Looking for an unforgettable collection of books you’ll love if you enjoyed Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow? As an award-winning author and blogger, I know how healing it can be to read stories that speak directly to trauma. Here are my top three recommendations:
The Cutting Edge of Friendship by Khristina Chess - a powerful and unflinching novel about friendship, trauma, and healing as two best friends hide dangerous secrets—one about sexual assault and self-harm, and the other unknowingly walking into the predator’s trap.
Willow by Julia Hoban - a teen girl becomes an orphan after a tragic accident, and self-harm becomes her coping method.
Scars by Cheryl Rainfield - an emotional and heartbreaking novel about a self-harming girl who was raped at a very young age and now feels the man is stalking her again.
You’ll find detailed reviews of these and many other favorites below.
So which YA books will fans of Girl in Pieces enjoy? Discover your next great read for Self Injury Awareness Day in this roundup. These characters, their stories, their strength, and their scars are beautiful and inspiring. A couple of the books include eating disorders as well, which is more of an inadvertent method of self-harm that can also have devastating and lifelong consequences for young adults. If you loved Girl in Pieces as much as I did, I know you’ll love these novels.
The Cutting Edge of Friendship by Khristina Chess
“Sometimes my inside hurts so bad that I need to make the outside hurt worse so the inside will stop.” ― Khristina Chess, from The Cutting Edge of Friendship
Absolutely gripping! For readers drawn to the emotional and physical scars of Kathleen Glasgow’s popular Girl in Pieces, The Cutting Edge of Friendship is for you. This realistic novel explores the wounds of self-harm, shame, and redemption following a sexual assault. Sadie’s resilience is fierce and unforgettable, and the book’s raw, unfiltered pain hits hard. This story doesn’t shy away from the truth—it reveals, with painful honesty, how self-harm can become a desperate response to trauma.
From the very first page, it’s clear that although Sadie and Elana have always shared everything, now they’re keeping secrets that could destroy them. On the night of the fireworks, something terrible happened to Sadie—something she can’t even name. Instead, she turns to cutting, the only way she knows to cope.
But Elana has secrets too. She’s been texting Hunter, making plans to meet in secret, and never questioning why he insists on hiding their relationship.
As their lives spiral deeper into danger, Sadie must find the strength to fight back—not just for herself, but for Elana—before a predator can strike again.
I wholeheartedly recommend this poignant YA book about friendship and the trust involved in sharing our truest selves. It’s definitely worth a look. In fact, don’t miss Khristina Chess’s other novels about self harm through eating disorders, such as The Delinquent Hero and Hollow Beauty. This author is on my list of Best YA Authors to Binge on Kindle Unlimited because she tackles so many tough topics with heart.
The Delinquent Hero by Khristina Chess
“It’s easier to think about food and the physical pain inside my body from not eating than the other pain of not having Kat. My sister would totally understand this. She would. As long as I’m connecting to her this way—our familiar, hungry old way—she’s with me.” ― Khristina Chess, quote from The Delinquent Hero
For readers who love great “tear-jerkers,” The Delinquent Hero offers a tragic and raw exploration of sisterhood, eating disorders, and devastating loss. If you’ve ever lost someone you love, this gripping YA novel speaks directly to the grief of saying goodbye.
At its core is Molly, desperate for answers after her older sister, Kat, lands in the hospital. Something is suspicious. The investigation unfolds in real time, peeling back layers of secrets, regrets, and the painful bond they’ve always shared. For Molly, reconnecting with Kat means slipping into their old patterns—the kind that consume and starve in equal measure.
"I'm not very hungry. I am, and I'm not. I am hollow, but this feeling seems less about food and more about Kat. At any rate, I do not want to eat."
What makes The Delinquent Hero truly unforgettable is its heart-wrenching puzzle—not just unraveling what happened that night, but understanding Kat herself. This novel doesn’t just tell a story; it forces you to feel every ache, every unanswered question, every regret, every desperate search for why.
A beautifully crafted novel, The Delinquent Hero has sparked conversations across book clubs and reader communities. I wholeheartedly recommend this memorable YA book for teens facing tough problems. If Girl in Pieces left you breathless, The Delinquent Hero is an absolute must-read.
Willow by Julia Hoban
“It's hard to keep a secret when it's written all over your body.” ― Julia Hoban, quote from Willow
In this complex novel about self-harming and grief, I met the wonderful character of Willow. She is an orphan with terrible secrets. Guilt. Pain. Numbness. And love.
I can’t speak about whether or not Willow suffers from a deep self-harming mental illness, or if she’s simply a teenager who doesn’t know how to deal with the terrible things that happened in her life. Cutting seems like an answer. She feels alone and sad. At any rate, the book felt emotional and honest to me. I loved reading her story and connecting with her pain as she journeyed to wholeness.
If you loved Girl in Pieces as much as I did, be sure to check out this thought-provoking and heartbreaking YA book that wrestles with cutting, grief, and the healing power of love.
Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone
“Everyone's got something. Some people are just better actors than others.” ― Tamara Ireland Stone, quote from Every Last Word
I loved everything about this book. Sam is a flawed character with a story to share. Although on the surface she looks like a typical teenager with the normal set of diverse friends and interests, she is something else. She has a secret, OCD, which she hides from everyone.
Watching her new friendships and romantic relationship with AJ develop was compelling, and I was pleasantly surprised by some of the plot twists along the way. The poetry is awesome! Everything about Sam's world felt very vivid and rich--Poet's Corner, the swimming pool, Sue's office... The Odometer! There is so much depth to this novel. What a satisfying read all around.
Readers who loved Girl in Pieces also liked this one, and I can see how they’re rated as similar. It’s about having the secret life.
Scars by Cheryl Rainfield
“Other times, I look at my scars and see something else: a girl who was trying to cope with something horrible that she should never have had to live through at all. My scars show pain and suffering, but they also show my will to survive. They're part of my history that'll always be there.” ― Cheryl Rainfield, quote from Scars
Wow! What a powerful, thrilling, emotional, heartbreaking book. Scars packs a real punch, touching on multiple tough topics, including cutting, sexual abuse, and relationships. Kendra was raped at a very young age by a man whose face she cannot remember. The story opens with her in therapy with a counselor who is helping her to cope with the painful memories that have started to surface, but the plot accelerates quickly as Kendra feels her abuser is stalking her. She copes with her pain through self-harming and also in her art, which is both beautiful and darkly disturbing. Descriptions of her art in this book are very vivid.
The revelation of her abuser is both a shock and a non-shock, and I was rooting for her to confront him and find a path to justice and healing. Scars is a great read if you’re looking for books like Girl in Pieces.
Hollow Beauty by Khristina Chess
“I’d always called my body ‘athletic.’ Words like ‘stocky’ and ‘muscular’ described my figure. I was the fastest girl on the track and cross country teams. Muscular, stocky girls weren’t beautiful, though. Skinny girls were. Girls like Erica Miller.” ― Khristina Chess, quote from Hollow Beauty
If you’ve ever suffered the pain of unkind criticism, Hollow Beauty is for you. This authentic YA novel explores the slippery slope of pro-ana culture and the brutal consequences of chasing perfection. What makes Hollow Beauty special is the realistic portrayal of how Olivia falls into the self-esteem trap of trying to change herself for someone else. I loved seeing her journey and choices as the events escalated toward the story’s climax.
The story starts with a casual criticism from a cute boy: maybe you could use the next two months before prom to lose some weight.
That’s right. When tall, gorgeous Brody asks Olivia to prom, she’s ecstatic—until he suggests that she go on a diet!
What starts as a few skipped meals spirals into a dangerous obsession—hours spent scrolling pro-ana and thinspo forums, tracking calories like a lifeline, and watching the number on the scale plummet. The more weight she sheds, the more she disappears.
Ross, the new prep cook at the diner, sees her differently. He doesn’t suffer the same suffocating self-doubt, and the only time Olivia feels like herself is when she’s riding dirt bikes and cave-hunting with him. But with Brody, romance feels more like devour or be devoured.
She’s almost perfect for prom. Almost thin enough.
Until the unthinkable happens.
I highly recommend this thought-provoking YA novel about self-harm through eating disorders. It shines a harsh but necessary light on the world of anorexia and excessive exercise. Worth the read! Fans of Girl in Pieces will love this one.
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
“Life feels beautiful that day. The four of us Liars, we have always been. We always will be. No matter what happens as we go to college, grow old, build lives for ourselves; no matter if Gat and I are together or not. No matter where we go, we will always be able to line up on the roof of Cuddledown and gaze at the sea. This island is ours. Here, in some way, we are young forever.” ― E. Lockhart, quote from We Were Liars
What an unexpected and beautiful story about friendship, coming of age, and sorrow!
I wasn’t sure I’d like this book, but I fell in love with it. By the end it made me cry. This YA book about friendship is about a group of privileged young friends and their lies, family secrets, grief, and love. It’s a mystery. The beautiful and disorienting plot will leave you reader breathless until the very end.
If you’re looking for books similar to Girl in Pieces that have troubled narrators and deep friendships, pick this one up. It’s a whirlwind read. In fact, E. Lockhart is such a great author that she’s on my list of Best YA Authors to Binge on Kindle Unlimited because she’s all-around amazing!
Other YA Books Similar to Girl in Pieces
If you are looking other books similar to Girl in Pieces, check out the Books Similar to Girl in Pieces list on Goodreads, YA Self-Harm and Cutting Fiction (25 books), and Books about Cutting Yourself (78 Books) on Goodreads. You might also be interested in my post, Other Good Reads, which has a comprehensive list of reviews of YA books by type of tough topic.
Khristina Chess is an award-winning author of a dozen young adult novels, including The Cutting Edge of Friendship, The Delinquent Hero, and Junior Missing. Hollow Beauty, her book about eating disorders, was named a finalist in the Next Generation India Book Awards. She tackles tough teen topics and writes binge-worthy books across multiple genres, including contemporary, thriller, mystery, and adventure.