Kat's Fall by Shelly Hrdlitschka

Let me first say, this was the first YA book I could not put down! Although the twists and turns were fairly predictable, I was completely engaged in the book. Darcy, the male protagonist (I've never heard of the name Darcy being given to a boy before, but whatever) is depicted as a very dark and distant character. He hates his mom whom is in jail for attempted murder of his younger sister, is indifferent towards his verbally abusive father (his reasons that at least his isn't physically abusive), and cares more than anything about his sister- a unique relationship that comes into question towards the end of the book.

The grief that Darcy has had to bear on top of the burden of raising his eleven-year old sister is justifiably hard on him and often times unbearable. He uses "cutting" as a way to relieve his stress and pain. He explains that it immediately calms him in a way nothing else can. His sister Kat is aware of his problem and continuously checks his arms and begs him to stop.

The only other source of love and enjoyment in his life is babysitting Sammy, a young deaf girl, who lives down the street. Kat is deaf from the fall she experienced when she was a baby (this is what Darcy's mother is in jail for), while Sammy has more recently lost her hearing. The parents although suspicious of his upbringing (as Darcy puts it, they fear he too might carry the murderer gene) pay Darcy to take care of Sammy and teach the entire family sign language. Darcy is especially good at signing because he has been the only person willing to learn and practice it in his household, so that he may communicate with his sister.

The book takes an interesting turn when little Sammy starts exhibiting disturbing behavior and eventually admits to being sexually molested. Of course, Darcy is immediately accused of the crime. Meanwhile, Darcy's mother is being released from prison and wants him and his sister back. His father has never wanted the children and Darcy feels completely helpless. Although headed on what appears to be a downward spiral without much hope, Darcy forces himself to take a chance and reach out for help from others -something totally uncharacteristic of him, as he feels he has not been able to trust anyone his entire life. Both people (a special teacher and a love interest) are extremely responsive and although predictable the book left me with a good feeling inside.

Darcy is portrayed as a stereotypical male for the majority of the book. Specifically, he keeps all of his feelings bottled up and remains composed under the most stressful of circumstances to be strong for his little sister. Cutting himself allows him to keep up the facade for some time. Eventually, however, he learns that he in fact needs to cry and let out emotion and that this too can be a soothing thing. He even comments that crying makes him feel as good as cutting. In the end, Darcy is on the path to recovery in many ways. I really enjoyed this book!