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"this book made me cry so much. thank you so much for writing this its like my life story. i keep reading it and rereading it its the best book ever and it shows how addictive self harm is. There arent enough words to describe it x" Kelly

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"Thank you, that's what i'm going to say.
Emily's story is so familiar to me in a lot of ways, my brother has 5 different mental disorders. It's so painful to watch him go through it, but he does it. I've always been the 'perfect' one in my family, always been expected to do the best. I rarely try hard.
Right now i'm about to do my prelims(mocks) in school and i've just started studying and revising for them now. I don't know how i'm going to do it though. My friend recommended this book to me, she found it in my school library and because she knows about my experience with cutting she though i should read it. Every feeling that Emily had in this book is so exact to what i feel nearly every day it shocked me. It made me read every word thinking, "I must be normal then!!". It's an amazing book, and i've read a lot of books like this. It's so full of heart and the style of the whole book is so good. I just thought i'd send you an email saying how much i enjoyed reading your book." Lauren

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"hey, i was bored one day and had been told aboutt he title of the book at first i was like oh another predicatable story girl goes bad, but i got so drawn in, it was hard to pull myself out. I have never self harmed but i have had my best firend go through it this book relaly helped me understand why she went through it all. thank you so much this book was wonderful read. I think people ned to read this book before passing judge ment on anyone." Dominique

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"Well, I'm writing another message, because I wanted to tell you how much of a difference you have made. My friend (Molly) and I wrote a play, and we called it, 'This is how I disappear'. There are five main characters, each one with a different psycological issue - self-harm, drug addiction, pyromania, annorexia and depression. When we performed it at school, there was a girl in the audience who also self-harmed, and it made her cry. Afterwards, she told me that we'd done a really good job, and that she would think twice about self-harming now.
So I wanted to thank you, again, for helping her, and me, and Molly, because without your book our lives would be incredibly different, and we'd probably all be alot lower than where we are now. I also wanted to say thank you for inspiring me to make a difference.
And it still makes me cry when I read the last page." Emma

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"Thank you so much for writing Emily's story! I've just finished reading it and it is 12:15 in the morning. I picked it up 3 hours ago and could not put it down since, and finishing it I jumped straight onto the internet to visit your website. It's incredible, my life is so similar to Emily's that I felt as if the story was written for me, because I could relate to it so well! I do not self-harm, but but I am also sixteen, under serious pressure, and suffering badly from depression, and Emily's story was so familiar I'm blown away. Thank you for writing it. It is so good that people are learning we are not mental, or deranged, or different, just ill. Thank you again." Jesse

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"i would just like to say thank you, your book has helped me so much in so many different ways. I can relate to all of it in so many different ways. It might as well be written by myself.  I feel like i was emily through out it all. It an amazingly written book. (:" Amber

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"Hi... Wow, this book is so intrcately written. It says what I couldn't when it comes to what I have been doing to myself for the past four years. I had no oice. I was kinda just stuck inside my head, and when i had this huge accident with a blade, I was rushed off to hospital, and everyone was asking me why! And I couldn't explain! The most exasperating of times for me. But now, through  your book's characters i understand. You are amazing, truly. And I hope to write a beautiful and educational book like you have done. Thanks you so much" Gabs

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"I would like to thank you for writing your book red tears. It was AMAZINGLY similar to my day to day life. I am 15 years old and two weeks ago i was diagnosed with clinical depression and put on anti-depressents.
While reading your book i got quite upset that Emilys parents noticed her cutting. Ive been cutting for over a year and a half now and my parents have never noticed. None of my friends did either. I find this quite upsetting, i was never looking for attention but i never know how to express my feelings, i just wanted someone to care really. But no one noticed so i decided to seek my own help, i went to the local youth services and asked for help. That was one of the hardest things ive ever done, but then the doctor i was seeing requested that i tell my parents what is going on. That was very very difficult, my mother got very angry at me and said i have no need to be depressed at all, that hurt so much. Now my parents are trying to understand more but i just feel worse than ever, i would just like everything to go back how it was before anyone knew. But aparantly its good for me to get help. Well im still here today so thats a good thing i guess.

Id really like to thank you, if it wasnt for your book i wouldnt have seeked help and i possibly would be dead today." Rachael

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"i self harm but seence reading the I HAVE STOPPED " Rachel

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"Wow.I read your book & it was like re-living my life all over again. I started to self harm when i started at a new school & then it carries on during my GCSE's like Emily. Everyone thought that i was a perfect student but underneath i was crumbling and bearly getting anywhere. I didnt talk to anyone about it & it was slowly eating me away. I did ok in my GCSE's in the end though. Im doing my a-levels now & sometimes still self-harm when the pressure is to much & especially when my day at school has been unbearable. Your book was great & it made me cry in parts & also made me realise what i have to do and that i'm not alone. Thank You x" Faith

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"Hello
My name is Naveena, and I'm from Australia. I read your book about 2 months ago, and i connected with Emily on such a deep level that it shocked me a little bit. Since i was 3 years old, i have grown up with emotional and physical abuse. I was a domestic violence victim, and i could not understand my reasons for wanting to self-harm or to run away. As soon as i was old enough to realize what my parents were doing was wrong, i was really depressed. I attempted suicide 3 times, and i don't know why i didn't go through with it completely. When i read you book, my own feeling became slightly less hazy. I realized that i wanted others to see my pain too, and i wanted to see it for myself. After reading your book, i had the courage to tell someone about my situation, and now i lead a different life. It seems almost too good to be true. If it wasn't for you, i probably not even be alive today. Thank you." Naveena

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"I read this book in 3 days wich i hav nevva dun wiv any otha book! It kept me hooked and it was a deffinat page turner!! It was an intersesting subject to exploreand fabulous how you got into the mind of a self harmer exploring many emotions thought and feeling!! Ive nevva self harmed before and after readinthis i nevva will! Thanku for this amazin book!" Lauren

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"hi, this is an amazing book. i can relate to emily so much its scary! i'm not a self-harmer, i have alway thought it was stupid and people who did it were attention seekers. But after i read red tears it made me feel comletely differently about self harmers. it answered so many questions. thank you for writing such an amazing book." Anna

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"thankyou so much for this book. it's insperational and you've no idea how much it helps us all relate." Cassie

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"a few months ago, i was going through a rough time, and i turned back to self harming.
i'm 13, and i started off just like Emily at around the age of 11, when i was getting bullied. As i moved into High school, it got worse and i started cutting.
this book was my life line back then, when i read it, it made me think before i cut. and a few times, i resisted the temptation. and it really helped me.
thanks for creating such a wonderful book. i don't know what i'd do without it." Gracie

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"I just ordered your book off Amazon a few weeks ago, and got it this Monday night. Once I had it, I couldn't put it down and tore through it in under an hour! Although I live in the U.S. and am now almost 19 and over my self-harm (in fact, I even speak out about it,) I felt like Emily was me, or at least my younger self. For someone who has never suffered from this, you really did a great job- this problem is all too often stereotyped or judged and the humanity of the people who suffer from it forgotten. Thank you for writing this and showing the truth, rather than myths or lies." Gretchen

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"I received your book this morning through the post and have sat and read it all, it has been an inspiration to my life. I have self harmed for 8 years and currently suffer from severe depression reading this book made me ring and make an appointmant with my therapist as i have not felt strong enough to accept help, now i do and i am giving my self abreak this weekend and if i coninue to feel like this next week i will be admitting myself into hospital as i deserve to get better and to beat this and reading the book has helped me to realise this - thank you!" Murrie

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"I have self harmed. What stopped me is a midnight phone call from a friend.

