the characterisation is poor. The plot was a little left of centre but it was more frustrating than interesting. And then there’s the treatment of mental illness.
I’ll be kind first: Merriman handles the sexual assault, and the PTSD resulting from it, very well. Rebecca’s triggers were clear and consistent and her reactions were reasonable. But she never tells anyone so she doesn’t receive help for it and that’s not okay. It’s also not okay that
It’s very clear in the middle sections of the novel that Cory has some sort of mental illness too. I couldn’t decide if it was straight depression or some kind of bipolar disorder. And I was not surprised when Keep it simple and actually execute what you’ve been building up to.
Then there’s the self-harm. Ugh, the self-harm. Novels like this are why we need trigger warnings on books – to warn me about the content and to be on the lookout for shitty representation.
For those of you who don’t know, I’ve struggled with self-harm since 2008 and was diagnosed with severe clinical depression in 2009. And the first instance I knew this book was going to annoy me came on the first page.
“I quickly realised there was no way I was going to cause more than a nick with [a safety razor].”
My actual thought process: Oh sweetie, you can do so much damage with a safety razor. I’ve got nearly 10 years’ worth of scars to prove it.
I knew from then on that this was going to be tedious and it was. Merriman clearly did absolutely minimal research into self-harm. There was no evidence throughout the novel that she understood the ritualism, habit, and secrecy that most people cloud their self-harm in. And she didn’t seem to have a clue the lengths some people will go to for release.
When you’re that desperate, you will try anything and you will find ways to make them work. The first time I cut myself was with a blunt knife in the dark. It took me an hour to break the skin, even though I was trying pretty damn hard. I’ve heard of people using the corners of furniture, bits of broken glass, keys, safety scissors, pencils, even just fingernails. I didn’t buy that Rebecca had to use a utility knife refill and I resented that choice of a tool because they are so dangerous. Self-harmers know what will take us too far and since most self-harmers aren’t trying to kill themselves, it’s unrealistic to portray us using something so dangerous.
And no self-harmer I’ve ever met goes around with their scars easily seen. None of them just admit, whether asked or not, that they cut themselves. And what kind of parents find out their teenager is cutting themselves and don’t do anything about it? If Rebecca’s parents were abusive or something, I’d have bought it, but not when they were concerned enough to ask and find out. Granted, they did eventually take her to a psychologist but those two scenes were so inconsequential I don’t feel they really count.
Then there was the most unpleasant line in the book:
“I ran my fingers along the scars that bound us, … ‘This is when I fell in love with you.’” (pg 160)
She fell in love with him the day he encouraged her self-harm? No thanks. That line literally made me want to vomit. That whole thing where they cut each other and “bound themselves to each other” was gross, both in a literal sense and in how it romanticised Rebecca’s self-harm. It’s 2017, aren’t we past that harmful trope yet?
There are a lot of things about this novel that feels like they’re stuck 10 years ago. The use of “transv*stite” made me outwardly cringe. The thinly veiled racism towards Maori people - despite Cory being half-Maori. All the female characters being bitchy and nasty all the time even when there was no reason to be.
I didn’t like this novel. It took some of the things that are most important to me (New Zealand, representing self-harm) and tainted them with poor writing and awful characterisation. I was so excited to read this book – to help support an even smaller publishing industry than my own – and it’s just been disappointing. I’ll keep looking for New Zealand YA, but I won’t be looking for anymore Eileen Merriman books anytime soon.
May 29, 2017
Thanks to Penguin Books for sending me an ARC for this book! If I were to sum Pieces of You up, I'd say it's a story about acceptance, young love and untold secrets. It deals with the themes of mental health and self-harm which are indeed very sensitive and challenging topics to tackle but I feel that they were well portrayed by the author through the main character's actions and feelings. Although there was some character development, I wish there had been more of a change, especially in Rebecca's constant self-depreciation, towards the end. I also had trouble relating to the main character since I found her behavior quite rude multiple times, making it hard for me to like her. The ending however had the greatest emotional impact on me as I did not see the plot twist coming and was quite taken aback from it. Overall, I'd rate this book three out of five stars.
June 14, 2019
This was beautiful, raw, crushing and masterfully told. My chest aches.
June 26, 2017
Rebecca hates her new school and new home far away from her friends in another city. She's lonely and lost. When invited to a party, she goes to try and make friends and maybe fit in a little more. But on the way home, drunk and alone she encounters a group of boys where one of them takes advantage of her condition. She escapes before she it goes too far but is left with feelings of intense grief, loneliness and guilt that it was her fault. She begins to cut herself.
But then there is Cory Marshall. He is the boy next door, friendly, funny and handsome and over a shared love of books and poetry, they become friends and then a couple. But the boy that hurt her is one of Cory's friends and she can't be anywhere he is. Every time she bails on Cory (parties and school ball), he gets more confused and then angry with her. But Cory is dealing with his own demons.....
Eileen Merriman is new to the NZ Teen Fiction stage after winning many awards for other writing. Pieces of you is a stunning teen debut. The characters are real, believable and well written and any fans of David Levithan, Jon Green or Jandy Nelson will love them.
But then there is Cory Marshall. He is the boy next door, friendly, funny and handsome and over a shared love of books and poetry, they become friends and then a couple. But the boy that hurt her is one of Cory's friends and she can't be anywhere he is. Every time she bails on Cory (parties and school ball), he gets more confused and then angry with her. But Cory is dealing with his own demons.....
