[.ca] Scarred (ISBN 1550289640)

Insightful and well-written:
Often, short "issue" novels lack in character and story depth, but Monique Polak is a superb writer who captures the reader's attention from the first paragraph of Scarred. Her tight writing style allows her to get inside Becky's head and to show how her self-mutilation brings her much needed relief. A teen who has resorted to cutting would be able to see herself realistically portrayed in this novel. Oftentimes issue novels are used by sufferers as "how-to" guides, but with a solution built into the plot, the "how-to" becomes "how to heal" rather than how to self-mutilate. Polak pulls this off brilliantly, without ever sounding prescriptive. I liked the development of Becky's brother Errol and also her soon-to-be-boyfriend, Troy. I was charmed by the details of competitive skating and the nicely drawn characters of the young girls in Becky's skating class. I would love to read a sequel!

Courtesy of Teens Read Too:
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. Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"