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Gabi, a Girl in Pieces
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.
July 24
My mother named me Gabriella, after my grandmother who, coincidentally, didn't want to meet me when I was born because my mother was unmarried, and therefore living in sin. My mom has told me the story many, many, MANY, times of how, when she confessed to my grandmother that she was pregnant with me, her mother beat her. BEAT HER! She was twenty-five. That story is the basis of my sexual education and has reiterated why it's important to wait until you're married to give it up. So now, every time I go out with a guy, my mom says, "Ojos abiertos, piernas cerradas." Eyes open, legs closed. That's as far as the birds and the bees talk has gone. And I don't mind it. I don't necessarily agree with that whole wait until you're married crap, though. I mean, this is America and the 21st century; not Mexico one hundred years ago. But, of course, I can't tell my mom that because she will think I'm bad. Or worse: trying to be White.
Gabi is Isabel Quintero's debut novel.
Named to Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2014
Named to School Library Journal Best Books of 2014
July 24
My mother named me Gabriella, after my grandmother who, coincidentally, didn't want to meet me when I was born because my mother was unmarried, and therefore living in sin. My mom has told me the story many, many, MANY, times of how, when she confessed to my grandmother that she was pregnant with me, her mother beat her. BEAT HER! She was twenty-five. That story is the basis of my sexual education and has reiterated why it's important to wait until you're married to give it up. So now, every time I go out with a guy, my mom says, "Ojos abiertos, piernas cerradas." Eyes open, legs closed. That's as far as the birds and the bees talk has gone. And I don't mind it. I don't necessarily agree with that whole wait until you're married crap, though. I mean, this is America and the 21st century; not Mexico one hundred years ago. But, of course, I can't tell my mom that because she will think I'm bad. Or worse: trying to be White.
Gabi is Isabel Quintero's debut novel.
Named to Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2014
Named to School Library Journal Best Books of 2014
284 pages, Paperback
First published September 22, 2014
327 people are currently reading
19094 people want to read
About the author
Isabel Quintero
12 books390 followersIsabel Quintero is a writer, poet, teacher, wife, friend, sister, daughter, granddaughter, aunt niece, and a bunch of other things. She lives in the Inland Empire, where she was born and raised by Mexican immigrant parents and Mexican immigrant granddparents; the hospital where she was born in was converted to a Lowe's hardware store. That's how long ago she was born.
She learned to love reading and the written word from a very young age when her mother used to read to her Amelia Bedelia. That love was fostered by teachers and professors throughout her schooling and she is sure if they hadn't boosted her ego for all those years she would have never dared letting the world see what she had written.
Gabi, A Girl in Pieces is her first young adult novel.
She learned to love reading and the written word from a very young age when her mother used to read to her Amelia Bedelia. That love was fostered by teachers and professors throughout her schooling and she is sure if they hadn't boosted her ego for all those years she would have never dared letting the world see what she had written.
Gabi, A Girl in Pieces is her first young adult novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,665 reviews
June 6, 2018
Assigned reading for MLIS 7421: Multicultural Youth Literature.
Gabi is the kind of story that really took me by surprise; I don't know what I was expecting, but it was not this incredibly body-positive, sex-positive, feminist, heartwarming, gut-punch of a coming-of-age story. There is so much important content packed into such a quick read, which I couldn't help but appreciate, even if I didn't love all of the executions:
1. Fat rep: I have no idea if this rep is own-voice, but it felt authentic enough. She suffers constant shaming from her mother, aunt, and classmates, and lives in fear of her own skin. Did it feel honest? Yeah, absolutely - as a plus-size woman, I related so hard to everything and anything she said about her body. Was it healthy? No, not always. Gabi shows serious symptoms for an eating disorder with the extent that she takes her emotional eating to, but it's never addressed openly - it feels very swept under the rug, when her relationship with food is not healthy, nor does it automatically come with the territory of being fat.
2. Gay rep: Gabi's best friend Sebastian comes out at the beginning of the book, and we go through a bit of his struggles with his family coming to terms with his sexuality as he is actually kicked out of his home and moves in with Gabi for a little while, early in the book. I loved the rep for the first half of the book, but once it hit around the halfway mark, he became a background character who was almost never on screen unless it was to talk about sex or his boyfriend. I was just kind of bummed to see him reduced to what felt like a token character by the end.