I just want to say this book has made me understand the reasons why I did it. I still have to wear a wristband to cover the scars. Luckily, only two people know. My best friends." Phoebe

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"i am 11 and i have read red tears 3 times not once does it fail to move me in some odd but good way" Lois

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"I just wanted to say thanks. Red Tears is amazing. The way you wrote it showed real understanding, and you were absolutely spot on. I self-harmed for a while, and the emotions expressed in the book are near identical to how I felt. I think it'll really help others to understand why people resort to cutting themselves.. It should be put on the GCSE curriculm or something - That way more people would read it and understand..." Laura

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"this is one of my most favorite books in the world . thank you for writing it ! i am not a self harmer myself, but it's good i know what others may feel like . the book is amazing, thank you" Rachel

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"hello. firstly i want to say thankyou. i think you should be so proud of yourself because of the huge impact you have had on so many people. you made a difference.
If it wasnt for you i would have never met my best friend and realised what i was really doing. she picked up the book and it inspired her so much she did her speech on it at school. and as soon as she started talking i knew what she was saying was true to her, and so i told her it was true to me as well. its a long chain of events, but your book has helped her so much and i want to thankyou for that, because she hasnt started to cut, and i know that she wont now, after realising the warning signs and stopping before she got too far. you have captured so well what it feels like, and why, even though there is no reason behind what we do to ourselves. thankyou so so so much for helping my friend, and thankyou for bringing her to me. thanks for writing a book that is so painfully honest. thankyou for letting me realise that there are so many others how do this. thankyou
just thankyou" Molly

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"Are there any plans for a sequal?
It would be good to know Emily is coping with threapy." Vickey

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"I think your book is amazing! I brought red tears a week ago and finished it yesterday. I couldn't put it down." Beckii

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"i just wanted to say thank you for writing such a fantastic book i feel i can relate to the character so well the things she goes through and her feelings are just like mine so thank you again its a book i cant seem to put down and have already read it 4 times" Jen

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"I read your book quite a while ago now and it helped me to stop self harming. ive been hurting myself since i was 7 so half my life now and reading this book really helped me. it was so insightful and Its just so amazing to read. some of my mates read it and they now understand me better." Anon

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"I'm fifteen, nearly sixteen and I live in New Zealand. My friend was reading Red Tears and one lunchtime she left it on the desk next to me, and I picked it up and read the back cover, like I usually do when she leaves books next to me, but normally they are romance so I give them back to her. This one, though, intruiged me and I asked her if I could borrow it. As soon as I started reading it couldn't stop, I stayed up nearly the whole night reading by torchlight(which is always a sign of a very good book). I could see myself in Emily's shoes, going through exactly what she was. I've never cut, but I have self-harmed in more subtle ways, like Emily when she pinches herself. Probably the greatest thing this book did for me was that is made me realise what I was doing WAS self-harm, however subtle. And it stopped me from going further, from cutting myself, becasue I recognised what it was and stopped.
This book also inspired me to write a speech on self-harm for an English assessment, 'A challenge I have faced'. It was probably the bravest thing I have ever done. But the best thing was that, when I presented that speech there was another girl in the class who was also a self-harmer, and it in turn helped her open up and tell someone. I suggested that she read this book and she did, and she told me that it helped alot as well. I really wanted to thank you for writing this book, as it helped me and my friends, and judging by the messages on your site, an awful lot of other people as well. I am also currently writing a play called 'Scars', and making a music viedo about self-harm, and I hope that, like your book, they will help people understand that they're not alone in what they do." Emma

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"This is the second time i've read Red Tears, and the second time i left a message.
It still makes me cry.
You have written such an amazing book, thank you so much.
I don't even know what to say. When Emily's mother is talking about how she cant cope, and it annoys emily, i know that feeling so much; my mother is exactly the same; she's has also read red tears, and she's still like it, she's still pressurising me, and still having a go.
I find it so hard to cope now, i've been put onto anti depressents, and i also go to CAMHS, but i think its even worse now.
I think everyone would love a sequel to Emily's story!
Just to see how she got on, to go through her journey when she stopped, i told my mum april 11th i cut, and i'm no where near stopping, since the anti depressents, i have reduced it, but i still need it so much sometimes it scares me.
Its been nearly 3 years now, and i can't remember a time when i haven't cut.
I dont feel as suicidal now as i have done in the past, but sometimes it just comes rushing back. and when emily was in the hospital and she said sometimes she wishes it would just happen without having to do anything, i've been feeling like that since i was about 3. It's sort of good to know that other people feel like that?
Just, thank you so much for writing this, i can't say it enough.

THANK YOU" Anon

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"You really got inside the mind of a self harmer..You put things in to words i cant even put as thoughts...and the way the self harm took over her life...it's true....its the only thing you can think of..this was such a good book and very well written...people need to be educated about it in this kind of way" Anon

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"Hello! I just wanted to say i read Red Tears quite a while ago but thought it was amazing and has stayed one of my favourite books. I have read it so many times but it is awesome!" Caitlin

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"Hey! loved the book, it was awesome, and i think that it will help people who don't self-harm, and think its wrong, to understand WHY people do it, and see the side that no-one else see's.

Really Loved it..." Kat

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"I'm not far into your book, however I was reading it and by about page six, I could already see myself so easily. Even girls without depression can relate, I know my sister could. I think I have undiognised depression and like I said, it screamed out to me. I have those stresses and problems and the way you dealt with it was amazing. I was reading it in the school library and my librarian saw it and from the blurb has decided to order it as she thinks it would be good for all girls our age to read. Thank you so much for your book, it really made me feel like I wasn't alone and that I wasn't stupid for feeling the way I felt." Anon

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"OMFG!! I love this book sooo much. I used to self-harm but not cutting, bruises. This book opened my eyes and i agreed with EVERYTHING. It was absolutely wonderful! Keep 'em coming!=)" Jillz

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"thank - you for writing such a great book i like the girl in the book am emo and i expereience similar situations by friends have almost the same skool probs except im failing and cant get my grades back on track just curious what inspired you to write this book?" Kelsey

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"An incredible book to read. It tought me not to judge people who self harm as there is much more to it than what we see on the surface. Loved it." Rhiannon

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"Its quite rare and rather remarkable for a non-self harmer to understand the motives behind self harm quite so well as you seem to. Usually people misinterpret self harm or look no further than the common stereotypes."
Mandie

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"hey im frm s'pore..i get to read ur redtears book and it was really an interesting one!

frankly..i too used to harm myself but nt anymre after i read ur book.i consider myself luck dat i didnt really hurt myself that bad.

ur book is totally awesome!cheers! :)" Q

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"i thought yur book was cool i loved every bit of it. it rocks" Rachel

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"I just want to say how much I love your book. I have had depression for to two years and have been self harming for three. I think many people think of self harming as attention seeking, but your book really brings out that it is really a coping method." Holly

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"I found your book very calming and insightful...you captured the mind of a self harmer perfectly...i should know

I found it a day ago in this book store, read it and now i feel silly about my past of self harming and have resolved to stop...

