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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
About a Latino girl with two best friends. One is pregnant and other is gay.
This was excellent. Books structured as diaries can be hard to pull off; they sometimes tend to either get too plot-heavy and lose that feeling of authenticity, that this could be somebody's actual life, or they go the other direction and get too slice-of-lifey and just forget to have a plot altogether. This book walks that line perfectly; a ton of things happen, but it never veers into sensationalism or turns into an after-school special. Issues are raised and worked through, but it's messy and complicated; there are no pat answers.
Most of all, Gabi's voice is clear and vibrant throughout. There are parts that are a little preachy, and parts that are a little cringey, and parts where you definitely feel like she might have different (or at least more complicated) thoughts on something a few years down the road — exactly like an actual teenager's diary. Reading through this felt A LOT like reading through some of the notebooks I kept in high school — not the same subject matter, but oh god, those feelings. That's not to say it's an overall awkward or cringey book — it includes those moments, but on the whole it's just a very real-feeling book. Other aspects are good, too, but this would get a solid five stars from me just solely for its pitch-perfect encapsulation of the glory and agony and sheer awkwardness that is the late teen years. Definitely recommended.
Most of all, Gabi's voice is clear and vibrant throughout. There are parts that are a little preachy, and parts that are a little cringey, and parts where you definitely feel like she might have different (or at least more complicated) thoughts on something a few years down the road — exactly like an actual teenager's diary. Reading through this felt A LOT like reading through some of the notebooks I kept in high school — not the same subject matter, but oh god, those feelings. That's not to say it's an overall awkward or cringey book — it includes those moments, but on the whole it's just a very real-feeling book. Other aspects are good, too, but this would get a solid five stars from me just solely for its pitch-perfect encapsulation of the glory and agony and sheer awkwardness that is the late teen years. Definitely recommended.
top 3 funniest books i’ve read all year. comfortingly (and sometimes sad) relatable. Gabi speaks to the teenage mexican american girl in a lot of us.
Really enjoyed this one. Gabi is a Mexican American just trying to get through senior year at school while juggling school work, boys, balancing her heritage and her own growing thoughts on who she is/wants to be, as well as friends (and enemies!) with troubles of their own. The characters are great and diverse and the book manages to be smart, funny, thought-provoking and doesn't shirk the tough topics. It reads quickly due to the diary format as well so if you're looking for a really great and fast coming-of-age story this is a great pick!
emotional
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
If I found this book in 2014 (when it was released btw) I would've made it out a little more okay than I did now
Seeing and hearing all that Gabi goes through in a single year, and telling myself that my friends will go through similar things at around the same- if not younger ages feels like it would've taken so much off of me in a way? like yes we're all different, but the struggle of being the oldest then-teen, then-daughter from a poor immigrant family remains the same.
I'm so glad this book exists, and I'm so glad teachers like Gabi's poetry teacher exist, who care about their students and try to help them succeed in all facets of their lives! Without teachers like that, many of us wouldn't be where we are!
Seeing and hearing all that Gabi goes through in a single year, and telling myself that my friends will go through similar things at around the same- if not younger ages feels like it would've taken so much off of me in a way? like yes we're all different, but the struggle of being the oldest then-teen, then-daughter from a poor immigrant family remains the same.
I'm so glad this book exists, and I'm so glad teachers like Gabi's poetry teacher exist, who care about their students and try to help them succeed in all facets of their lives! Without teachers like that, many of us wouldn't be where we are!
I really enjoyed Gabi, a Girl in Pieces. It adds a candid, fresh and funny perspective to the coming-of-age genre for young women. I would highly recommend it.
This is one of those books where you become torn reading it.
On the one hand, you love how effectively Quintero captures the mind of an 18 year old girl and the highs and lows of the Senior Year. Her diary entries, provincial as some may be, are effectively compelling and make you care about Gabi, Cindy, Sebastien, Martin and the gang. Truly, there are moments where your heart genuinely aches for Gabi, and her triumphs become yours. It's like being a teenager all over again, and any author who can pull you into that headspace is gifted.
However, the book's strength is also what makes it a nauseating read. The mood swings and energy of a sexually-active high school senior are just as exhausting to experience vicariously as they were in person. It is a mark of fine narration that this book brought me into the violent pendulem swings of day to day classes, test scores, crushes, family dramas, etc. I guess part of the beauty of growing up is a reminder that I am no longer in this horribly uncomfortable life stage.
All in all, this book effectively symbolized my own adolescence: It wasn't that bad, I'm just glad it's done and I don't have to go back and revisit it again.
On the one hand, you love how effectively Quintero captures the mind of an 18 year old girl and the highs and lows of the Senior Year. Her diary entries, provincial as some may be, are effectively compelling and make you care about Gabi, Cindy, Sebastien, Martin and the gang. Truly, there are moments where your heart genuinely aches for Gabi, and her triumphs become yours. It's like being a teenager all over again, and any author who can pull you into that headspace is gifted.
However, the book's strength is also what makes it a nauseating read. The mood swings and energy of a sexually-active high school senior are just as exhausting to experience vicariously as they were in person. It is a mark of fine narration that this book brought me into the violent pendulem swings of day to day classes, test scores, crushes, family dramas, etc. I guess part of the beauty of growing up is a reminder that I am no longer in this horribly uncomfortable life stage.
All in all, this book effectively symbolized my own adolescence: It wasn't that bad, I'm just glad it's done and I don't have to go back and revisit it again.
emotional
funny
hopeful
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