Eileen Merriman is new to the NZ Teen Fiction stage after winning many awards for other writing. Pieces of you is a stunning teen debut. The characters are real, believable and well written and any fans of David Levithan, Jon Green or Jandy Nelson will love them.
January 2, 2018
Mental illness deserves to be treated with a little less candour than being a footnote to a teen romance.
August 28, 2020
This book has been on my TBR list for quite some time. A good novel for older teens, with themes of fitting in, coming of age, first love, family and self-harm. The characters felt real, although the adults were a bit flat. Always nice to read something for teens set in New Zealand!
June 8, 2017
i actually get so excited when i read a book set in new zealand or written by a kiwi author. these things aren't very easy to find.
i was super excited when pieces of you arrived. it came with a bunch of little promotional gifts, which was the cutest thing ever. the items related to the book in different ways - it was really creative! i didn't request this book, and a friends review made me a little less excited to read this book, but i'm so glad i did.
i didn't like the book or the characters at first. it took a bit to grow on me. by the end of it, i still didn't like the characters that much, but i loved the plot and writing style. i loved the fact that pieces of you was set in new zealand?????!?!?!?! can you believe?!
okay. so pieces of you tackles some pretty serious issues. there should definitely be trigger warnings for self harm, rape and (possibly?) suicide. these are in no way spoilers. i found certain parts difficult to read and i probably would've dnf'd it had i not been reading it so quickly.
i thought it was very interesting being in rebecca's mind. there were times when she annoyed me, but overall i quite enjoyed her as a protagonist. i wish she had more character development. she didn't change much from start to end.
i think the biggest character change was cory. in saying that, i'm still confused as to what happened/why towards the end. either i was reading it too fast and missed important details, or it wasn't properly explained in the first place.
the ending has a huge twist that i didn't see coming. honestly, it was such a surprise i thought it was a joke at first. i can't believe.
i rated pieces of you 4 stars, although it kinda falls in the 3 - 4 star mark. i can't quite decide. it's definitely a good book and well worth the read.
i was super excited when pieces of you arrived. it came with a bunch of little promotional gifts, which was the cutest thing ever. the items related to the book in different ways - it was really creative! i didn't request this book, and a friends review made me a little less excited to read this book, but i'm so glad i did.
i didn't like the book or the characters at first. it took a bit to grow on me. by the end of it, i still didn't like the characters that much, but i loved the plot and writing style. i loved the fact that pieces of you was set in new zealand?????!?!?!?! can you believe?!
okay. so pieces of you tackles some pretty serious issues. there should definitely be trigger warnings for self harm, rape and (possibly?) suicide. these are in no way spoilers. i found certain parts difficult to read and i probably would've dnf'd it had i not been reading it so quickly.
i thought it was very interesting being in rebecca's mind. there were times when she annoyed me, but overall i quite enjoyed her as a protagonist. i wish she had more character development. she didn't change much from start to end.
i think the biggest character change was cory. in saying that, i'm still confused as to what happened/why towards the end. either i was reading it too fast and missed important details, or it wasn't properly explained in the first place.
the ending has a huge twist that i didn't see coming. honestly, it was such a surprise i thought it was a joke at first. i can't believe.
i rated pieces of you 4 stars, although it kinda falls in the 3 - 4 star mark. i can't quite decide. it's definitely a good book and well worth the read.
May 24, 2017
There are so many books that try to address topics such as the ones in Pieces of You that either fall flat or feel cheap, but the way that this book addressed issues such as mental health problems was PHENOMENAL - they were neither danced around and/or ignored, or bluntly stated.
Pieces of You was so full of emotion that I felt like I was reading someone's diary or journal, and there were times I wanted to simply reach in and hug Rebecca. It was so beautifully written that I felt what she felt along with her, and had to occasionally pause to simply take in the events of the book - then dive right back in to absorb the next chapter.
Some of the quotes jumped out of the page and spoke to me, so much so that I had to write some of them down, and I related to so many aspects, as I can see a wide range of others doing.
I flew through this book - I sat down at 4.30pm to read, and finished at 9pm because I simply could not put it down.
The contact numbers of the support services at the back was a beautiful addition, and just shows that time, care and consideration was put in to this.
This was one of my favourite reads of the year, and I highly recommend it.
Pieces of You was so full of emotion that I felt like I was reading someone's diary or journal, and there were times I wanted to simply reach in and hug Rebecca. It was so beautifully written that I felt what she felt along with her, and had to occasionally pause to simply take in the events of the book - then dive right back in to absorb the next chapter.
Some of the quotes jumped out of the page and spoke to me, so much so that I had to write some of them down, and I related to so many aspects, as I can see a wide range of others doing.
I flew through this book - I sat down at 4.30pm to read, and finished at 9pm because I simply could not put it down.
The contact numbers of the support services at the back was a beautiful addition, and just shows that time, care and consideration was put in to this.
This was one of my favourite reads of the year, and I highly recommend it.
June 19, 2017
Two broken souls enveloping each other, mending then shattering. It is one of those unputdownable books and I read it in a heart beat. The book ends on a positive note - hope, promise of healing..but somehow it has left me with world sadness..about all the hardship and heartbreaks people go through. everyday. I think I will feel sad for the world for the next few days.
June 19, 2017
I received a copy of Pieces of You from Penguin Random House New Zealand to review.
I haven’t read many books set in New Zealand so when I saw Pieces of You was by a New Zealand author and set here too I had to read it.
Pieces of You focuses on some heavy topics, like sexual assault and cutting. I thought the author handled both well. But I’ve never experienced either personally. I had friends who used to cut themselves in high school so I do understand some of the reasons behind it.
