Specials by Scott Westerfeld
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I can’t in good conscience give this book a good review. It’s well written and the storyline is compelling, but as I am someone who has a past with self harm and am still recovering, I found this book to be very triggering. I wouldn’t at all describe it as glorifying self harm, but it’s central to the character’s frame of mind and the way it’s described is too close to home.

It was tough to read. It describes the physical effect of self harm in a way that is so accurate that it shocked me. I have never read any description of self harm that reflects the reality of what it’s about emotionally ever before, and I wasn’t ready for that.

I don’t mean to say it’s not a good book. In a way, it was too good. It triggered emotions in me that I wasn’t prepared to be challenged with. Anyone who have struggled with self harm issues should be careful with this book, or at least be aware.

This fully coloured how I read the book, so I’m not really able to review it objectively as it will always be “that book that was self harm triggering” to me personally. If that has no effect on you, go for it, it’s a pretty good book.

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