Cut

Cut is a young adult novel written by Patricia McCormick. The heroine, Callie, cuts herself. The discovery of this particular habit by the school nurse has led to her admission to Sea Pines, an all-female psychiatric hospital that is called a "residential treatment facility" by the staff there. The patients are called guests and are sorted according to their issues. Those who have been admitted for treatment of eating disorders are called "guests with food issues." Junkies and alcoholics are "guests with substance issues" and the guests with behavioral issues are "assorted psychos," as Callie herself puts it. Guests are further sorted by Level based on behavior. Level Ones are new guests or guests exhibiting Inappropriate Behavior and are not allowed to go anywhere without an escort. Level Twos are guests who have accumulated ten points for Appropriate Behavior and are allowed limited privileges. Level Threes are guests who are about to graduate and "are the escorts." The nurses are not called nurses, they are called attendants.

The entirety of this novel is written in second person, with Callie narrating to her psychiatrist, who she is required to see for Individual Therapy, which is basically set up to follow the traditional format of a Freudian psychotherapy session. The doctor sits on a chair with a sheet of paper and pen in hand while Callie sits on the Freudian Couch and... doesn't say a word. Callie, as well as cutting herself, has also remained completely mute for quite a while to the point where her roommate has nicknamed her S.T., for "Silent Treatment." Still, the reader finds out, little by little, exactly what Callie's psychological issues are.


 * All There in the Manual: Sea Pines has many rules and regulations and Callie explains them all to us readers.
 * Every Scar Has a Story: At one point, Callie shows the therapist the scars on her arms and tells her how she made each one.
 * Freudian Couch: Callie is on one of these during her Individual Therapy sessions with her psychiatrist.
 * Lady Land: Every guest at Sea Pines is female, as well as each staff member.
 * Mammy: Ruby, who is mentioned to be black, Callie's idea of the most trustworthy attendant, and acts as a maternal figure towards guests under her charge. She even calls Callie "honey child" a few times.
 * The Nineties: Implied to take place then because of the lack of computers and the mentions of the show Rescue911.
 * Second Person Narration: "You" is her therapist.
 * Self-Harm: Callie engages in this and this is the reason for the plot. Even though Sea Pines has a policy against "sharps", Callie still finds ways to continue to cut herself.
 * The Voiceless: Callie refuses to talk to anybody.