I found this book really addictive and I didn’t want to put it down. I’m not going to judge Rebecca for the choices she made because I’ve never been in the horrible situation she was in at the start of the book. But I will say that I don’t agree with her reasoning. I don’t want to give anything away so I’m not going to say anything else about it. Other than what she did at the end, I thought that was amazing.
I kind of thought there was something going on with Cory, with all the sick days he was having, like depression or something. But it wasn’t really mentioned. I really liked Rebecca and Cory together so what happened came as a complete shock. I’ve actually been thinking about it since I finished the book. Cory has stayed with me for a couple of days now.
I was confused why Rebecca thought that being from Dunedin was a bad thing? I don’t think Dunedin is hicksville but that’s how Rebecca put it in one sentence. I’ve never been but I know people who live there. Maybe it was just because Auckland is a city? I don’t know. But I wouldn’t say Dunedin was hicksville…
Anyway, I really enjoyed Pieces of You. It was so addictive and I also loved that I’d been reading about somewhere I’ve actually been to for a change. I’ll be keeping an eye out for other YA books by Eileen. Hopefully she’ll write more.
I haven’t read many books set in New Zealand so when I saw Pieces of You was by a New Zealand author and set here too I had to read it.
Pieces of You focuses on some heavy topics, like sexual assault and cutting. I thought the author handled both well. But I’ve never experienced either personally. I had friends who used to cut themselves in high school so I do understand some of the reasons behind it.
I found this book really addictive and I didn’t want to put it down. I’m not going to judge Rebecca for the choices she made because I’ve never been in the horrible situation she was in at the start of the book. But I will say that I don’t agree with her reasoning. I don’t want to give anything away so I’m not going to say anything else about it. Other than what she did at the end, I thought that was amazing.
I kind of thought there was something going on with Cory, with all the sick days he was having, like depression or something. But it wasn’t really mentioned. I really liked Rebecca and Cory together so what happened came as a complete shock. I’ve actually been thinking about it since I finished the book. Cory has stayed with me for a couple of days now.
I was confused why Rebecca thought that being from Dunedin was a bad thing? I don’t think Dunedin is hicksville but that’s how Rebecca put it in one sentence. I’ve never been but I know people who live there. Maybe it was just because Auckland is a city? I don’t know. But I wouldn’t say Dunedin was hicksville…
Anyway, I really enjoyed Pieces of You. It was so addictive and I also loved that I’d been reading about somewhere I’ve actually been to for a change. I’ll be keeping an eye out for other YA books by Eileen. Hopefully she’ll write more.
October 3, 2018
Fifteen year old Rebecca has enough to deal with moving to a new city with her family and having to navigate a new school and make friends. An awful incident during the summer compounds her feeling of isolation, but meeting Cory, the boy next door, starts to make things better.
Some heavy issues dealt with sensitively in this story, and the teenage voice is authentic. Look forward to reading more from this author.
Some heavy issues dealt with sensitively in this story, and the teenage voice is authentic. Look forward to reading more from this author.
January 1, 2020
Well this was a page turner! Also books never make me cry... until now. This book touches on mental health in a way that I could relate my own struggles with depression. Probably why I cried so much? Anyway this was superbly written, so stoked to have finally read this!
May 2, 2020
A good read for young adults.
June 24, 2021
Loved this book.
February 4, 2024
Good YA fiction by NZ writer. Quick, good read.
September 12, 2018
I was so invested in this book and the characters. I loved it so much argh!!!
May 31, 2017
I did enjoy this book - I think Merriman discusses self-harm and mental health issues with care, and deals with it explicitly without sensationalising it. Fair warning though, I didn't expect her to go into it with detail on the first page! It's an important book, and I love that it's a kiwi book, because we pretty much fail as a country in discussing mental health, date rape, self-harm, and suicide, so I hope that it does get a wider reading audience if only for that.
Also, props to the chapter titles. Pretty cool idea.
Also, props to the chapter titles. Pretty cool idea.
December 21, 2018
Growing up as a New Zealand teenager, there were a lot of issues in this book that I could relate to. I have many friends that suffer from mental illnesses and have lost people through them. This book was something I could emotionally attach to. I felt the frustration, sadness and happiness throughout this whole book--- and cried like a baby! But whats a good book if you don't cry? ;)
January 9, 2019
Finally a teen book I can happily recommend to teens. Either the teen books I have read have had very adult themes, or explicit sex scenes or suicides, vampires, werewolves, aliens, cults etc. All of them have been excellent in their own right but it is very hard, as a bookseller, to recommend a book for a grandma to give as a gift if it has sex scenes or suicides, no matter how much you loved the book.
Having said that, Pieces of You is about rape, but it is never said out loud, it is not described in detail, it is referred to in throw away lines... "I said no" "he hurt me" "he called me a tease".
Fifteen year old Rebecca McQuilten has moved with her family from Dunedin to Auckland (this book is by a NZ author set in NZ) She is lonely and finds it hard to fit in being the new girl. She hates her ginger hair, her shyness and misses her old friends. Things soon look up when she meets 16 year old Cory Marshall, the good looking boy next door. Both have a love of the classics, both are bit of loners, they like poetry and writing, but Cory has his own demons. Rebecca cannot tell him about her rape especially when she finds out the boy in question, Andy, is a friend of his. She is afraid she will be called a slut and dismissed as a tease. Her reluctance to go anywhere Andy is, leads to Cory thinking she doesn't really like him, and soon his problems become overwhelming.
