Mystery Scars

Pink Uggs... blue Top-Siders... old tan Timberlands... Talented good girl Jewel Jacobs surveys the shoes on the other kids who tried to kill themselves, all slumped in the support group circle that Red Nikes mockingly calls "the Unalive Failures Club." How did they each get here? How did she get here? A week ago, her biggest worry was making it into the legendary Teen Arts Show. Then she woke in a hospital bed with pain shooting up her arms and absolutely no memory of hurting herself. In a journey far deeper than the scars on her wrists, Jewel must weave together repressed secrets suddenly bubbling up in confusing pieces. As she struggles to understand her own shocking behavior, she learns friendship, love, and quirky humor can bring you back from the darkest places. OFFERING HELP: With suicide now the second leading cause of death among young adults in the U.S., Mystery Scars is a timely YA novel that may help today's youth who are experiencing mental health issues in such unprecedented numbers that the US surgeon general termed it a "defining public health crisis." While the book includes the words "suicide," "unlive," "sex abuse," and "abuse," no explicit scenes or descriptions show any of the above. Rather, detailed techniques and tools are woven in the narrative that foster Jewel's healing. CHARACTERS: Along with her artist mother and boat captain uncle, with whom she lives, the main characters are her childhood best friend Holly, fellow student Rob, a budding musician who has a romantic interest in Jewel, and support group attendee Michael, who also crushes on Jewel while he humorously obsesses about suicide to cope with his own failed attempt. The other kids in Jewel's support group reflect the diversity and complexity of today's growing issue of teen suicide. Dr. Halen, a caring, intuitive therapist, leads the support group as well as Jewel's one-on-one sessions. RECURRING IMAGES:nautical knots Jewel imagines in her gut to visualize her stomach aches. shoes worn by other members o her suicide support group.