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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
THIS BOOK! Where was this book 10 years ago when I needed a book like this?! Oh right not being promoted to girls like me!
First and foremost, Happy 10 year Anniversary to Gabi, A Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero.
I wish I would have read this book when it came out! There are so many good points in this book that I feel a lot of Mexican American girls can relate to!
I felt so much for Gabi and even all her friends! Each one of them went through something big! But Isabel Quintero did a beautiful job sharing each of their stories.
I also loved the poetry aspect of it! I definitely bookmarked some poems mentioned in the book to go back and read. But I also thought it was cool how she mentioned HOWL! I recently went to San Francisco and bought that book. So I am excited to read that as well!
I HIGHLY recommend this book! Out now wherever books are sold!
Thank you @HearOurVoicesTour @LeeAndLow and @isabelinpieces for my gifted copy! đź’•
If you read this book please be aware it has the following topics: Drug Abuse, Teen Pregnancy, Abortion, Abandonment due to being gay
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🏷️ #HearOurVoicesTours #GabiAGirlInPieces #HearOurVoices #BookTour #Bookstagram #LatinaBookstagramer #LatineHeritageMonth #diversereads #DiverseBooks #BooksBooksBooks
funny
hopeful
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
read this my freshman year, writing this as a junior, trying to remember what my issue was with this book. gabi is light skinned, and she insecure abt it bc she's seen as less Mexican. dumb asf, esp as a brown skinned blk latina. if you feel this way irl you need to get over yourself. Colorism is an actual problem and you're mad bc your skin is white be fr
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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
"I am about to witness the miracle of life.
Later....
That was freakin' gross"
Meet Gabriela Hernandez, a "bad girl in the making (according to her mother), semi-decent to possibly good writer, watcher of marathon runners, eater of carne asada tacos (even on Good Friday), and kinda fat girl."
Gabi has been through a LOT, and within the pages of her diary she takes us along in her perilous journey through senior year... and Cindy's pregnancy... and Sebastian's struggles with coming out... and her father's drug addiction... and--well, you get the picture. This coming of age story explores heavy topics like fatphobia, misogyny, teen pregnancy, drug addiction, sexual assault, and homophobia, depicting these hard-hitting topics in a way that felt so very personal and authentic and easy to digest.
I loved the relationship between the main trio, it was as chaotic as it was beautiful because, no matter what, they always had each other's backs. Seeing their lives and their growth through Gabi's eyes reminded me of what it was like to be a teenager, the way no one knows how to diffuse a situation and turn a bad time into an uncontrollable fit of laughter like your friends do. This book felt like sitting down with your best friends after a long week and letting it all out, because you know they'll hold you and keep you steady, and you'll do the same for them. Seeing Gabi's poetry improve, her letters to her dad become more and more painful, her way of thinking shifting from what her family and society have taught her, all while maintaining that wonderfully humorous narration, felt genuine and real. Absolutely love to see girls and women learning to love themselves đź’–
Later....
That was freakin' gross"
Meet Gabriela Hernandez, a "bad girl in the making (according to her mother), semi-decent to possibly good writer, watcher of marathon runners, eater of carne asada tacos (even on Good Friday), and kinda fat girl."
Gabi has been through a LOT, and within the pages of her diary she takes us along in her perilous journey through senior year... and Cindy's pregnancy... and Sebastian's struggles with coming out... and her father's drug addiction... and--well, you get the picture. This coming of age story explores heavy topics like fatphobia, misogyny, teen pregnancy, drug addiction, sexual assault, and homophobia, depicting these hard-hitting topics in a way that felt so very personal and authentic and easy to digest.
I loved the relationship between the main trio, it was as chaotic as it was beautiful because, no matter what, they always had each other's backs. Seeing their lives and their growth through Gabi's eyes reminded me of what it was like to be a teenager, the way no one knows how to diffuse a situation and turn a bad time into an uncontrollable fit of laughter like your friends do. This book felt like sitting down with your best friends after a long week and letting it all out, because you know they'll hold you and keep you steady, and you'll do the same for them. Seeing Gabi's poetry improve, her letters to her dad become more and more painful, her way of thinking shifting from what her family and society have taught her, all while maintaining that wonderfully humorous narration, felt genuine and real. Absolutely love to see girls and women learning to love themselves đź’–
Gabi is a Latina senior in high school who lives with her parents and friends in southern California. Her best friends are Cindy, a girl who has just found out she's pregnant, and Sebastian, a boy who is gay. Gabi's dad has a meth problem that he is trying to quit. This book is told in a journal format over the course of a school year. During this year Gabi deals with her friends' problems, her dad's meth addiction, and dating the cute boy in her classes.
