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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
I wish this had been around when I was her age! <3 such an important book. Its complex but also light and full of pockets of hope, growth and learning.
This book made me laugh, but also made me want to cry at the same time.
Coming-of-age, journal/diary entry account from Gabi, a Mexican American teenager in her senior year of high school. Drug use, family dysfunction, dating, teen pregnancy, body image, and LGBTQ acceptance all major issues. I read about the story in a blog and gave it a chance, but it was too dramatic for me. But Gabi is the kind of girl I would have liked to have been friends with in high school.
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Body shaming, Drug use, Rape, Death of parent, Pregnancy
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book does an amazing job at capturing the experience of Gabi and it is so incredibly relatable. I think many of us grow up feeling not enough. In particular, Gabi never felt Mexican enough or white enough. It doesn’t help that Latine culture also heavily idolizes certain body types, specifically thin ones. Gabi is just trying to find herself and her space in the world. It doesn’t help that while dealing with teenage things, she also has to learn to help her best friend who just found out she is pregnant and her other best friend whose family has disowned him for coming out as Gay. Gabi is trying the best she can to comfort and support her best friends. She’s also trying to figure out how to deal with her family as they deal with some extremely heavy challenges.
I read this book so fast. It was easy to read and the writing made me want to keep reading and to find out what was going to happen next. Thank you again to @hearourvoicestours for a copy of the book!
I read this book so fast. It was easy to read and the writing made me want to keep reading and to find out what was going to happen next. Thank you again to @hearourvoicestours for a copy of the book!
emotional
reflective
sad
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
This should be required reading! Such a beautiful and accurate portrayal of the struggles a first gen Mex.Am. Girl faces ontop of all the other struggles teens face in todays day & age. The poetry in the book is so powerful and emotiona! It really captured the complex and angsty teen emotions. Oh did I mention the FMC Gabi is hilarious! I was a fan of her dark humor! The journal entry style of writing was well done. I knocked off one star because the ending was a bit underwhelming for my liking. Otherwise this is a very special book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Cursing, Death of parent
Moderate: Drug use, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Abortion
Let me start my review by saying that truly I think it’s personal preference why I didn’t adore this book.
The major problem I had with this was that it was tackling way too many issues. I understand that this is realistic, as many of us are often juggling multiple difficult situations at once, but as a reading experience it doesn’t work for me. I’d rather a novel focus on a small number of concerns, so it can fully dive into them in detail.
That being said, I definitely think this was written in away to be approachable for its target YA audience. The fact that it was mainly written in journal entries with some poems means that it’s not difficult to get through it in terms of the prose.
I’m definitely going to be including this in my classroom library, as I do think many of my students would appreciate a story like this one. Ultimately, I don’t always try to read books with myself in mind. Sometimes, the gain I get from a book is knowing it fits well in my classroom.
The major problem I had with this was that it was tackling way too many issues. I understand that this is realistic, as many of us are often juggling multiple difficult situations at once, but as a reading experience it doesn’t work for me. I’d rather a novel focus on a small number of concerns, so it can fully dive into them in detail.
That being said, I definitely think this was written in away to be approachable for its target YA audience. The fact that it was mainly written in journal entries with some poems means that it’s not difficult to get through it in terms of the prose.
I’m definitely going to be including this in my classroom library, as I do think many of my students would appreciate a story like this one. Ultimately, I don’t always try to read books with myself in mind. Sometimes, the gain I get from a book is knowing it fits well in my classroom.
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
"Well, what is a Mexican supposed to look like? Am I supposed to be brown and short? Carry a leaf blower on my back? Speak with a thick accent? Say things like 'I no spik ingles?' Should I have dark hair and dark eyes, like my mother and grandmother?"
I adored Gabi A Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero. I wish it existed when I was in high school because I related to it so much. Even though Gabi is Mexican, I felt so seen in so many of the chapters. Quintero captured the teen mindset and Mexican Spanglish/slang so well it created a really authentic reading experience. The format of the book also made it more enjoyable. I really vibe with books that include mixed media and this one had diary entries, poems and even a zine. Gabi is a protagonist that I will never forget. She's nerdy, quirky, observant, snarky, loving, loyal, with a solid moral compass and flexible.
Quintero tackled so many relevant themes from the Mexican perspective that will resonate with many other Latine folx. There was fatphobia (internalized & societal), religion, sex and abstinence messaging, addiction (meth), teen pregnancy, racism, colorism, being first generation heading to college, queerness and misogyny. As I was reading, I could see this book in conversation with others such as:
📚 Poet X- Elizabeth Acevedo
📚 Fat Chance Charlie Vega- Crystal Maldonado
📚 I am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter- Erika Sanchez
📚 Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass- Meg Medina
A big thank you to @leeandlow @hearourvoicestours for the gifted copy and tour opportunity. There is a reason this book is an award winner. If you are in the mood for a nostalgic read with authentic Mexican/Latine representation, give this one a try.
I adored Gabi A Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero. I wish it existed when I was in high school because I related to it so much. Even though Gabi is Mexican, I felt so seen in so many of the chapters. Quintero captured the teen mindset and Mexican Spanglish/slang so well it created a really authentic reading experience. The format of the book also made it more enjoyable. I really vibe with books that include mixed media and this one had diary entries, poems and even a zine. Gabi is a protagonist that I will never forget. She's nerdy, quirky, observant, snarky, loving, loyal, with a solid moral compass and flexible.
Quintero tackled so many relevant themes from the Mexican perspective that will resonate with many other Latine folx. There was fatphobia (internalized & societal), religion, sex and abstinence messaging, addiction (meth), teen pregnancy, racism, colorism, being first generation heading to college, queerness and misogyny. As I was reading, I could see this book in conversation with others such as:
📚 Poet X- Elizabeth Acevedo
📚 Fat Chance Charlie Vega- Crystal Maldonado
📚 I am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter- Erika Sanchez
📚 Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass- Meg Medina
A big thank you to @leeandlow @hearourvoicestours for the gifted copy and tour opportunity. There is a reason this book is an award winner. If you are in the mood for a nostalgic read with authentic Mexican/Latine representation, give this one a try.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fatphobia, Pregnancy
Minor: Addiction, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual assault, Abortion, Death of parent