I think its a good book for advice if you read into the story and im going to suggest it to a couple of my friends...see if it can help them..." Taneha

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"I absolutelly loved your book. It was really emotional and I smiled and cried along with the book. I will end up reading it again when I get the chance. Do you have any other books out like it, or are you planning on writing any more? Because I hope you do. An amazing story. Thank you." Beth

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"hello, i self harm. thats the first time i have ever typed that. wow. I was so nervous before typing it, but now i feel relivied. your book was so true and it made me realise something i was never able to admit before: i self harm. ohmygod, there it is, again. the truth. and it feels so good." Anon

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"wow. I read your book a few days ago, and it was great.
At first it was kinda scary, because i am currently recovering from self harming myself, even though I am only 12,and when i read the prologue it was so true, so exactly how i had felt all thoses times, that it was unbelievable. I am similar to emily in the way that i have no 'reason'for doing what i did. most people think my life is perfect, but they do say that the higher you are the harder you fall, and when things started slipping away it became too much.
Your book has really helped me get through this, now every time i want to 'feel in control' i ask why. I mean, i don't really need to, do i?
Thank You" Anon

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"hey:) i just finished your book . gosh.ive been struggling for quite a while with many of the the things emily was going through,although im in lower 6th but id so much in common with her, ive struggled so much with loneliness and id though ,like emily that id no reason to feel this way,and was i making it up?was it normal to feel this way and why was i such a failure..for many of the situatins in the book a could just picture my family,the things she said the way she thought, how she looked at her self..all that..its as if i fitted in her shoes..everything was so similar.and everythime it came down to telling some one i just couldnt.this books given me fresh hope and freedom to believe it can be okay and that im not alone atall, one of the things i need to break through is telling someone and talking to people, but this book i can tell someone to read..show them how i feel..it allows me to start the whole chain to faceing everything, and i no itll be so hard,and ill prob just get scared and not tell anyone yet but its given my the idea that i could, and i caan feel okay again and that this will noot haunt me forever.something i can believe in. so maybe not now but someday il may be strong enough and have enough courage to open up.<3and for so many other people to :)its a turning point.a step int the right direction,one thats been so desperatly needed.
can i just thankyou,for this incredable book , its opened up peoples minds and hearts to this important isuse, you havent hiden it away,pretended its not here you faced it,head on,researched it put in so much effort so much compassion to fully understand it youve brough it into the focus of readers attenion something taht poeple should be aware of and realise it is an important issue, youve given so many young people and of many ages great hope ,reassurance and a belief that they can be happy again,this darkness is not forever,youve helped many to realise whats happening and let them no they caan be free of it, and by this one book, i think it can save so many lifes,and will have so far,and in the furture. thankyou,so so much<3:)hehe i think readers may have gone through an awful lots of tissues too:)" Laura

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"Hey, thanks for writing this book.I have been so depressed lately. With things just like emily is feeling. I felt so similar to her. I have never cut. But i have wanted to try suicide. I think i am over it now. This book was just helpful to know its not only me. Thank you very much." James

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"Hey, I just thought i'd say that your book helped me through everything.
I related to emily as if she was me.

I have loads of problems at home with my mum, which reduced me to self harm. After reading your book i decided to stop.

Thank you so much." Anon

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"i've read your book three times now and every time it shows a totally different perspective of Emily. I sometimes think she's being really silly but at the same time I understand how she feels such immense pressure, this book helped me look at myself in a different light and although I would never really hurt myself in such ways Emily did I can relate to alot of her emotions in this book. Thank you so much for writing this, it's changed me on so many levels." Anon

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"I bought your book last week and have just finished reading it. I'm now 27 and have been self-harming for around 10 years. It was interesting when you wrote about how she was suspended from school after they found out about her SH. I was suspended 3 times when I was in 6th year at school (aged 16/17)for "health & safety" grounds as I was suicidal and I was told their lawyers were involved. It was frightening for me as I didn't know what was happening and no-one I knew had MH problems or was a SHer. It is good to read that it wasn't just my school that suspended people who are a risk to themselves. I would have loved to have read a book like this when I was a teenager and would definitely recommend it to any teenagers I work with now (I'm now a youth worker and even though my bosses know I SH and have MH probs they still let me work with young people and are pleased with my work). Thanks for writing such a moving book and I hope that other people working with young people read it too so they can understand more what it's like for young people who SH." Claire

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"I have just finished reading your book.
I have been self-harming since July 07. I'm not proud of what I do, but I need to.
Reading about how Emily felt guilty and about how her Mum just thought she wanted attention (to begin with) reminded me of me. Sometimes I feel so selfish because I know how other people suffer so much more than I. I can't explain it properly.
I can't explain it but I can really relate to Emily in all of the situations.
You may not understand the little which I've written but I just wanted to...say thank you." Mella

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"loved your book! You did a great job. It's important for people to know about these kinds of things. I went through Emily's ups and downs. I sometimes cried for her and her friend Patrice.You have really represented people that self-harm in a way people can understand what they go through.Well done Joanna! (loved the front cover!)" Brenda

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"your book was amazing it kind of made sense of everything i do.. everything that emily did going thru all the frustrations and everyhting it was all me.. that book has made my thoughts, feelings and actions clear to so many of my friends n close relatives that know i do self harm and it is addicting.. its an alternative relatity
so i say thank you .. thanks so much" Michaela

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"hi,just wanted to say how moved i was by your book. i've a totally different perspective, being male in my early 20s, but the way you explained it made so much sense to me. the symptoms of depression you describe (tiredness/apathy/insomnia/self-loathing) struck home deeply and i want to thank you for showing that depression isnt something one needs to live with. I have never cut myself as an escape,but i can understand the need for an avenue, an outlet, of some sort.. thank you " Anon

