Kiss of Broken Glass

Madeleine Kuderick’s gripping debut is a darkly beautiful and lyrical novel in verse, perfect for fans of Sonya Sones and Laurie Halse Anderson. Kiss of Broken Glass pulses with emotion and lingers long after the last page.

In the next seventy-two hours, Kenna may lose everything—her friends, her freedom, and maybe even herself. One kiss of the blade was all it took to get her sent to the psych ward for seventy-two hours. There she will face her addiction to cutting, though the outcome is far from certain.

When fifteen-year-old Kenna is found cutting herself in the school bathroom, she is sent to a facility for mandatory psychiatric watch. There, Kenna meets other kids like her—her roommate, Donya, who’s there for her fifth time; the birdlike Skylar; and Jag, a boy cute enough to make her forget her problems . . . for a moment.

• Novel in Verse: Told through raw and immediate poetry, this story captures the intense, moment-by-moment reality of Kenna’s confinement.
• Forced Proximity: Trapped in the ward, Kenna meets Jag, a boy whose presence is a dangerous and welcome distraction. Getting close is complicated when you can’t even have shoelaces.
• Found Family: Kenna finds unexpected kinship with her cynical roommate Donya and the fragile Skylar, who understand her struggle in a way no one on the outside can.
• Teen Friendship Drama: Locked away from her life, Kenna must reconsider her toxic friendships from school, where cutting is treated like a competitive sport.
• A Story of Survival and Hope: This unflinching look at self-harm is ultimately about the fight to reclaim yourself. For Kenna, admitting she needs help is the first, terrifying step.

My name is Kenna.
No one ever told me the truth about cutting—
How scars multiply like freaking rabbits.
How cutting turns you into a pathological liar.
How getting caught lands you in a psych ward
with no way out for 72 hours.
But that's exactly what happens.
To me anyway.
And I bet you wonder how anyone could ever change—
in just three days, in a place like this
where everybody's broken.

Trust me.
I wonder that myself.

Kuderick’s keen diction and free-verse technique shine. - Kirkus Reviews

A fresh, honest, and ultimately hopeful story. - The Horn Book

Each word of the narrative is carefully chosen and the imagery is vivid and descriptive, offering readers a moving story about a serious issue. A great discussion starter for teens, families, and educators. - School Library Journal