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erincataldi's review against another edition
5.0
What a stunning debut for teens! Girls of all ages and walks of life will appreciate this blunt and honest glimpse into the life of a teenage girl that is just trying hard to get by. It's hard for Gabi, on overweight girl with an overbearing Mexican mother, sullen brother, meth addicted father, pregnant best friend, and another one that's gay. Is it too much for life to be normal? She brilliantly narrates her "over-dramatic life" in this diary and fills it with poetry, letters, and daily observations. Trying to accept your family, navigate boys, feel good about yourself and your heritage, and figure out the future are just some of the things she touches on. It's laugh out loud funny and brutally insightful. A must read for teenage girls or really anyone. This book was just fantastic!
justlily's review against another edition
2.0
I had a really hard time getting into this book. There were bits and pieces written in Spanish, and while that felt very authentic to the character, it was hard to read.
You know...because I don't speak Spanish.
I felt like I was missing the punchline a lot of the time. There were some laugh out loud moments and Gabi is definitely one of the more unique YA voices I've read recently. But yeah, it was tough to connect with in the end.
You know...because I don't speak Spanish.
I felt like I was missing the punchline a lot of the time. There were some laugh out loud moments and Gabi is definitely one of the more unique YA voices I've read recently. But yeah, it was tough to connect with in the end.
90sinmyheart's review against another edition
3.0
I liked a lot of things about this.I enjoyed the kick-ass protag, the plot, the Spanish, the food refs (YUM), and the legit teenage thought patterns.
k_l3's review against another edition
3.0
Great writing and message but not good enough for me to always remember it.
jwinchell's review against another edition
4.0
This one has it going on: diary format, pointed/authentic narration, real issues, strength and vulnerability, a critical stance on feminism and race and identity. I had high hopes that this would be a contender for the OPRF 9th grade summer read, but I think it's better for readers to choose to read it. There's too much f*ing swearing to assign across an entire grade level, but I'll advocate it go on the list for 10th/11th/12th graders.
yesenianavaa's review against another edition
2.0
I've read a lot of young adult novels, but this definitely felt the most like its genre. Gaby is smart, perceptive, and kind. She is a strong character, but she gets lost in the plethora of topics that the author is trying to address. Quintero talks about rape culture, abortion, overbearing mothers, misogyny, self-love, familial relationships, teen pregnancy, queerness, and a bunch of other things that a lot of times I just felt like I was listening to someone rant. This book is labeled as a coming of age, but its outright politicalness reminds me of what an adult thinks a college student sounds like and then lazily just taking a few years off the character. Yes, I obviously agree with a lot of the things was saying, but it struck me as odd that Gaby already was "woke". There wasn't a lot of room for growth in this department that would have made this feel more authentic. Also, she goes on a long rant where she expresses her frustrations that people don't realize she's Mexican. But like sorry dude. I don't feel bad for the light skinned girl for her passing privilege. Girls like this always want to talk about how their ethnic identity is always being challenged, yet when you look at mass media and visual representations of Mexican( and latin american) people, they are the face for everything. Also, none of the other characters were fully fledged out. I seriously forgot that her mom was pregnant. It also didn't feel like Cindy even had her baby. So many people's story lines were brought up and then relegated to the background, only coming up sporadically and randomly.
l_brina's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 rounded up. I liked this book and it was pretty intriguing. I think it was a little repetitive, like hear me out, but once the bad things just kept happening, I got less and less surprised. But overall I liked this book.
scoutthepages's review against another edition
2.0
Review at https://pragmastery.com/2019/10/21/2019-book-overview-part-two/
bookslifeandeverythingnice's review against another edition
4.0
Gabi, a Girl in Pieces centers around Gabi a 17 year old girl. Written in diary format, Gabi takes us through her life which is drama filled, entertaining, and relatable. Gabi reflects on her life in a mature concise way, but the diary entries aren’t too stuffy for someone who is a teen. I listened to this as an audiobook, and I highly recommend doing so. It elevated the novel and made it even more entertaining. Gabi brings up relevant topics such as teen pregnancy, feminism, rape culture, confidence, being oneself, drug abuse, complicated family dynamics, and food issues. It all sounds very typical teenage novel, but the voice from the main character elevates this novel above many other young adult novels. I thought I was initially getting a light fun young adult novel, which I did, but Gabi, a Girl in Pieces adds an intelligent complicated dynamic to it that I highly recommend.