3. Slut-shaming & teen pregnancy: There is a lot of slut-shaming or sex negativity throughout this book, from the very first page to the end of the story. This was actually the aspect that I thought was handled most efficiently, as we watch Gabi comes to terms with herself as a sexual being, and from the beginning, she has no tolerance for the viewpoint that any sexually active teen girl is immediately "trash", as many of the side characters seem to believe. This was, hands down, my favorite aspect of the book. There's even an abortion at one point during the story, which the character is never shamed for, and I appreciated seeing that in a YA novel, because it's a real, honest part of life that people need to stop putting such a heavy taboo upon.
4. Drug addiction: Gabi's father is a meth addict, and while we don't see a lot of his character, or what brought him to this point, we do get to view the whole dynamic from Gabi's point of view and watch her mourn the fact that she's basically watching her father waste away and become a stranger. It's totally heartbreaking.
5. Suicide: Major trigger warnings, there is a suicide in this book, and it's a pretty big point of the second half or so of Gabi's story. It's never known if it is intentional or accidental, but it's hard to read and comes out of left field. I was listening to the audiobook while cleaning when it hit the point at which the person's body is found, and I literally had to stop and just absorb the blow for a few minutes because it is so sudden and heartbreaking. I think it's handled really well, though, especially when Gabi decides to write letters to the deceased character, telling them how much she misses and loves them, and that she will remember the good times. This, too, was one of the most gorgeous facets to Gabi.
6. Race: I'm not a Latinx woman, so I can't speak to this rep, but I loved reading it. I enjoyed how casual the use of Spanish was, without the author feeling the need to translate or explain (and thereby "other" the characters speaking it). I loved the descriptions of the delicious foods, and the culture, even when the topics were a bit more painful in that aspect.
7. Rape: There is a rape in this book that occurs off-screen. I had a feeling it was coming from the beginning of the book, but it still hurt my heart when it was revealed. I thought it was handled pretty well - Gabi actually attacks the rapist and outs the victim publicly, without consent, and it's addressed in a way that forces Gabi to recognize that it wasn't her story to tell, and she betrayed the trust of a loved one. I thought this was such an important detail to add, and really appreciated it.
All in all, when it came to tough topics, this story was full of them, and it executed most of them well; however, the problem I faced was that there was so much happening in such a short span of pages that each issue felt glossed over very quickly, for the most part. I think the book would have benefited from either another 50 pages, or one less talking point, just so we could've fleshed each facet out a bit better. That said, it was definitely an enjoyable (and quick!) read, and if you do pick this up (which I totally recommend, if it interests you!), I strongly suggest the audio format, as the narrator is a delight.
Gabi is the kind of story that really took me by surprise; I don't know what I was expecting, but it was not this incredibly body-positive, sex-positive, feminist, heartwarming, gut-punch of a coming-of-age story. There is so much important content packed into such a quick read, which I couldn't help but appreciate, even if I didn't love all of the executions:
1. Fat rep: I have no idea if this rep is own-voice, but it felt authentic enough. She suffers constant shaming from her mother, aunt, and classmates, and lives in fear of her own skin. Did it feel honest? Yeah, absolutely - as a plus-size woman, I related so hard to everything and anything she said about her body. Was it healthy? No, not always. Gabi shows serious symptoms for an eating disorder with the extent that she takes her emotional eating to, but it's never addressed openly - it feels very swept under the rug, when her relationship with food is not healthy, nor does it automatically come with the territory of being fat.
2. Gay rep: Gabi's best friend Sebastian comes out at the beginning of the book, and we go through a bit of his struggles with his family coming to terms with his sexuality as he is actually kicked out of his home and moves in with Gabi for a little while, early in the book. I loved the rep for the first half of the book, but once it hit around the halfway mark, he became a background character who was almost never on screen unless it was to talk about sex or his boyfriend. I was just kind of bummed to see him reduced to what felt like a token character by the end.
3. Slut-shaming & teen pregnancy: There is a lot of slut-shaming or sex negativity throughout this book, from the very first page to the end of the story. This was actually the aspect that I thought was handled most efficiently, as we watch Gabi comes to terms with herself as a sexual being, and from the beginning, she has no tolerance for the viewpoint that any sexually active teen girl is immediately "trash", as many of the side characters seem to believe. This was, hands down, my favorite aspect of the book. There's even an abortion at one point during the story, which the character is never shamed for, and I appreciated seeing that in a YA novel, because it's a real, honest part of life that people need to stop putting such a heavy taboo upon.
