Reading Response to Cracked by K.M. Walton

       The book Cracked, by K.M. Walton, tells the story of a bully and the bully's victim and how the both end up in the same mental hospital.  This mental ward is specifically for children who have committed suicide.  They all have their different stories of why they thought it would be best if they weren't alive.  They work and support each other.  The bully, Bull, didn't actually try to kill himself.  He attempted at shooting his grandfather who was beating Bull, but somehow ended up shooting himself in the leg and played it off as suicide so he wouldn't go to jail.  The bully's victim, Victor, feels unwanted in the world.  He is a loner, and his parents hate him.  No one pays attention to Victor, except Bull.  Bull only pays attention to Victor when he is beating him up and abusing him.  Victor's only reason to not kill himself was his dog who he loved very much. But when his dog died, Victor saw no reason to keep him from ending his life.  This book shows the struggle of all of these kids and how Victor and Bull come to know each other better and work out their problems.
       Suicide in children is increasing rapidly nowadays.  I think this topic is just so depressing.  How can people possibly feel so bad about themselves that they don't want to live another second?  How can someone find joy in abusing someone to such an extent to where they no longer want to go on with life?  I simply do not understand.  Suicide is such a serious and depressing idea in our society today.  I personally like this book because these kids didn't attempt suicide for the most common reasons: bullying, cyber bullying, etc.  Those are common and terrible but I don't think people recognize that just not paying attention to your child can make them feel so unloved and terrible.   Most all of these kids in this ward were not given enough support to keep them from killing themselves.  This is so devastating I don't know how to comprehend it.  I am fortunate to have loving parents that have taught me so much.  But not everyone is as lucky.  I think that we need to find away to make everyone feel loved.  Everyone is special in their own way and no one deserves to think they are not good enough for this world.