I won't give too much else away as it would spoil the ending, but I will say for me, tears were involved.
Having said that, Pieces of You is about rape, but it is never said out loud, it is not described in detail, it is referred to in throw away lines... "I said no" "he hurt me" "he called me a tease".
Fifteen year old Rebecca McQuilten has moved with her family from Dunedin to Auckland (this book is by a NZ author set in NZ) She is lonely and finds it hard to fit in being the new girl. She hates her ginger hair, her shyness and misses her old friends. Things soon look up when she meets 16 year old Cory Marshall, the good looking boy next door. Both have a love of the classics, both are bit of loners, they like poetry and writing, but Cory has his own demons. Rebecca cannot tell him about her rape especially when she finds out the boy in question, Andy, is a friend of his. She is afraid she will be called a slut and dismissed as a tease. Her reluctance to go anywhere Andy is, leads to Cory thinking she doesn't really like him, and soon his problems become overwhelming.
I won't give too much else away as it would spoil the ending, but I will say for me, tears were involved.
Read
July 16, 2021I couldn't stop reading this. A heart-wrencher.
January 14, 2021
This book was actually pretty irresponsible. For a YA book it felt dated and try-hard. It seemed to romanticise self harm in a way that feels almost dangerous given the book’s target audience. All the women in this book were either awful or barely worth a mention. The main character’s mother was described as a nag, the other girls in her classes were awful and described as sluts for their clothing choices. It actually used the word “transvestite” in the year of our lord 2017 like what the actual fuck.
Ugh so many problems. I’ve read other books of hers and enjoyed them so might not give up on this author yet but it’s tempting.
Ugh so many problems. I’ve read other books of hers and enjoyed them so might not give up on this author yet but it’s tempting.
January 4, 2022
I LOVED this book!!
Reasons:
I live in New Zealand so the fact that this book is based in nz really helped me relate to the characters and their life
The characters were so relatable and well written
It made me cry my eyes out!!! Yes it kind of makes me not like this book because it is sad but I also really loved it!
The ending kinda sucked but I loved all the rest of the book
Reasons:
I live in New Zealand so the fact that this book is based in nz really helped me relate to the characters and their life
The characters were so relatable and well written
It made me cry my eyes out!!! Yes it kind of makes me not like this book because it is sad but I also really loved it!
The ending kinda sucked but I loved all the rest of the book
December 19, 2023
I have so much to say about this book.
I read this in less than a week which is unbelievable rare for me because I'm a snail in the reading world.
I also cried about five times because of how well descripted and sad this book is!!
I feel the need to reread this book because of how incredible it was.
Overall this book is so amazing. It describes everything and everyone so well and with so much detail. It is such an imperfect/perfect love story! Eileen never disappoints.
^TW self harm^
I read this in less than a week which is unbelievable rare for me because I'm a snail in the reading world.
I also cried about five times because of how well descripted and sad this book is!!
I feel the need to reread this book because of how incredible it was.
Overall this book is so amazing. It describes everything and everyone so well and with so much detail. It is such an imperfect/perfect love story! Eileen never disappoints.
^TW self harm^
August 15, 2017
A first novel by an Auckland based award-winning short story writer, this is clearly aimed at the Young Adult demographic. Of which I am not, well and truly in my distant past, although I have two daughters who are only recently out of the teenage years, both quite different girls who had quite different experiences of those years. So my review is very clearly tempered and coloured by my own long distant teenage memories, and also the more recent experiences of my daughters.
Aside from the first three years of life which fortunately we don't retain memory of, I would say the most traumatic time for most people is those teenage years - the years between twelve and eighteen years of age - high school. I have strong memories of hating myself, hating those around me, struggling with friendships, horrible girls, floundering, huge self doubt, complete lack of self-esteem, wishing and hoping I was adopted. Being tall, skinny, with glasses and braces was never going to be a good start to young adulthood, but somehow I made it out of all that. On the plus side my teenage years weren't burdened with social media, phones, texting or sexting, easy access to alcohol and drugs. Some of my peers were, shock horror, in sexual relationships with each other, despite the pill only just becoming mainstream, and certainly not available for teenage girls. For my girls the teenage experience has been everything as it was for me, plus all those things in that aforementioned list of burdens. All I can say about that now is I am not at all surprised there are so many unhappy, confused, bewildered teenagers and young people, with spiralling rates of depression, anxiety, thoughts of suicide, compared to 40 years ago.
The relevance of this novel, therefore, to teenagers is undeniable, particularly those of school age. The recent high level media coverage over mental health in young people and the unacceptably high rate of youth suicide in this country makes this novel doubly relevant. Good on the author for tackling such a huge subject as teenage mental and emotional health. This novel tells the story of 15 year old Rebecca who has moved with her parents from Dunedin to North Shore, Auckland. She is not happy, uprooted from her close friend group and everything familiar. So far no surprises. She starts school, finds making new friends difficult, trying very hard to fit in. She goes to a party one night with a girl from school, only to be lured away by a boy at the party and indecently assaulted. Again probably no real surprises.
I won't go into the true definition of rape, but this is what she thinks has happened to her, and she is quite traumatised by what has taken place. To cope, she begins to cut herself in secret, the bleeding helping her deal with the mental and emotional pain of what has occured. She then meets her next door neighbour, a boy from her school called Cory. Things improve greatly for Rebecca, she makes friends, she settles into school, and her and Cory become very close, sharing a love of reading and writing. Rebecca's narration is full of the drama and intensity of first love, and very well done too by the writer. So much angst! Intimacy between the two of them however becomes very problematic due to Rebecca's panic and shame at what happened at the party earlier in the year. At the same time, Cory appears to be having some health issues himself, taking regular sick days, and not being fully engaged with Rebecca. The cutting continues.
