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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
I wasn't a huge fan of the way this book was formatted, but the content was decent and thought provoking.
Interspersed with bits of Spanish, its a coming of age tale about a Latina girl named Gabi who struggles with weight issues, dysfunctional family dynamics, and friendship drama as she navigates her senior year in high school. Will appeal to fans of realistic fiction.
Read for Librarian Book Group
Quality YA written in diary format I found hard to put down. Incorporates poetry, zines, and great narration. I really loved this main character and this book.
(The librarian book group was unanimous about our dislike for the cover.)
Quality YA written in diary format I found hard to put down. Incorporates poetry, zines, and great narration. I really loved this main character and this book.
(The librarian book group was unanimous about our dislike for the cover.)
I'm pretty sure Isabel Quintero ripped out pages from my high school journal as research for this book. How is it possible to identify with someone SO. MUCH. I could talk for days about the retrieval of power in the hands of teenage girls when it comes to subtle yet sharp understanding of racism, beauty standards, classism, capitalism, etc. I want to give this book to everyone I encounter. Here you go, read something you never knew you needed.
challenging
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Drug abuse, Sexual content, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Pregnancy
Minor: Rape, Excrement
Wow this felt like it tried really hard to touch on almost every trope in YA fiction. There were parts I really liked, though, especially around Gabi’s love of poetry.