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allerkins's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book. I think I read over half of it in one sitting. I couldn't put it down. Meg Medina has written a moving, sweet, funny, scary, sad story about bullying in high school and what it means to be a young Latina. The characters Piddy, her mother, her aunt, the boy next door, and all of Piddy's friends just came to life off the page. Medina has created a very strong cast of secondary characters and Piddy herself is completely believable and easy to relate to.
Piddy lives with her mom in a rundown apartment building. When the stairs in their building collapse, her mother has had enough and decides it is time to move. Sadly this also means that Piddy must change schools. On one of her very first days a girl walks up to her and says, "Yaqui Delgado wants to kick your ass." Piddy doesn't even know who Yaqui is! Yaqui goes on to torment Piddy to no end, resulting in a beating and a video uploaded online for the whole school to see. I especially love that Medina included this all too real aspect of bullying continuing online, which I have seen myself in the lives of the teens I work with.
Teens will find this book realistic and will relate easily to the situation Piddy is in. One of the strengths of the books is the ending. With bullying books, it can be difficult to find an ending that is both realistic and also offers some resolution. I think Medina nailed it with this ending. The more I think about this book, the more I love it and I'm just itching to find some teens to recommend this to because I know they will love it too.
Piddy lives with her mom in a rundown apartment building. When the stairs in their building collapse, her mother has had enough and decides it is time to move. Sadly this also means that Piddy must change schools. On one of her very first days a girl walks up to her and says, "Yaqui Delgado wants to kick your ass." Piddy doesn't even know who Yaqui is! Yaqui goes on to torment Piddy to no end, resulting in a beating and a video uploaded online for the whole school to see. I especially love that Medina included this all too real aspect of bullying continuing online, which I have seen myself in the lives of the teens I work with.
Teens will find this book realistic and will relate easily to the situation Piddy is in. One of the strengths of the books is the ending. With bullying books, it can be difficult to find an ending that is both realistic and also offers some resolution. I think Medina nailed it with this ending. The more I think about this book, the more I love it and I'm just itching to find some teens to recommend this to because I know they will love it too.
ktrusty416's review against another edition
5.0
Oftentimes YA authors get so caught up with presenting an issue that they don't work as hard on the writing - believable characters/voice, a compelling story, spot on pacing and plotting. Thankfully, Meg Medina doesn't forget the writing. Piddy Sanchez is such a great protagonist, equal parts strong and vulnerable and the world she inhabits (urban, immigrant, working poor, mostly female) is one that may not be familiar to many readers - there is such a dearth of non-white characters in YA fiction - but Medina's representation of that world is rich, heart warming/breaking,complex and complicated. Just like real life.
fairislemeadow's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted to like this book more. It had so much potential and touched on a lot of great themes. It was refreshing to see a book comprised of strong Latina characters where men/boys are not the focus of the story. And I thought the bullying was well-portrayed and realistic. But despite all that, I just did not feel invested in Piddy's emotions. I understand her desire to know more about her father, although not to the point that she takes the women in her life for granted. I understand why she'd feel betrayed because her mother had an affair with a married man, but not why she'd be so hateful to her when it's obvious that her mother really cares about her, even if she's a little uptight. (God, I must be getting old if I sympathize with the parents in a book.) And I understand her need for romance, but not with Joey, who still calls her "toad" at 17. Despite all that I think teens will enjoy this book and relate to it.
P.S. I think the moment that really turned me off of this book was when Lila found Piddy with the kittens and suggested that they be left out in the cold instead of at least taking them to an animal shelter.
P.S. I think the moment that really turned me off of this book was when Lila found Piddy with the kittens and suggested that they be left out in the cold instead of at least taking them to an animal shelter.
kylielynelle's review against another edition
5.0
I recently went looking for this title at Half Priced Books. I couldn’t find it on the shelf, so I decided to try my luck asking a very knowledgeable looking clerk shelving books. When I told him that I was looking for a young adult book by this title, he asked, “Are you sure this is young adult with THAT in the title?” I assured him that it was, and that it even won the Pura Belpre Award. Needless to say, we were not able to locate this title in the store, but I soon found it at my local library, in the young adult section. Well- I loved it. In fact, it might be my favorite book I have read thus far this summer. Piddy Sanchez’s story was captivating, to say the least. Told in first person point of view, this title follows the thoughts and fears of a Cuban American teenager, who is having trouble with the other girls at her new school. I’m normally not fond of reading young adult titles written in first person, however this one was an exception. Piddy’s conversational style of storytelling added humor to the text, and made the story seem much more realistic than it would have otherwise. The problems that Piddy faces throughout the story are problems that every teenager will relate to, and connect with. Teenage girls will find it especially powerful, and culturally diverse teenage girls even more so. This is a high-low book, meaning it is of high interest to teenage readers, but has a low enough level of vocabulary that struggling readers can read it independently. There is some content that could be inappropriate for younger readers. I highly recommend this title to readers 14 and up.
ostrowk's review against another edition
3.0
I can’t get kids to pick it up, and it’s maybe a little too forgettable? I’ve grown used to YA novels having something about their writing/structure that makes them stand out, and this was pretty straightforward. The ending still choked me up, though!
tbirckhead's review against another edition
4.0
Wow! This was a ride that I wouldn't dare get off. You were right there back in high school along with Piddy enduring the bullying. This book teaches that bullying in to today's society is taken to a new level with addition of social media. In this book a fight takes place and is recorded and publicized for all to see. Not only is the victim embarrassed but she feel like she cannot escape her abuser mentally as well. Also not to mention those bystanders who do not bother to help during the fight. These "girl fights" make me sick to my stomach. Stripping someone of her clothes is not only degrading but its stripping her of her dignity. This is what people look at as entertainment. What is the world coming to. Its as if they are not looking at them as real people. If its not happening to them or anyone they know its doesn't matter? This book is so real! Bullying scars run deep beyond the visual scars. Piddy will always carry this with her, which is sad. How many students carry these scars everyday? We wonder why they are turning to other alternatives to take the pain away. We really need to reevaluate our schools and look at better alternatives for bully prevention at school and at home.
readwithreid's review against another edition
3.0
U really enjoyed this book. I might be a a bit bias cause I love most books set in my hometown lol. I do wish I could of read yaqui’s side. What’s her issue what’s her family life like. Hints are given but i wanted to know more. Still a good read.
laurenipsum's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
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? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Violence, Stalking, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail