From School Library Journal
Gr 7-10-Defined as "the act of intentionally harming one's body for emotional relief," self-mutilation is an illness affecting as many as two million people in the U.S. Ng describes several categories of self-abuse, ranging from fairly superficial injuries to the amputation of a limb or castration. She indicates how to recognize the symptoms and notes the potential consequences. Further, the author offers information on where to find help and basic advice on what a friend can do for someone caught up in this destructive cycle. Throughout the text, anecdotes and black-and-white and color photographs put a human face on this particular disorder. The book concludes with a glossary and names and addresses of helpful organizations and Web sites. While Alicia Clarke's Coping with Self-Mutilation (Rosen, 1999) provides more detailed information on the disorder and available treatment options, this book will be a useful tool for guidance counselors, school nurses, and social workers and will appeal to reluctant readers.-Sylvia V. Meisner, Allen Middle School, Greensboro, NC
Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