Much of this plot line is very relatable probably by anyone who has ever been a teenager, myself included. Some shocking things happen, but again not unusual in the teenage world. And there is certainly plenty in this novel to provoke discussion between teen and their meaningful adult, or for the young person to think on while and after reading this. My younger daughter has not read this, but she and I have talked about it, the issues and outcomes. I always value her opinion, experiences and observations. Am I a lucky parent having such an open relationship with my daughter? I don't know, but I do know, as with Rebecca and Cory, that teenagers are incredibly secretive little beings, and can fully understand how parents say they didn't see coming whatever danger or awful situation their child has got themselves into. As happens in this novel.
However, I seriously wonder how true to the average kiwi teenager these two are, how relateable they are. We have two white middle class kids, living with both parents still married to each other, and siblings, in a relatively affluent part of Auckland, and of above average intelligence. They want for nothing. There is one Asian teen, no Maori or Pacifica or LBGT teens. I suspect that there are thousands of teenagers in this country whose lives, families, and class rooms bear very little resemblance to the lives of Rebecca and Cory, who probably wish they only had the problems these two have, not that this comment belittles in any way the teenage experience. I find Rebecca's naivety at fifteen going on sixteen not truly realistic, which makes me wonder if the author's target audience is the younger teen, rather than the more knowing mid-high school and older teen. But what I really could not get my head around was how these kids talk to each other. For a start, any parent reading this review will know how the word 'like' peppers every single sentence, so much you want to scream. In this novel - none of that. I was expecting more swearing, more rawness in the exchanges these kids have with each other, more real. It was all very sanitised. I remember watching the UK series Skins a few years ago. Now, we don't want our own teens to be like that, but it was riveting, realistic, not afraid to show what life for many young people is like. My girls, in their sanitised middle class world, loved it. We ended up buying the whole series. It was frightening, confronting but excellent, and I just don't feel that there was enough of that in this novel.
Still the fact that this review is so long, shows that the book has got under my skin and that has to be a good thing. If you are a parent of teens or young teens, then this would certainly be a worthy book to leave lying around for someone to hopefully pick up, as it covers a lot of very relevant issues to the lives and well being of our young ones. Although how successful it as at resolving problems and issues facing teenagers is debatable, despite the list at the back of support services to contact. One thing I did really like about this book is the chapter headings. They are all classic book titles, many of which would be studied at school or university, such as Catch 22, The Outsiders, Atonement and many other great novels and authors. Each title had some sort of relevance to what was happening in the chapter - very clever. I would love for a teen to read and review this book, several teens if possible, just to let us older and out of touch adults know if this novel accurately reflects the average
Aside from the first three years of life which fortunately we don't retain memory of, I would say the most traumatic time for most people is those teenage years - the years between twelve and eighteen years of age - high school. I have strong memories of hating myself, hating those around me, struggling with friendships, horrible girls, floundering, huge self doubt, complete lack of self-esteem, wishing and hoping I was adopted. Being tall, skinny, with glasses and braces was never going to be a good start to young adulthood, but somehow I made it out of all that. On the plus side my teenage years weren't burdened with social media, phones, texting or sexting, easy access to alcohol and drugs. Some of my peers were, shock horror, in sexual relationships with each other, despite the pill only just becoming mainstream, and certainly not available for teenage girls. For my girls the teenage experience has been everything as it was for me, plus all those things in that aforementioned list of burdens. All I can say about that now is I am not at all surprised there are so many unhappy, confused, bewildered teenagers and young people, with spiralling rates of depression, anxiety, thoughts of suicide, compared to 40 years ago.
The relevance of this novel, therefore, to teenagers is undeniable, particularly those of school age. The recent high level media coverage over mental health in young people and the unacceptably high rate of youth suicide in this country makes this novel doubly relevant. Good on the author for tackling such a huge subject as teenage mental and emotional health. This novel tells the story of 15 year old Rebecca who has moved with her parents from Dunedin to North Shore, Auckland. She is not happy, uprooted from her close friend group and everything familiar. So far no surprises. She starts school, finds making new friends difficult, trying very hard to fit in. She goes to a party one night with a girl from school, only to be lured away by a boy at the party and indecently assaulted. Again probably no real surprises.
I won't go into the true definition of rape, but this is what she thinks has happened to her, and she is quite traumatised by what has taken place. To cope, she begins to cut herself in secret, the bleeding helping her deal with the mental and emotional pain of what has occured. She then meets her next door neighbour, a boy from her school called Cory. Things improve greatly for Rebecca, she makes friends, she settles into school, and her and Cory become very close, sharing a love of reading and writing. Rebecca's narration is full of the drama and intensity of first love, and very well done too by the writer. So much angst! Intimacy between the two of them however becomes very problematic due to Rebecca's panic and shame at what happened at the party earlier in the year. At the same time, Cory appears to be having some health issues himself, taking regular sick days, and not being fully engaged with Rebecca. The cutting continues.
