The Torn Skirt: A Novel

literally ruined my life I'm serious

if you're looking for something wonderfully deep and significant, this book is not for you. in fact, if you are expecting some blindingly mundane example of a teenagers descent into corruption and ascent from said corruption, don't bother. this book is important to me only because it is the most accurate description of what horrors can lie in the underbelly of teenage rebellion. And as a formerly rebellious teen, the descriptions and the situations are not much different from those I have encountered over the years. But more importantly even than the absolutely accurate (and if you don't find it accurate you've obviously missed out on the entire spectrum of teenage delinquency/criminality/addiction) depictions of what can happen when you've nowhere to go, is the emotions that are expressed throughout the book.... basically, anger turned to apathy. Love turned to Hate. And the beauty and wonderment one experiences when confronted by the strength of others; strength that so many of us lack as individuals. I was so touched by this book that I bought three copies: One which I keep in my car, one for my collection, and one which I carry on me at all times. It continues to be a beautiful story no matter how many times I read it. however, it is not a book for everyone. It is certainly not the right story for old people trying to regain their youth through literature. Nor is it for people with no sense of poetry; the writing style is odd, but certainly beautiful. This book is a heart-wrenching must-read for anyone who has ever been abandoned, betrayed, disillusioned... or has lived through depravity and survived. It is for people who have cried watching everything fall apart, only to find solace in drugs, sex, criminality. there is something terribly honest in the profane.

The reviews I've seen of this book talk about drugs and wild nights--but believe me, folks, this ain't no ANIMAL HOUSE, nor Bret Easton Ellis neither. Sara Shaw is amazing, completely un-self-aware; you want to wrap her up tight till the storm passes, or shake her (a little) in hopes that maybe, just maybe, she could see about herself what YOU see in her; but you also know she wouldn't allow it.....This here's a literary gem, all the more powerful because it's not afraid to wear its heart on its sleeve.

I have read various book of this sort -- a coming-of-age story of a teenager who learns the facts of life the hard way. However, Rebecca Godfrey's The Torn Skirt is written with a fresh approach to brutal honesty. The novel's language is beautiful and sinister at the same time.After her father abandons her, Sara's journey is one of struggle and heartbreak. Her loss of innocence is gruesome and disturbing -- especially when she encounters various teenage prostitutes...Few authors have dared to enter this uncharted territory in fiction. However, this book is so beautifully written it is to be savored over time, like an exceptional wine. One must open one's eyes and see that the real world -- especially when seen through the eyes of a child -- isn't sugarcoated. And that is why I love this sort of literature.

The book takes place in Victoria. The capitol of BC, Canada. It follows a young girl and her trouble with her parents. She ultimately turns to the street and finds comfort in many runaways who she meets along the way. It is an eye opener to the life that many of us don't see. The style of writing accents it highly creating a book that you can't put down. I finished it in less than two days because i was so intrigued by what would happen next