Book Review: “Gabi, a Girl in Pieces” by Isabel Quintero

“Gabi, a Girl in Pieces” by YA, Fiction, Contemporary (2014)

Genre: YA, Fiction, Contemporary

Page Length: 284 pages (paperback edition)

Synopsis:

Gabi Hernandez chronicles her last year in high school in her diary: college applications, Cindy’s pregnancy, Sebastian’s coming out, the cute boys, her father’s meth habit, and the food she craves. And best of all, the poetry that helps forge her identity. (description from Goodreads)

Review:

Gabi, a Girl in Pieces is about a Mexican-American girl named Gabi who shares her ramblings about life, family, and high school. Our narrator, Gabi has a witty, quick banter style of dialogue that makes her funny and relatable to her readers. She is very down-to-earth and lets readers know right off the bat that she is nowhere near perfect and is just one girl trying to find her way through life.

Gabi has a lot on her plate, but she tries to make the most of things, the best way she knows how. The book is  a coming of age story since Gabi is in her senior year of high school. It’s a pivotal time in one’s life with a lot of fast transitions, career decisions, and family and friend relationship changes. She often gets stressed out with app letters and what she wants for her future which is relatable to a wide audience.

While this book is humorous it also touches on more serious issues such as peer pressure, a family member’s drug addiction, and teen pregnancy. Gabi also talks about her internal struggle of feeling “too american’ while staying connected to her Mexican heritage. Her candid thoughts about these issues really made me enjoy her character. Quintero carefully balances the humor and serious topics so that the book maintains its easygoing style, and it also opens a great platform for discussion.

One of the biggest themes in this book besides the heavy emphasis on the coming of age/identity plot line is family. a motto of “blood is thicker than water” is often used by Gabi’s mother even though the two fight on and off like mothers and daughters do. It spreads the message that even though family bonds aren’t the strongest they always have your back.

Poetry also plays a big part in this novel, Quintero shows how powerful the art form is and how it can a remedy for pain. It helps Gabi conquer some of her darkest moments and is outlet to express some of the feelings she keeps hidden away. Gabi’s journaling reminded me of when I used to write poems to reflect on my days, and how it allowed me to sort out my thoughts.

One of the things that really drew me to this book is the cover art, which is very reflective of this unique story. While reading the book I could see how the title and cover art design is reflective of Gabi’s character. She takes the puzzle pieces of her life and tries to put them together in order to become a stronger person. She reminds that we’re only human and if we try our hardest to overcome the trials life throws at us we can become a more confident person.

Overall, Gabi, a Girl in Pieces is a wonderful story that everyone should read!

Final Verdict: