Charlotte Davis has experienced a lot of hardship in her life and has to get help from a treatment center. Once she couldn’t afford the treatment anymore, she is forced to move to Tucson, Arizona where she has to overcome challenges and become independent.
In the beginning of the book, the author writes about the experience Charlotte has in the treatment center she is at. Casper, a therapist, plays a big part in her recovery since her job is to encourage her to communicate through her traumatic experiences. However, this does not last much longer, when Charlotte gets kicked out of rehab her mother gives her a bus ticket to Tucson where her best friend Mikey lives. Since Mikey’s job involves him constantly traveling he won’t always be home with Charlotte. Charlotte manages to get her own apartment and a job at the local coffee shop where she meets a supportive group of friends and coworkers. Near the end of the book, we get to see Charlotte’s progress and how she is finally taking steps towards a better future for herself even though she has gone through more than what most people go through in their lifetime.
The author did a really good job in portraying a teenage girl on the verge of losing herself. The way she described her trauma and how she felt lost was very impactful and emotional. In the book, it talks about how Charlotte has lost many people in her life so when people read this book they can feel as if they aren’t alone in what they are going through. When Charlotte felt like things were not going to get any better, she ended up being able to move on in her life from the traumatic events she had faced. Even though there are a lot of dark themes and messages throughout the book, it also shows the bright sides in all situations and the ability to get better.
Even though this book was well written, there are definitely some things that could have been better. The beginning of the book starts off very slow and honestly a bit confusing to follow. Charlotte’s backstory is very long and kinda boring since it barely revealed much about her personality. The book goes into more detail about Charlotte’s love life rather than her mental health. This makes the character seem like a clingy person who needs a boyfriend to stay sane which kind of ruins the plot.
“Girl in Pieces” deserves a 3 out of 5 star rating because of the character development and the plot. This book would be recommended for someone who is going through a hard time in their life and needs a good book to relate to.