Much of this plot line is very relatable probably by anyone who has ever been a teenager, myself included. Some shocking things happen, but again not unusual in the teenage world. And there is certainly plenty in this novel to provoke discussion between teen and their meaningful adult, or for the young person to think on while and after reading this. My younger daughter has not read this, but she and I have talked about it, the issues and outcomes. I always value her opinion, experiences and observations. Am I a lucky parent having such an open relationship with my daughter? I don't know, but I do know, as with Rebecca and Cory, that teenagers are incredibly secretive little beings, and can fully understand how parents say they didn't see coming whatever danger or awful situation their child has got themselves into. As happens in this novel.
However, I seriously wonder how true to the average kiwi teenager these two are, how relateable they are. We have two white middle class kids, living with both parents still married to each other, and siblings, in a relatively affluent part of Auckland, and of above average intelligence. They want for nothing. There is one Asian teen, no Maori or Pacifica or LBGT teens. I suspect that there are thousands of teenagers in this country whose lives, families, and class rooms bear very little resemblance to the lives of Rebecca and Cory, who probably wish they only had the problems these two have, not that this comment belittles in any way the teenage experience. I find Rebecca's naivety at fifteen going on sixteen not truly realistic, which makes me wonder if the author's target audience is the younger teen, rather than the more knowing mid-high school and older teen. But what I really could not get my head around was how these kids talk to each other. For a start, any parent reading this review will know how the word 'like' peppers every single sentence, so much you want to scream. In this novel - none of that. I was expecting more swearing, more rawness in the exchanges these kids have with each other, more real. It was all very sanitised. I remember watching the UK series Skins a few years ago. Now, we don't want our own teens to be like that, but it was riveting, realistic, not afraid to show what life for many young people is like. My girls, in their sanitised middle class world, loved it. We ended up buying the whole series. It was frightening, confronting but excellent, and I just don't feel that there was enough of that in this novel.
Still the fact that this review is so long, shows that the book has got under my skin and that has to be a good thing. If you are a parent of teens or young teens, then this would certainly be a worthy book to leave lying around for someone to hopefully pick up, as it covers a lot of very relevant issues to the lives and well being of our young ones. Although how successful it as at resolving problems and issues facing teenagers is debatable, despite the list at the back of support services to contact. One thing I did really like about this book is the chapter headings. They are all classic book titles, many of which would be studied at school or university, such as Catch 22, The Outsiders, Atonement and many other great novels and authors. Each title had some sort of relevance to what was happening in the chapter - very clever. I would love for a teen to read and review this book, several teens if possible, just to let us older and out of touch adults know if this novel accurately reflects the average
September 7, 2021
The plot twist at the end is incredibly memorable, and superbly managed.
April 4, 2018
I loved this book. Started it and couldn't put it down. The ending was somewhat unexpected, but I wouldn't want it any other way.
September 16, 2024
Gripping, wise, and terribly sad, Pieces of You by Eileen Merriman is young adult literature I would recommend to almost anyone.
Having read most of Merriman's work, I thought I'd pick up her first novel. Right off the mark, Merriman produced a novel that tells a meaningful, important story. Typically, YA novels contain too many unrealistic elements to be believed. Of course, a narrative worth writing and reading will almost invariably need to have some aspects that are out of the ordinary. But, in my experience, YA authors have an unfortunate tendency to create characters that are unlike most teenagers, or write in various coincidences and events that leave the reader's suspension of disbelief wavering. Merriman does not fall into this category. Every character and almost every event in Pieces of You is entirely believable. From Rebecca's mental health challenges borne of major life changes and a traumatic experience, to Cory's both nihilistic and, at times, optimistic outlook on life, each character appears to be similar to those who exist in our lives. In saying that, there were a couple character traits of Cory's that I thought were not consistent with each other. For example, Cory is described as loving to sit and read for long periods of time in his tree house, indicating a gentler, slower disposition. Then, later in the book when Rebecca and Cory are driving to Kaitaia, Rebecca notices Cory's dangerous speed, and that "he drove like he did everything else in life - fast". This slight contradiction brought me out of the story a bit, but it wasn't too major.
Usually, I am not a fan of stories in which the main tension is predicated on one character intentionally choosing not to provide important information. Despite this being the main barrier between Rebecca and Cory, I felt that Merriman handled the lack of transparency in a way that enhanced the story and produced an emotive result. The main way this was achieved was from the nature of the information itself, and the believability of Rebecca not wishing to divulge it. While it is frustrating that Rebecca does not have the uncomfortable conversation, and I often felt myself thinking "just tell him!", it is equally understandable that a person in Rebecca's situation would have an incredibly difficult time talking about such a topic. The result was a conflicted, empathetic feeling for Rebecca and her lived experience. Such a result carries over into real life for the reader, making more understanding and caring people, which is the true beauty of literature.
I've often believed that Eileen Merriman's most poignant talent is writing a brilliant ending. Heartbreaking and harrowing, the end of Pieces of You is no exception, and perhaps one of her greatest. Cory's death was genuinely unexpected, though perhaps should not have been in hindsight. Just as things appeared to be on the mend, and perhaps could change for the better, tragedy strikes. And that is life. The ambiguity surrounding Cory's manner of death was excellent. While it was largely resolved by the end with the note left in the tree house, I think it still left a small window of indetermination that makes one think. The final pages of the book, in which Rebecca progresses through the stages of grief, and finally holds Alex to account, is masterful. An wonderful end to a brilliant book.
Pieces of You by Eileen Merriman is an excellent debut novel. Merriman's use of metaphor is so simple, yet provides vivid imagery. This skill only grows in her later work. This novel cements Merriman as certainly my favourite New Zealand author, and perhaps of all time.