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"I dont really know what to say.
I've been self harming all my life i think, but i've been cutting since january 2006, when i was 11.
I could relate to Emily in a lot of the stuff, because of the high expectations and all that.
I really felt for Emily when Lizzie and Marianne went to her in the changing rooms, if they were standing in front of me, i would have hit them.
I don't know how emily coped, my problems are no where near as bad as hers and i've overdosed and tried several other ways of suicide...
But when she was on about with Patricia and that she had a reason to do it, i really knew what she meant, and when Patricia started cutting and Emily was annoyed because it was 'hers'. I've had that to.
But me and Emily are totally different too, i've still managed to be happy and really loud, it takes a hell of a lot of effort, but i do it.
Thank you for writing this book =]
Cos now i can show it to my mum, and she'll understand it more.
Thank you." Carmel

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"I live in New Zealand and just finished reading your book a couple of hours ago. I read the prologue and and it sounded exactly like me, it was scary. I started "self harming" myself about 2 and a Half years ago now, even though i never really called it that. I had really great friends but they never really understood why I did  it. My teachers found out and i had to talk to my (divorced) parents about it, it was hard trying to explain that they were part of the problem. People just assumed that i had stopped so never really spoke to me about it again. A couple of weeks ago  i read this book and they explained that cutting themselves made them feel calm and that everything made sense. While reading red tears the way you explained why Emily was self harming, i finally realised why i was self harming. Your book helped me to understand who i am just a little bit better. Thank-You." Rosalyn

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"Wow. I just finished your book and and went through an entire box of tissues at the same time. I've voted for you on the Witcoulls top 100 books list." Liz

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"so i pick up your book and read. i read and i read and i cry and i read a bit and i understand so much. im confused about myself, why i do this.and on reading the book i feel indescribable. i feel like im not alone, i feel almost reassured by emily and what she has gone through.understanding how she feels, its as if ive writen it myself. self hatred and addiction.knowing that she has come through this gives me hope and nothing i say will ever repay you, for opening my eyes, for helping me stop destroying myself." Anneli

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"Hi. Im 15 and I've read your book 3 times now. Im not sure if this is the right reaction you'd like to have but as much as I enjoyed your book I hated it. It some how intrigues me to cut because of the release Emily gets. I felt as though you were writing the book about me. I have very low self esteem and I worry about others problems more than my own just like Emily. I know that cutting isn't the way to deal with my issues. but it seems it's the only way that will provide me with the relief I'm looking for. Your book touched me deeply and I have been thinking about cutting for awhile now, but I think about your book and how Emily becomes addicted. and something holds me back. You must have done something right. =)" Emmm

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"hi! I am a teenager and I will be doing my GCSE's next year, and I never used to do my homework or study, but after i read this book, i don't know why but i am doing my homeworks and everything.. so THANK U!! I love Red Tears.. Best book i have ever read..keep up the good work!! :)
sincerely
1 of your great fans! :)" Thayya

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"YOur book is so true. Ive been a self harmer for a wee while now. The way that people on the outside just cant see what we do, or our reasons. They all think we're either suicidal or wanting attention. But thats not what its about. I read your book and i can fully relate to Emily and the ay she thinks. If everyone read this then maybe they could gain a deeper undertanding, rather than just looking in and judging. Somedays everyone feels crap, and we all deal with it in different ways; i cut. Some people drink or get high. We all do something. Its not just a one off thing, it cant be cured like that. To help, people nee dto understand. Thnk you." Jamie

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"I just read your book, and I wanted to tell you how much I loved it. It was so true to life, and included things that I myself [and I know a ton of other people] have experienced firsthand. And at one point, it made me cry. I picked it up, and actually could not put it back down again until I had it finished. Thank you" Lacey

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"I kept my self-harming very private, but inevitably a few people found out - for the most part they didn't mention it to me at all - well, I was 15 like Emily, and it can be hard for teens to deal with I suppose? A few made some comments sort of behind my back - one friend (who had been a best friend) wrote in her english homework biography, 'some of my friends have started self-harming, but as long as they don't involve me, that's ok.' Reading that hurt, and it has stuck with me all these years.

I really liked the fact that Emily DIDN'T do it for attention - or to kill herself. I think it's a common misconception, and I know that was not the reason for my doing it. The thought of people knowing terrified me, and although I won't deny that when I was really low I wished it would all end - I never wanted to kill myself.

I also wanted to say how good it was that you wrote that the feelings of wanting to self-harm would never go away. They don't. I have done it at least twice when I was at uni, once it was very minor, the other slightly more severe. I haven't for over 2 years now, but I do worry about the future and what will happen if something affects me in the same way in the future. I would hope that with age, I have learned better coping techniques.

I just want to say thank you for writing something that isn't ashamed to tackle the topic - and also, that doesn't make them all be friends again. I was so pleased she didn't forgive her friends, because they were not worth it. I will be looking forward to reading your other books now too." Jane

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"I'm not a self-harmer.  Even so, I found that your book mirrored how I feel in my head.  It articulates the emotions that I can't even begin to sort out in my head.  This book is a form of release for me because when all the emotions build up it's like i need to be able to see them all separately and clearly to stop feeling like i do.  and the only way i can do that is by reading your book.  this probably makes no sense, because one of my problems is that i can't articulate my feelings, and that's one of the things that torments me most... but your book has helped me more than you can know... thank you." Jenny

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"I love your book..... it's helped me see how a person can seem okay but nobody really knows how deep everything is affecting them.  Cheers to you Joanne.  Your book is a pure work of art." Silvia

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"Your book moved me so much. I could relate to so much of it. I am very alike with Emily, to the point that, I really felt it was me talking. I have self harmed for the exact same reasons that Emily did. Though I also have Dyslexia, Ive been the child standing at the top of the class getting yeld at over work. So I know exactly how Ant feels.

I have never read a book quite like it. I am an apsolute book worm. Its how i escape. That and art. This book touched me though... I may sound mad but its like for once someone understands why. They get what ive gone threw the feelings of self lothing and hate. 

This is a book that will always be close to my heart. I feel like in parts you were telling my story, one that very few people know. I want to thank you, you have helped me understand myself better. Youv'e woken me up.