I read this book very quickly, in less than a day. I rather enjoyed it. Gabi is a very realistic character who is struggling with her weight and the social issues presented by her friends. Not everything in this story ends happily ever after for everyone, which makes this book more realistic as well, I think. There is teen pregnancy, bullying, LGBT -coming out, and drug addiction. The pacing is just about right and the minor characters are well fleshed out and developed. There is some substance abuse, some references to sex, and some adult language. This is a book for teenagers and doesn't glamorize it's themes but presents them without pulling any punches. I liked this book.
I read this book very quickly, in less than a day. I rather enjoyed it. Gabi is a very realistic character who is struggling with her weight and the social issues presented by her friends. Not everything in this story ends happily ever after for everyone, which makes this book more realistic as well, I think. There is teen pregnancy, bullying, LGBT -coming out, and drug addiction. The pacing is just about right and the minor characters are well fleshed out and developed. There is some substance abuse, some references to sex, and some adult language. This is a book for teenagers and doesn't glamorize it's themes but presents them without pulling any punches. I liked this book.
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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:
Complicated
“If words are our weapons, we must ask ourselves, why should we use rocks and sticks when we have tanks available?”
On the 10th anniversary of this heart wrenching debut novel, I can’t help but think that this is the kind of book that should be read in high schools across the country. At 28 years old I still found myself relating to 18 year old Gabi Hernandez, a young Mexican-American girl navigating the highs and lows of her senior year of high school. Funny enough, 10 years ago I was also in my senior year of high school (wow I feel old), so I couldn’t help but think back on my own high school experiences while reading. This novel isn’t afraid to discuss heavy topics, because even though it is YA, age doesn’t always shield you from the harsh realities of life. I thought that the exploration of these topics was handled quite well; we go on a journey with Gabi as she navigates complicated feelings about her circumstances. While some of the language may be harsh, and we may not always agree with the viewpoints of certain characters, that’s what makes this novel so interesting to me. Because it does such a great job at reflecting real life. At times it may feel like there’s too much going on, but I think that’s the point. Life waits for no one, and sometimes we just have too much going on and we have to learn to cope with it. The novel does well with balancing some of these heavier topics with funny and sweet moments, in my opinion.
Another thing that I love is how strong Gabi’s voice is throughout this novel. Because the novel is solely from her perspective we really get to know her inside and out. She asks so many questions that I remember asking myself as a teenager too. And while I turned toward music and theater to help me navigate my teenage years, Gabi turned to poetry. As Gabi learns how to use writing as a tool for understanding her complex emotions we get to see her evolve as a poet. Special shoutout to all the teachers that saw potential in us and fostered our growth, even when we didn’t see it ourselves.
This is a book that feels timeless, and I highly recommend picking it up. Thank you so much to @hearourvoicestours for having me on this tour and giving me the opportunity to read this book! I wish I had read it as a teen!
challenging
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:
Complicated
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Gabi, a Girl in Pieces was such a joy to read. Gabi is such a relatable and multi-dimensional 17yo character. She’s insecure about her body but shows instances of confidence in herself. She knows what she wants but is also worried about how that might affect her family and friends. Gabi is also is trying so hard to be a “good” daughter while also challenging her mother’s expectations.
Quintero writes so lovingly and honestly about all the complications and struggles and joys and disappointments that happen to so many of us when we’re at the brink of adulthood.
The book is filled with heavy themes (grief, addiction, teen pregnancy, body shaming) but I felt like Quintero handled them all realistically and with care.
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This felt like a love letter to all the latinas that grew up, broke the generational cycle of complicated family dynamics and societal pressures
Really engaging and a great narrative voice, but also just a bit too much going on here for me. All of the dramatic subplots weren't unrealistic, but it was a lot to take in.