Having read most of Merriman's work, I thought I'd pick up her first novel. Right off the mark, Merriman produced a novel that tells a meaningful, important story. Typically, YA novels contain too many unrealistic elements to be believed. Of course, a narrative worth writing and reading will almost invariably need to have some aspects that are out of the ordinary. But, in my experience, YA authors have an unfortunate tendency to create characters that are unlike most teenagers, or write in various coincidences and events that leave the reader's suspension of disbelief wavering. Merriman does not fall into this category. Every character and almost every event in Pieces of You is entirely believable. From Rebecca's mental health challenges borne of major life changes and a traumatic experience, to Cory's both nihilistic and, at times, optimistic outlook on life, each character appears to be similar to those who exist in our lives. In saying that, there were a couple character traits of Cory's that I thought were not consistent with each other. For example, Cory is described as loving to sit and read for long periods of time in his tree house, indicating a gentler, slower disposition. Then, later in the book when Rebecca and Cory are driving to Kaitaia, Rebecca notices Cory's dangerous speed, and that "he drove like he did everything else in life - fast". This slight contradiction brought me out of the story a bit, but it wasn't too major.
Usually, I am not a fan of stories in which the main tension is predicated on one character intentionally choosing not to provide important information. Despite this being the main barrier between Rebecca and Cory, I felt that Merriman handled the lack of transparency in a way that enhanced the story and produced an emotive result. The main way this was achieved was from the nature of the information itself, and the believability of Rebecca not wishing to divulge it. While it is frustrating that Rebecca does not have the uncomfortable conversation, and I often felt myself thinking "just tell him!", it is equally understandable that a person in Rebecca's situation would have an incredibly difficult time talking about such a topic. The result was a conflicted, empathetic feeling for Rebecca and her lived experience. Such a result carries over into real life for the reader, making more understanding and caring people, which is the true beauty of literature.
I've often believed that Eileen Merriman's most poignant talent is writing a brilliant ending. Heartbreaking and harrowing, the end of Pieces of You is no exception, and perhaps one of her greatest. Cory's death was genuinely unexpected, though perhaps should not have been in hindsight. Just as things appeared to be on the mend, and perhaps could change for the better, tragedy strikes. And that is life. The ambiguity surrounding Cory's manner of death was excellent. While it was largely resolved by the end with the note left in the tree house, I think it still left a small window of indetermination that makes one think. The final pages of the book, in which Rebecca progresses through the stages of grief, and finally holds Alex to account, is masterful. An wonderful end to a brilliant book.
Pieces of You by Eileen Merriman is an excellent debut novel. Merriman's use of metaphor is so simple, yet provides vivid imagery. This skill only grows in her later work. This novel cements Merriman as certainly my favourite New Zealand author, and perhaps of all time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 21, 2018
This book is something that I would normally love. It mentions sensitive concepts like sexual assault, self-harm, suicide/accidental death and mental illness in a way that is very true to the teenage experience. In fact, the way it portrays the teenage experience altogether is extremely honest and very well characterised. However, the way this story was written ultimately ended up ruining the reading experience for me.
This story starts with a teenage girl named Rebecca, who after a traumatic experience that happens almost immediately after moving to a new town turns to self-harm to help her cope. She is portrayed as insecure, intelligent and in a lot of pain. She misses her old friends and her old life and everything she used to be before she moved to Auckland. But hen she meets Cory, her older next-door neighbour, who loves Ernest Hemingway and climbing trees and eventually changes Rebecca's life in a way that she never would have expected.
The Rebecca that was portrayed at the start of the book is very different to the girl at the end of the book. At the start, she can't bare to be apart from her old friends, she needs reassurance from just about every guy, she hates her ginger hair and thinks she will end up a loner. But, and this is where one on my main issue comes into play, after the first few chapters she never mentions her old friends again. Her insecurities regarding her hair and her looks aren't really mentioned after she finds a boyfriend and while she does end up finding friends; there is no storyline into how that happens, one moment she's a loner, the next she is super popular.
There are just so many ongoing plots in this book and sometimes it was a bit hard to keep count. There is the two main ones; her sexual assault (which was written beautifully) and her relationship with Cory (which was also written beautifully). Then there is her relationship with her parents, Cory's relationship with his adoptive and biological parents, Rebecca's therapist, Winston and his feelings for Rebecca, Cory's mental stability, Cory's death, Cory and Andy's friendship, Andy and his relationship with Jo etc. etc.. And while for the most part they were written amazingly well, throughout the book it was obvious that the author had bitten off more than she could chew.
I feel that I would love this book so much more if it was simply just a book about Rebecca and her trying to maintain a loving relationship after what was an extremely traumatic experience. Cory's death just seemed so unnecessary and honestly didn't really do anything. Cory never even gets to find out about Andy sexually assaulting Rebecca because he dies right before she gets to tell him. It was purely for shock value and while it did work, it also just confused me even more about what this book was supposed to be.
This book is everything I love in the YA genre and I just can't help but be disappointed that it wasn't what I expected.
This story starts with a teenage girl named Rebecca, who after a traumatic experience that happens almost immediately after moving to a new town turns to self-harm to help her cope. She is portrayed as insecure, intelligent and in a lot of pain. She misses her old friends and her old life and everything she used to be before she moved to Auckland. But hen she meets Cory, her older next-door neighbour, who loves Ernest Hemingway and climbing trees and eventually changes Rebecca's life in a way that she never would have expected.