So from the bottom of my heart I thank you!" Lc

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"hi i have just finished reading your book red tears and it was brill. i have been a self-harmer for 2 years now and like emily i started when i was doing my GCSE's. anyway just wanted to say thanks because after reading the book i now feel that i can deal with things better now and know that i need help and to talk about my feelings more." Sarah

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"i'd like to thankyou for such an amazing book. i've been suffering from self harm for a while and your book made me tell someone. i felt so close to emily, and even though she's a fictional character, i felt like i'd known her all my life. basically that's because i'm going through what she went through. so thank you. you're book was an eye opener. i think you've helped alot of young girls." Bef

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"Hiya my name is Elizabeth but call me Liz or Lizzie ^_^ a while ago i went to Yorkshire with a friend and his family and as usual i ran into the nearest book shop i could find,
where i had found your book, my bestfriend had been suffering with self-harm, all i wanted was to understand her and what was happening, reading your book has helped to open my eyes and opinions on self harm, i couldn't put your book down for a second i was enticed straight away!! Mainly because the beginning parts of the book was so much like I and my best friend! i just wanted to say thank you for writing such a wonderful book, i've lent the book to my friend who i hoped would like it and hoped it would to help her. Again thankyou so much for this lovely book! i also really love the art work! Hope that you'll make more books like this becuase they're just great!" Lizzie

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"I belive that i can relate to this book for i self harm myself and i am tryimg to get through it so this book will help me out a lot im currently in hospital trying to fight to not cut i really want help so im going to read this book" Anon

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"I have just finished reading your book and it was exellent! I really could not put it down. I was waiting for the day when someone would do a book on this subject. I think it is a brillaint topic to write a book on as it would appeal to so many self harmers like me. Though I am not as bad as your character was! I think your book was a great inspiration to help me stop and concider wether it's worth it in certain situations and I just thank you for get it so accurate!" Iesha

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"Thank you Joanna Kenrick,for writing Red Tears about something this serious. I was a self-harmer for a long time and still have scars all over my wrists, arms and legs. I was with Emily Bowyer all the way, thank you so much for letting other people know what its like and what triggers it. I have stopped now and your book helped me realise just how life pushed me to want to hurt myself." Hannah

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"I want to thank you. Not because you broke social norms and told a story about a girl getting through the tougher times in her life through self-harm, but because you openly went against the prejudices and the incorrect assumptions against it. You got everything right... Sharing a name with her made no difference, because her thoughts were mine, or had once been, her actions mine, and the desperation for something which a lot of people never want to understand. I can't put into words how well it was written, both as a piece of fiction and a lifestory of so many...

I have the utmost respect for you, and anyone else who was involved in writing this. You've really made a difference." Emily

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"thank you for writing this book it was brill are you going write another like this one?" Jyoti

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"Before I read the book, I used to self-harm too. I still do, but the book has given me confidence to get help. I felt that i could relate to Emily in so many ways. So thanks to you I am getting the help I need.
Thankyou so much" Lily

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"I've been a self harmer since I was about 9 years old, the whole way through the book I was so amazed. Emily's problems with her friends, with her parents and pressures to do well, everything was exactly like what I've been going through.
Her mothers reaction was exactly like the reaction my mum found out. Her friends did the same thing to me as they did to her. I've recomended this to so many people, mostly some of my friends who don't understand SH.

Thank you so much for writing this, it makes me feel a lot less alone knowing that I'm not the only one with problems." Karina

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"Im still deciding whether i like your book or not. Ive just finished reading it and its been hard. i think i cried the whole way through. the book said things i havent been able to say myself, it put words to emotions i have. i dont cut but i have had a lot going on this year and ive done other things. im not sure if i enjoyed reading your book but it has made me understand my own feelings more. Im even reccommending it to my mum, maybe if she reads it she might start understanding me a bit more. Thank you, i think." Kimmi

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"I've already finished the book. I just borrowed it from my friend since it isn't being sold here in the Philippines. I really really liked it. It made me deeper understand  the probable mind of someone who self-harms. I really liked the part where Emily told Patrice about slitting her arm and when Emily did it it didn't work. It almost made me cry, since i really got into the book already and I felt that I understood Emily. Almost like I already knew her personaly. Did I mention that I don't often read books? If I do read a book it usually takes me about a week or two to finish. But your book was really interesting so I just finished it in about two days. I hope to see more books that you've writien or about to write. Thanks, and good bye!" Francine

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"I have just finished reading Red Tears I loved it i am so glad my friend told me about the book. I think it was a great theme for the book because i tells people why people self-harm. I have learned a lot from this book. I know that this book has help people who self-harm" Abz

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"i think this story is very moving and i have friends who self harm themselves and well it shows that not all of them do it for attention. i think ican relate to this in a way but not with the self harming. because there are a lot of troubles that people do not see on the outside but they are there on the inside." Emily

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"dear joanna, my friend, who i didn't know well at the time suggested i read your book. i used to be a self-harmer and everything in the book seemed real. after finishing the book, my friend and i discussed it and realised that self harming often contradicts itself, it shouldn't feel right to do it, but it does. it's normal but it isn't. after discussing this with her she told me that she self harms, and i mentioned to her that i used to. the book made me want to, but also made me realise it's better to do without. because its far too addictive. thank you for writing a book which almost anyone can read and at least try to understand." Jazz

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"Just wanted to congratulate you on such an amazing book. It's definitely going on my wow books list. I love books that can take a topic that i have no comprehension of, and not only enlighten me, but make me root for the character. Before i read the book, i am ashamed to say i may have reacted to a girl like Emily in the same way her vile classmates did, purely out of ignorance and fear. I never really understood what made people self harm. What was therefore shocking to me was how the experiences Emily had were nearly identical to the ones i had in school, i could totally understand her frustration, and see the logic behind her self harm. I am lucky that i found another outlet, i wrote instead, but there was one phrase in your book that made me see the very fine line between me and a character i would say i had nothing in common with. It was when Emily talked about how her problems must be real because they were there for everyone to see. How she had made them real by giving them form and shape. It's exactly the way i view the words i put on the page in my diary. It's taking a bundle of terrible feelings and putting them in a formate that you can manage, one that you can see, manipulate and ultimately control. Although i would never self harm, as i believe, as you pointed out in your book; it creates other problems, but i will be a more tolerant, understanding person from now on. Thankyou, and please keep writing, it takes courage not to write about safe subjects, it takes courage to write about reality, and reality is what teenagers need to read about. Books can save lives, yours might, and so it's very important." Anna

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"i just want to say,
i read your book because i picked it up in my local library and it caught my eye. i seriously could not put it down, i read it within a day and i related to the book and emily so much. i have self harmed before and i thought myself as stupid because i thought i had no reason and like emily i saw help im a counsellor and am slowly but surely getting better. its really made me feel less alone and less of a freak. so thankyou  xxxx" Aliesha

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"thank you so much for writing this. i was with emily all the way and i have realised that there are so many people out there going throught the same thing as me.. i'm 15 and althoguh i dont like to admit it and i am not proud of it i have found myself going over the edge.. twice.. two failed suicide attempts later i am as weak as i was the first time... I think that this has helped me becasue i realise that thi is not just what i am going througfh there is so many other peopl with problems similar...
Red tears 2??" AJ

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"I started and finished Red Tears last night. I've been self-harming for about a year but trying to stop for half that time. I'm 13, about to start my second year of high school. I had a crappy year last year, My dad died 3 days into the first term at my new high school, I was "abused" and then I was very very unhappy at school. Now I've changed schools, and am looking for a psychiatrist. I'm getting happier, but I'm still cutting. Anyway, I just wanted to say THANK YOU for writing an awesome book about self harm. These days some people think we're attention seeking or "emo". Really there's something bad going on inside our heads to make us feel the need to hurt ourselves. Emily sometimes amazed me, the way I have thought the exact same things!
And also, thank you for the warning about how Red Tears may be triggering, not nearly enough SH books have them!
:)" Tess

