Bitter Rose: Color Me Crushed Book

Blade Silver
Macy Keen
February 21st, 2017
Pre-AP English 10 - 5
Melody Carlson is writer of many book series and people describe her as a person who truly understand teen girls and what they go through. Many and almost all of Melody Carlson's novels are directed toward teen girls or women and many of which are part of a series.
The book was written in the United States in 2004. This time period was when the world was slowly changing, as it always is, but directed toward teen girls and what they go through.
The story takes place in Ruth's neighborhood, home, and of course, her own home.

Ruth - the main character who tries to hide her self harm
Ruth's Father - a verbally abusive man to his family yet kind to others
Ruth's Mother - a mother who isn't one of those mothers who is there a lot
Caleb - Ruth's brother who feels the same about life as Ruth does
Glen - a good friend of Ruth that helps her try to solve her problems without her cutting.
I think the overall theme of the book is to stay away from self harm when possible. But even if a case of self harm, for example Ruth cutting herself, comes of, don't try to hide it. Embrace the fact that you went through a trial in your life and got through it safely. And that is all the more reason for someone to come of to you and bless you for getting through something sas tough as something that could have made you feel life self harm was the only way out.
Through Ruth's mother being in their house, ALWAYS, she is never a real mother for Ruth. Ruth grows up pretty much on her own with a verbally abusive father and her brother Caleb. She takes care of Caleb as he grows up and through everything she can't help him too much. Caleb bums money and stuff of their cousin, which they have to keep a secret because Ruth's father gets mad of he finds out. Through everything that goes on in her life she starts cutting herself. She feels as if cutting herself is taking the pain away from her "real problems" yet only creating a bigger on. She tries to hide it and eventually meets a guy friend who she talks to about everything. He suggests that she goes to a cutting rehab after an incident that really endangered Ruth. She ends up going to the rehab, going through a 12 step solution. While there she devotes her life to Christ and becomes a Christian realizing not to hide what has happened but be proud that she got through it with God.
Symbolism and irony are a big part of this novel. God is a symbol of heroism in this book. He comes in when Ruth was struggling and she devoted her life to him. Irony is a part of the book as well. It was ironic that there was a person that was actually there for Ruth in her time if struggle that told her what to do and how to help herself.

"Sometimes I feel like I'm about to explode" This is Ruth speaking when she comes home to her father being upset with her brother after getting money for lunch from their cousin.
"I started cutting last winter when everyone was wearing long-sleeved sweaters nd sweatshirts and jackets." This is Ruth speaking as well as she is describing when she had started cutting herself.
"My last class is over, and I hurry back to the art room to work on matting my art." This is Ruth speaking as she tries to hurry to get to the art room to talk to he friend Glen who has been helping her with what is going on in her life.