The Rebecca that was portrayed at the start of the book is very different to the girl at the end of the book. At the start, she can't bare to be apart from her old friends, she needs reassurance from just about every guy, she hates her ginger hair and thinks she will end up a loner. But, and this is where one on my main issue comes into play, after the first few chapters she never mentions her old friends again. Her insecurities regarding her hair and her looks aren't really mentioned after she finds a boyfriend and while she does end up finding friends; there is no storyline into how that happens, one moment she's a loner, the next she is super popular.
There are just so many ongoing plots in this book and sometimes it was a bit hard to keep count. There is the two main ones; her sexual assault (which was written beautifully) and her relationship with Cory (which was also written beautifully). Then there is her relationship with her parents, Cory's relationship with his adoptive and biological parents, Rebecca's therapist, Winston and his feelings for Rebecca, Cory's mental stability, Cory's death, Cory and Andy's friendship, Andy and his relationship with Jo etc. etc.. And while for the most part they were written amazingly well, throughout the book it was obvious that the author had bitten off more than she could chew.
I feel that I would love this book so much more if it was simply just a book about Rebecca and her trying to maintain a loving relationship after what was an extremely traumatic experience. Cory's death just seemed so unnecessary and honestly didn't really do anything. Cory never even gets to find out about Andy sexually assaulting Rebecca because he dies right before she gets to tell him. It was purely for shock value and while it did work, it also just confused me even more about what this book was supposed to be.
This book is everything I love in the YA genre and I just can't help but be disappointed that it wasn't what I expected.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 13, 2019
3.5 stars
This book took me a little while to get into but once I was in, it took me completely by surprise. I absolutely adored the characters, the storyline and the way the author manages to so simply tug at your heartstrings in a completely unique and witty way. Pieces of You follows young Rebecca as she tries to adapt to life in a new town. Of course along the way she meets some interesting characters, but none of them are as wonderful as Cory.
I was really on Rebecca’s side from the outset and was rooting for her to get her happy ending. I can see how some people might find her a little annoying as a main character, but I think if you give yourself over to her journey, you really will enjoy this book all the more for it. One thing I will note however is I think it would’ve served both Rebecca and Cory a little more if they had some further character development. There are just a few things here and there that it would’ve been great to explore for just a few more pages.
I really enjoyed this book for a number of reasons, but one of the main ones was the way Merriman dealt with sensitive mental health issues and looked at topics such as self-harm. I never once felt that she was trying to make light of the issues or portray herself as overly confident in her descriptions, she simply did a fantastic job of placing young characters into a world where these challenges are a part of their realities. It really was phenomenally done.
A quick read, this is one you want to keep on your radar. Highly recommend.
This book took me a little while to get into but once I was in, it took me completely by surprise. I absolutely adored the characters, the storyline and the way the author manages to so simply tug at your heartstrings in a completely unique and witty way. Pieces of You follows young Rebecca as she tries to adapt to life in a new town. Of course along the way she meets some interesting characters, but none of them are as wonderful as Cory.
I was really on Rebecca’s side from the outset and was rooting for her to get her happy ending. I can see how some people might find her a little annoying as a main character, but I think if you give yourself over to her journey, you really will enjoy this book all the more for it. One thing I will note however is I think it would’ve served both Rebecca and Cory a little more if they had some further character development. There are just a few things here and there that it would’ve been great to explore for just a few more pages.
I really enjoyed this book for a number of reasons, but one of the main ones was the way Merriman dealt with sensitive mental health issues and looked at topics such as self-harm. I never once felt that she was trying to make light of the issues or portray herself as overly confident in her descriptions, she simply did a fantastic job of placing young characters into a world where these challenges are a part of their realities. It really was phenomenally done.
A quick read, this is one you want to keep on your radar. Highly recommend.
May 24, 2017
3.5 stars
A story about the truths we keep hidden to protect ourselves and those around us, young love and finding yourself in those messy teenage years. I found Pieces of You to be a raw, poignant story taping into the insecurities of being 16. While I personally found the main character to be too desperate for others to like her to make me really like her, I could understand her. Rebecca has gone through some shocking experiences, which weigh her down through most of the story. It’s through these experiences that I found the story to be sadly, but a well written, reflective of our own New Zealand society where many young people feel like they can’t give a voice to what they are going through. Rebecca’s relationship with Cory however, is a nice reminder about how powerful connections with others can be to help you in dealing with internal struggles. The darker themes in this book I thought were very close to becoming glorified by the main character, but I did like how there was the side of parents and therapists given. While the main character’s mental health is comparable to many teens, I would suggest this book for older readers (15+) unless warnings of darker themes were written in. This would be a book I recommended to others for its ability to shed light on dark subjects and how many people do go through terrible things, but can come out on the other side stronger
A story about the truths we keep hidden to protect ourselves and those around us, young love and finding yourself in those messy teenage years. I found Pieces of You to be a raw, poignant story taping into the insecurities of being 16. While I personally found the main character to be too desperate for others to like her to make me really like her, I could understand her. Rebecca has gone through some shocking experiences, which weigh her down through most of the story. It’s through these experiences that I found the story to be sadly, but a well written, reflective of our own New Zealand society where many young people feel like they can’t give a voice to what they are going through. Rebecca’s relationship with Cory however, is a nice reminder about how powerful connections with others can be to help you in dealing with internal struggles. The darker themes in this book I thought were very close to becoming glorified by the main character, but I did like how there was the side of parents and therapists given. While the main character’s mental health is comparable to many teens, I would suggest this book for older readers (15+) unless warnings of darker themes were written in. This would be a book I recommended to others for its ability to shed light on dark subjects and how many people do go through terrible things, but can come out on the other side stronger
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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