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"i loved your bk Red Tears !!! i thought i could realy feel how that character was feeling . My bestfriend had depression and self harmed for a month , but by reding your bk and with the support of friends and familly she stopped. I hope you don't mind me asking ,but what gave u the inspiration to write such a great novel ? from your biggest fan " Navina

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"hi there. i loved your book. it struck really deep. and showed me that you dont have to be crazy to self harm. which i thought that i was. haha. you book is probably one of the best books ive read. i devoured it in a few days, which i think is pretty impressive because i dont tend to read that much. i cant stress how much of a great book it was. the way it describes self harm without any judgement and so forth. its just so nice to hear someone saying something nice about self harmers. thank you again. more books? :)" Imi

"your book was sooo beatiful and well written you have any more books like that?" Harriet

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"Hi :) I just wanted to say thank you for writing Red Tears. I just bought it and finished it the same day. Sometimes it's really hard to find someone who faces the issue head on and doesn't try to sweep it under the carpet, in a if-we-don't-acknowledge-it-it-doesn't-exist type of way. At points I found myself laughing, not because it was funny but just because it was so real. There's that little window in lots of novels that are just that little bit unrealistic, but you've managed to block it out :) I really love writing, but sometimes I just can't find the inspiration. What inspired you to write this? Thanks for your time :)" Amy

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"I was an ex-self harmed for 2 years, your book has helped alot, it helped me cut down alot, i eventurly stopped after i found out a friend of mine had recently gone to hospital in need of a blood transfution because of self harm, this stopped more of her friends too, all of them whom id introduced the book to, thank you" Jasmine

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"Hey thanks for the book i am quite touched by the book because i reflected the person of Emily and Anthony, becuase i am really not that intelligent and back when i was reading the book i was the same age As Amily and was doing my GCSE. I found them  tough but eventually got 5 passes, i found it extremly hard becuase i had mild dyslexia, and back then had extreme obbsessive compulsive dissorder which had taken over my day. So i read this book and iit really had made me think that there are other people who are  gowing though much more difficult life.
I am currently doing A-levels at a new school now, and i am finding revision really hard to o becuase my OCD has kicked in again and am really annoyed latley and i have started to read this book again!" Guitarist

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"first of all I must thank you for writing Red Tears. incidentally, I was searching or googling for novels on self-harm, when I found out about your novel, and I knew I had to read it immediately. I have been a self-harmer since my years in Middle School, and I could relate to Emily really well. I was so amazed, how, while reading the novel, it semed as though I was reading my own thoughts at the time I used engage in self-destructive behaviour. It is awesome how you encompassed all of the thoyughts and feelings I used to go through.
Now that the book is finished, and it is lying infront of me, I feel a little sad. The end, in my opinion is bittersweet. Though Emily is cured, it is true that she will never be able to completely oversome her urges.
Reading your novel ws like reading and watching my own experiences except from an outsiders point of view. Strangely enough I enjoyed reading the parts were Emily's self-harm was discovered. I realised how much I hoped that someone had noticed by accident, that I would have been hospitalised, but no one ever noticed, and when my parents asked, unlike Emily, I lied.
Working this through with Emily has been a wonderful reading experience. Thank you so much for this novel. It means a lot to me." Camilla

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"hey, i love this book.
it's really interesting.
i've read this book about 5 times already. =D" Anon

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"I loved your book and thanks to it im now a ex-self harmer. i was with emily all the way.
My parents still dont no i ever did self harm or anyone else but now i have learnt to express my emotions theough other ways thank you" Icknard

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"All i wont to say really is that i am deeply moved by the book red tears already,and i havent finished it yet. The book it was suggested to me from a friend who was worried about me as i am a self harmer, i already feel strong conections to the way 'emily' is feeling in the book, and i think the way you have written this book is amazing it shows so many aspects of life i am finding hard, Ive been a self harmer for 4 years now and im really looking for a turnig point, and this book is opening my eyes and showing me that others all so feel the same about life and deal with the problems in the same way as i do this is a great help to me and i think this peice of writting in it self is a master peice and one of the most helpful things to me and will help change my life thankyou ill email when ive finished" Ruby

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"I think this book is fantastic.I read it over and over again,although i didn't understand why do people self-harm themselves,because i think obviously you will have a different ways to solve it.But i seriously understand about the situation that Emily is in,and i have lots of things that relate to her.Thank you very much for write this book.I had really really really enjoyed it." Rita

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"OMG, THANKYOU! I can't say it enough times!
I have been self harming for a couple of years now, and it was getting out of control. I was really scaring myself. Your book made me see it from a friend or relative's point of veiw, not just mine. When I got to the point  where her Mom finds out, I realized I should try to limit my self-harm. I hardly have to cut at all now. Once again... THANKYOU!!" Izzi

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"I adore your book
I did a project on its the best book" Shonalie

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"I would just like to say how amazing your book is. I'm 15 and like Emily, I always hide behind my studies and am not confident. I try to please my friends an awful lot and sometimes I forget who the real me is. I could relate to Emily, she's like me in a way, trying to cope with everything at once. I self-harm. I've done it for a few months. Emily has given me hope. Thank you so much." Sophie

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"I read this in half a day cos I couldnt put it down. I really related to Emily - I've recently turned to self-harm to help ease the pain of depression thats gone on for years. I too, like Emily, have a perfect life on the surface. I often feel like others would not understand so to read this book was a welcome relief from the isolation depression and self-harm cause. The reasons you provide for Emily's self-harm ring true too. I too need to make my pain visible to validate its existence. It was scary how much I could relate to her. I loved this book. Thank-you for writing it." Anon

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"hi, I am 15 years old, I have been self-harming for about three years now. it started off much like it did with Emily. i liked red tears a lot...i gave it to my friends to read and they understand more. thank you." Becky

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"hi i jus want to say that your book was amazing i was really able to relate to emily and i could understand how she was feeling all the way through the book i would recommend it to many others" Chloe

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"Thank you for writing about this subject, and so well! I self harmed for 8 years, only getting help 2 years ago. And having seen your site, it's great to see someone's trying to give information on the subject to teachers. I had to endure one teacher picking on me about my depression and scars (I became obscurely good at hiding them)and publicly humiliating me and making a very personal problem worse. Thank you again, it's incredible reassuring to know it's less likely to happened to someone else in that situation!" Naomi

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"This is a fantastic book, i read it over and over again... i think i can relate to every single thing in this book... so thanks ! :) xx" Hannah

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"wow. i really have nothing to say, except maybe two words: Thank You. for everything, for understanding us teenagers for who we are, helping us through this, and KNOWING us inside and out in a way no one has ever been able to. Thank you ms kenrick! i really, really, can't express the gratitude i have for you. you're one of the BEST writers i've ever seen...and you ROCK." Anupa

