Reviews with content warning for Abortion - Gabi, A Girl in Pieces

Reviews tagging 'Abortion'

Gabi, A Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero

11 reviews

maryehavens's review against another edition

challenging dark fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book had everything Teen; all the tragedy that could happen to a kid plus prom and graduation. I loved Kyla Garcia's narration. She really captured all the aspects of Gabi.
I know that this book is on challenged/banned lists and I can see why but to think that teens are not going through some or all of these issues is very naïve. My son started High School freshman orientation finding out that 2 of his 8th grade classmates were going to be parents. Literally: 3 months prior they had just finished 8th grade. They were 14!! And now, I asked about them 8 months later and he has no idea where they are.
My heart broke for Cyndi...that was so tragic. But Gabi's dad was too. Really, Tia Bertha had the best arc!
I also liked the way Quintero highlighted poetry in the book. Sometimes that's not done very well but it was in this book. Made me want to read all the poems she alluded to.

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luna_bear's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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tree_star's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted reflective sad

Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

A fun and poignant YA read about a girl navigating high school, love, family and poetry. A combo I can't resist. This is pretty standard YA fare, but I loved it all the same. Gabi is hard not to like and I found myself laughing and crying with her in turns, and even cheering her on when...maybe...I shouldn't have.
But that's the point: None of us are perfect but we all deserve to take up space just as we are.

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thewordsdevourer's review against another edition

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emotional funny reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

told in the format of a journal interspersed w/ poems and even a zine, gabi, a girl in pieces reads like a YA classic w/ its story of identity, family, friendship, relationships, and grapples w/ the world.

the main character gabi is painfully, frighteningly relatable w/ her sturggles w/ body image, eating, complicated relationship w/ family, and her narrative voice is wry and at times hilarious. it's satisfying to see her grow and evolve thruout the novel, gradually thinking critically abt the world around her and the way girls are treated in her cultural context, and eventually speaking up and making her voice heard.

there's a lot going on in this short book, w/ quintero tackling numerous topics and issues, and tho it can feel a lil overwhelming at times, it's also realistic. there's addiction, teen pregnancy, rape culture, coming (and getting kicked) out, body image, internalized misogyny, and cultural pressure, to name a few. quintero approaches them all w/ equal parts realism and empathy. furthermore, the poems - esp those abt gabi's family - can be particularly touching, while the zine poems are technically great yet incisive.

i only wish things didnt peter out for cindy and sebastian towards the end, w/ gabi seeming hyperfocused in her own head. also i cant help but be a lil confused as to why many boys suddenly flock to gabi when nothing abt her has rly changed internally or externally. the narrative can also get repetitive at times, w/ some things mentioned or happening over and over, blurring many of the events tgt into one indistinct blob. the end couldve been less abrupt too.

while this novel contains serious themes and topics, it addresses and explores them w/ empathetic realism thru a humorous and wry narrative voice; an inevitable YA classic.

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wonderful_'s review against another edition

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emotional funny inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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asaugustine's review against another edition

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funny reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I picked this book up because it was in my classroom library and the cover was… provocative. I really enjoyed the epistolary style, and felt like it moved the story along at a quick pace. I also appreciated the honesty with which the book tackled complex issues; the internal conflicts felt very real, and the ebbs and flows of Senior year were also quite realistic - I appreciated how not all of the conflicts occurred at the very end of the novel, because, you know, sometimes problems happen in the middle of January in the midst of a school year.

I would best describe this book as a grittier version of “I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter”, advancing many of the same themes and tropes, but with a slightly older audience in mind. A good read, although I will reserve it for only a few of my eighth grade students who are mature enough to handle the material.

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