Review: Kiss of Broken Glass - Madeline Kuderick




Review: Kiss of Broken Glass - Madeline Kuderick - September 2014

Are you in the mood for some edgy teen reading ? This novel is written in the same format as Ellen Hopkins and Sonya Sones with the writing style being verses rather than your average book written format. It tells the story of Kenna who over the next 72 hours will experience life in the psych ward as she is caught cutting herself in the girls bathroom at school with the blade from her pencil sharpener . Cutting is one of those issues that has been around for a while and is one of the most popular ways of self-harming, the thought of cutting has even crossed my mind but then I see myself as a wimp for pain and for me - fingernails actually does the trick and it doesn't hurt as much psychologically as I believe cutting would. In this book though, it reminded me of an episode of Criminal Minds that I watched where Kids were hanging themselves and resuscitating themselves back alive for fun. At Kenna's school, there are a group of girls who call themselves the Broken Glass Girls and they cut themselves for enjoyment and often it is also a bit of a competition. We read as Kenna goes to the psych ward after she is committed under the Florida Baker Act and in the ward she will make new friends and it will get her thinking whether the cutting is actually worth it or not ? Is this the wake-up call that Kenna needs for her life ? In this instance, will Kenna discover who her true friends really are and is cutting yourself worth the popularity that comes with it ?
Find out in Kiss of Broken Glass by Madeline Kuderick and this novel was based on a true story about the author's daughter.  Fans of Ellen Hopkin's books will find themselves at home with Kiss of Broken Glass by Madeline Kuderick.

 

The Florida Mental Health Act of 1971 (commonly known as the "Baker Act"; Florida Statute 394.451-394.47891 (2009 rev.)), allows the involuntary institutionalization and examination of an individual.
The Baker Act allows for involuntary examination (what some call emergency or involuntary commitment). It can be initiated by judges, law enforcement officials, physicians, or mental health professionals. There must be evidence that the person:
  • possibly has a mental illness (as defined in the Baker Act).
  • is a harm to self, harm to others, or self neglectful (as defined in the Baker Act).
Examinations may last up to 72 hours after a person is deemed medically stable and occur in over 100 Florida Department of Children and Families-designated receiving facilities statewide.
There are many possible outcomes following examination of the patient. This includes the release of the individual to the community (or other community placement), a petition for involuntary inpatient placement (what some call civil commitment), involuntary outpatient placement (what some call outpatient commitment or assisted treatment orders), or voluntary treatment (if the person is competent to consent to voluntary treatment and consents to voluntary treatment). The involuntary outpatient placement language in the Baker Act took effect as part of the Baker Act reform in 2005.
The act was named for a Florida state representative from Miami, Maxine Baker, who had a strong interest in mental health issues, served as chair of a House Committee on Mental Health, and was the sponsor of the bill.
The nickname of the legislation has led to the term "Baker Act" as a transitive verb, and "Baker Acted" as a passive-voice verb, for invoking the Act to force an individual's commitment. Although the Baker Act is a statute only for the state of Florida, use of "Baker Acting" as a verb has become prevalent as a slang term for involuntary commitment in other regions of the United States.

 

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