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"I recently read the book, and it was amazing. I've had friends who self harm, quite a lot of them. But anyway. I kept reading and reading, and it was only about 3/4 of the way through the book that I atually realised her name was Emily. I had a friend named Emily, she self-harmed, and she went over the edge. She didn't kill herself or anything like that, but she kind of locked heerself away inside of her mind. It was almost two months before she came back out and started being the Emily we know and love. Anyway. Just though I'd say that coz your book struck a chord with me!" Yeti 

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"hellO!! i think red tears is a great book! i finished it in a day!! and when i read it i cant seem to put it down!! its an awesome book, and i've read it at least 10 times!!" Nayli

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"Hi, my friend is in the process of reading your book, and said she can really relate, i read a bit of it so far and i think i can to. I've been self harming for 4 years( I'm 16 now, just done my g.c.s.e's actually) , and it's good to see more people understanding and writing about it, writings a huge release for me. I look forward to reading more of the book.  Just thought I'd let you know, your helping people." Sarah

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"I read your book in year 8 at school, as i am thirteen. I have to say its one of my favourite books, and one of the best i've read. I have never had a problem with self harm, i always understood that it was a way of coping. But when i was reading your book i learnt more about it. Thank you for writing it. Will there be Red Tears 2? Anyways; i love that book" Brogan

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"Your book was great.It made me cry because I felt Emily's pain. I couldn't put the book down at all! You're a inspiring writer and one day, I hope to be like you! Hugs and kisses." Stephhii

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"i live in germany- still i heard of your book on a german self-harmer forum (www.rotetraenen.de). I´ve just finished reading today- first i thought emily is so unlike me, but then we got more and more a like (she ended out being worse). I wish my mom could be like that, too.OK, she started nosing to,but she´s not that understanding. She gets mad at me... But it´s encouraged me in my therapy-plans (eventhough i didn´t manage to talk to them on the phone-i hung up). Ok, why am i telling you this??
All i wanted to say is that you did a great job looking into us (sometimes too good), most "normal" people say (even media!!) that si equals borderline or that we´re automatically in danger of suicide. Oh well, great done (i´ll stop wining)." Dani

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"i finished reading this book yesterday and i really loved it..self-harm has become a really important issue and should be paid attention to.." Anon

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"i was so inspired by your book. i felt i could truly relate to the character of emily. altho i myself have never resorted to self harm, there have been many times when the thought has crossed my mind. i felt alone and that no-one (if i told them) would ever understand the pressure and stress i was putting on myself. eventually i was seen by a councillor but even that wasn't as much help to me as your book. thank you." Anon

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"i just want to say that when i read your book i felt everything Emily felt, every wound, every drop of blood.  it is also amazing how you can feel everything and associate it with how you feel" Monique

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"I would just like to say that your book is fantastic. It made me realise exactly why I had been self harming 2 years previously although I wasn't sure at the time. I don't cut any more but your book helped me realise so many things I cannot being to list them. I just wish I had read this book by the time my mom found out. Funnily enough she didn't find out until she read my diary 2 months ago and decided that although I had stopped I was still in need of help! Strange. Her idea of help was talking about my dad who I haven't seen since I was 2 and have no wish to see and banning me from the computer. Some help. Anyway I hope you write more books like this. Maybe one on friendships or other teenage problems. I don't know. All I know is that I will definately be down the shops waiting to buy it when it comes out!" Anna

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"I loved your book. I could really connect with Emily in a lot of ways, previously being a self-harmer myself i really can relate with  all of her ups and downs. Thanks for writing such a great book." Ali

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"I could relate myself to "Emily" so much in this book. With her ups and downs of school life and with her friends. Thankyou for this page aswell. A close friend was furious about my self-harming but after reading this page, he has started to understand it a little bit more.

So thankyou for this amazing book =]" Emily

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"hi, my name is jillian and i recently turned 13. one of my friends has been talking about wanting to self-harm because she has had  a hard life but i told her to read your book and now she has a different opinion.
Thanks for a great book and can't wait for the next." Jillian

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"I really love Red Tears. When I was reading, I felt like as if it was about me. All the things I feel is like being pen down on a sheet of paper and made into a book. Lots of teenagers and even adults are having problems with this issue. I cant help crying while reading it.It made me understand that since Emily can let go of it, why cant I?

I really love your book and while reading it, I feel closer towards the book and the author as well. I learn lots of things from this books so thank you" Nur'ain

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"I have just finished reading 'Red Tears' what an amazing book, it made me cry at times, because it is so true to the feelings that self-harmers experiance. I hope your book changes the negative preceptions towards pepole who self-harm, and that maybe the world may begin to change thier veiws after reading this book." JJ

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"I've read many many books on the subject of self harm, depression, and eating disorders - all of which I have been suffering from for about 2 years.

I have never read a book that is so close to home. Emily is a normal GCSE student, in a normal family, at a normal school, with normal friends and normal problems. All the other books seem to have something unusual about them - an abused childhood, a mega family tragedy or something, but "Red Tears" doesn't, which is why it is so easy to relate to. People need to understand that these things happen to normal, average everyday people aswell. I wish I'd had it when I first had to tell my parents about my self harm - because the way her parents react is exactly the same as my parents reacted." Ellie

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"I just wanted to say that I think it's a really amazing thing you've done by writing this book. I read most of the book while I was in the local book shop and i fully intend to buy it when I next go there. I've self harmed for over a year now as a result of bullying and family stuff. I'm a high achiever and people at school were surprised when they found out that i self harmed, they didn't expect it from me. I really liked what i read of your book because it wasn't judgemental and it was absolutely perfect in it's descriptions of 'why' and the reactions to self harm- the teacher's reaction especially being one i could relate to. This is a book that teachers and parents should read as well as young people because it may help break some of the myths and stigma surrounding self harm." Rebecca

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"I read Red Tears all the way through yesterday, and it was so true to my own life it made me cry. I've never actually deliberately cut myself, but have been self harming in other ways for as long as I can remember - I've found it difficult to make friends in the past and recently my so-called 'best friend' turned on me for no reason; she just stopped talking to me. I want to say a big THANK YOU because your book gave me the courage and strength to start kicking my bad habits and emerge from my shell a bit. I probably won't make any more friends while I'm still at school (I'm in year 11 so school's officially out forever as from this Friday) but I'm holding out a lot of hope for the holidays. Today at breaktime I did just as Emily does in the book - I wrote a poem about how I felt and my newfound hope for the future

How can I talk
When everyone assumes I'm a freak?
How can I live in the real world
When fantasy welcomes me with open arms?
How can I stop the pain
When everyone causes it, even me?
How can I live my dreams
When even my dreams become nightmares?
And how can I take a chance
When the risk of falling is too great?
I don't know.
But today's the day I try
To rise from the ashes." Steph

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"i feel like you wrote about me.. i could have written that.. i'm trying so hard to stop but it is so hard and i'm so scared thanks for writing this book it has helped a few of my friends understand" Alice

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"i adore your book red tears .. i almost thought i was there with the girl . i harldy put the book down and once i had finished it i wanted to no if you had writen any more like it. i do understand how the girl felt ..its hard some times .. but we can all get through it ! Thanks." Emily

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"i think that your book was fantastic. It gave an insite into what people who self harm go through and why they do it. Thank you for writing this book it has helped me and i am going to lend it to others that i know who sef harm and i hope that it will help them as well. I think that those who have read your book may not be as quick to judge which wil be a great help to people." Amy

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"Every school library should have a copy of your book. I have never read anything that describes self-harm as accurately as you have in red tears, so much so that it actually explained an awful lot to me about my own history of self-harm! I wish that this book had been published when my parents first discovered my self-harming at 14. They reacted exactly like Emily's parents. How I would love to have been able to simply hand them this book to read, it would have made things so much easier! Every adult and young person should read this, there is still so much misunderstanding and social stigma around self-harm. I finally    beat the self-harm addiction at 23 but I can never wear short sleeves or skirts at work or around my parents. I feel that this book really could make a difference in the future." Alicia

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"I have just finished reading Red Tears and I really enjoyed it! I read it very quickly and just today did an oral report on it in English at school. Although I would never consider self-harming, I think that Emily reacts and handles some situations like I would. She was a very believable character, so was her mother. I have read quite a few Teen-dramas and none of them have been quite like this one. They are always written in the same kind of style and they get quite predictable and dull. Red Tears was definately not dull, thanks!" Helena

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"I'm a third year English literature student and i'm doing an extended study on representations of self harm in Teenage fiction. I just wanted to say that your book is brilliant! I've read what little books there are available featuring this topic and found yours to be the most realistic and genuine. I love that Emily is just an ordinary girl, with a good family but just can't cope with everything that life throws at young people these days. It seems as though all the books I've read feature girls in awful situations and with broken down families. I have been self harming since i was 15 and I've always felt so guilty that I have a lovely home and family and I did well at school, which of course just made me want to cut more. I like the contrast you make between Emily and Patrice's situations.
I eventually told my mam when I was 17, because she knew something wasn't right with me and she was amazing about it. I told her about how your book was exactly how I felt and that although it was painful to read at times it was great to realise the reason I began cutting isn't something to be guilty about. She asked me if she could read it when I'm finished writing my essay on it and I think it's a great way to help her understand what I was going through and still feel like at times." Lucy

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"I read your book within a day.  It was absoultly fantastic, i have since passed it on to my college LRC, thank you so much for taking the time to research this hard topic so throughly." Lauren

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"I just wanted to say, I LOVED your book to bits! I couldn't put it down! And I mean it, It was like I was surgically attached to the thing. When I finished it I thought it was the happiest ending ever." Angharad

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"Red Tears is one of the best books I have read in such a long time. It was like I was Emily. Everything she went through, whether it be the exams, the family issues or trouble with her friends. The feelings she experienced were all too familiar. I have never found someone who understands what I am going through. When trying to explain my feelings, it feels like whatever I say falls on deaf ears. However, when Emily says how she's feeling, right before she hurts herself, I can really relate too. This book has helped me so much, in ways I can't even describe." Lucy

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"i first heared about your book on the bbc london talkshow you did with jumoke fachola a few weeks ago. After hearing about it, both me and a friend of mine who was also listening, went out and bought it. I started reading it as soon as i got home and couldn't put it down! i really connected with the main character (emily) and was with her all the way, i had also had similar experiances with people asking to see my arms at school etc. and this showed me that i was not alone and it gave me confidence to get through the tough times that lead to self harm.  Thankyou for giving me this confidence, it has really helped me a lot!!" Ciaran

***

"I have recently finished your latest book (red tears) and I thought I'd let you know what I thought. 'Red tears' is a BRILLIANT book which I couldn't put it down at home and at school, I just had to keep on reading it day and night. The way the book is written is really interesting way of reading a story like this, which is from Emily's point of view as a self-harmer and how she looks at life, and how she copes with her trouble and misfortune. I especially liked the last chapter it was a fantastic ending. It wasn't a boring classical ending, which great to have change from the same old 'and they all lived happily after'. Emily was really happy at the end of the chapter but she also said she wasn't 'cured' which means that she won't live her life normally, but she's taking whatever life throws at her step by step, as you can see by her new found friend, Mandie, who is going to college with her.

This book makes you feel very emotional about people out there who don't have family and friends to look out for them unlike in Emily's case where she had her family to care, and help her through the difficult time.

This amazing page-turning story is perfect for people who don't quite understand what self-harmers go through. For anyone who wants to read an interesting and also informative storyline about people in Emily's case, I would recommend this book to anyone." Sebastian

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A poem from Julie:
"i do not speak in words
or sounds
or images on paper.
i have no symbols, no letters.
my language
is expressed in pain.
bruises from walking
into doors
- silly me -
red scratches
- untidy -
from when the knife was not at hand
quickly enough.
clean cuts where the razor
sliced away through layers of skin
revealing
layers of meaning.

My words
are bright drops of blood
quivering
on the edge of the cut
then collecting in rivulets
tiny streams
that wash away what i cannot put
up with."

***

"hi. i luved your book because it gave me lots to empathise with. i am 11 and have been self harming recently. The first time i did it, my parents found out and treated me like i had a disease. i promised to them i wouldn't do it again, but i have cut myself again a couple more times recently. a few of my closest friends know, but it's getting out of control and i don't have anyone to go to." Caroline

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"Hi, I'd just like to say recently I've managed to help my mate, Emily (weird I know), out of self harming. She had the same principle of reasons, it helps, its how she portrayed her feelings. She kept it to her wrists and covered them with sweat bands. A few chavs found out and she's been labelled emo ever since. She said she couldn't feel happiness, like a vortex keeping her hostage.

I convinced her to tell her parents. Or her mum at least. She did. Naturally, they were shocked and as her and I were only 13 her mum wasn't sure what to do. She didn't have such a huge reaction as the character Emily's mum did. But I think they talked about it in her room, late into the night.

All in all I'm glad she cried out for help. I feel elated that I helped her, I made a difference. I want her to read your book. I shall lend it to her tomorrow. Thankyou, your book has taught me so much." Jess

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"thank you for writing this book. its brilliant, i read it in two hours. people always think you need a really serious reason to selfharm but its not always true." J

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"I've just finished your book. I first want to say that it was amazing! and I finished it in two days, not something I normally do. But I read it so quickly because it was helping me understand so much. I've self-harmed for a couple of months now, but I never got if my reasons were legitimate-I do it because I know no other way of coping. Now I understand that I'm not stupid for seeing it as a form of release, and that I'm not the only person that does it for this reason. Thank you so much for writing this book. If you've helped me, you must have helped so many other people." Hannah