4. Drug addiction: Gabi's father is a meth addict, and while we don't see a lot of his character, or what brought him to this point, we do get to view the whole dynamic from Gabi's point of view and watch her mourn the fact that she's basically watching her father waste away and become a stranger. It's totally heartbreaking.
5. Suicide: Major trigger warnings, there is a suicide in this book, and it's a pretty big point of the second half or so of Gabi's story. It's never known if it is intentional or accidental, but it's hard to read and comes out of left field. I was listening to the audiobook while cleaning when it hit the point at which the person's body is found, and I literally had to stop and just absorb the blow for a few minutes because it is so sudden and heartbreaking. I think it's handled really well, though, especially when Gabi decides to write letters to the deceased character, telling them how much she misses and loves them, and that she will remember the good times. This, too, was one of the most gorgeous facets to Gabi.
6. Race: I'm not a Latinx woman, so I can't speak to this rep, but I loved reading it. I enjoyed how casual the use of Spanish was, without the author feeling the need to translate or explain (and thereby "other" the characters speaking it). I loved the descriptions of the delicious foods, and the culture, even when the topics were a bit more painful in that aspect.
7. Rape: There is a rape in this book that occurs off-screen. I had a feeling it was coming from the beginning of the book, but it still hurt my heart when it was revealed. I thought it was handled pretty well - Gabi actually attacks the rapist and outs the victim publicly, without consent, and it's addressed in a way that forces Gabi to recognize that it wasn't her story to tell, and she betrayed the trust of a loved one. I thought this was such an important detail to add, and really appreciated it.
All in all, when it came to tough topics, this story was full of them, and it executed most of them well; however, the problem I faced was that there was so much happening in such a short span of pages that each issue felt glossed over very quickly, for the most part. I think the book would have benefited from either another 50 pages, or one less talking point, just so we could've fleshed each facet out a bit better. That said, it was definitely an enjoyable (and quick!) read, and if you do pick this up (which I totally recommend, if it interests you!), I strongly suggest the audio format, as the narrator is a delight.
October 6, 2017
I read this book for a high school aged girls book club. In the beginning I wondered if I would even finish it. As shown by my rating, I absolutely loved this book! By around page 80 I was completely hooked and couldn't put it down. It seemed overly dramatic from what I remember my teenage years to be. But maybe I have forgotten? Maybe the world isn't that different? The blunt honesty was very refreshing, especially from a Mexican-American girl, and makes a great conversation starter for a wide range of topics: abortion, race, drugs, sex, grief. I highly recommend for teens and parents of said teens! This is an eye-opener!
November 3, 2014
This is absolutely true diary of a part time Indian, for Mexican American girls. It's more than a little over the top: pregnant best friend, pregnant mom, meth head dad, etc, but it's timely, important, and has so much girl power! Gabi is hard not to love and the book calls out stuff that needs calling out: that girls are slutty and boys can't help it, girls need husbands, slut shaming, violence against women, etc. I'm not ready to call it one of the best of the year, but it's one of the most important.
March 2, 2015
2.5 stars
I see why it received some critical acclaim and awards. The novel gets points for many things - diversity (the MC is Mexican, "fat," with a meth head father, pregnant girlfriend and a gay guy friend and is a poet, of course), it takes a feminist (teen feminist that is) stance on every issue under the sun - weight, sexuality, pregnancy, rape, religion, dating, education, etc., etc.
But as a novel it's just not that great. Definitely not subtle in any way.
I see why it received some critical acclaim and awards. The novel gets points for many things - diversity (the MC is Mexican, "fat," with a meth head father, pregnant girlfriend and a gay guy friend and is a poet, of course), it takes a feminist (teen feminist that is) stance on every issue under the sun - weight, sexuality, pregnancy, rape, religion, dating, education, etc., etc.
But as a novel it's just not that great. Definitely not subtle in any way.
Read
September 14, 2015I read 20 books this month–including Between the World and Me, The Book of Unknown Americans, Everything I Never Told You–so rather than driving myself insane trying to pick the best/favorite I went with the one I wanted to hug immediately after I finished reading it. Super scientific, I know. But after watching Gabi navigate through her senior year of high school, her dad’s drug addiction, a friend’s coming out, a friend’s pregnancy, dating… I’m left wanting not only to befriend this smart, witty, unique and amazing character but I’d also like to meet her again in her twenties, thirties, forties—basically every decade of her life. I loved every single thing about this book and would have no qualms about running up to strangers and tossing copies at them shouting “And you get a fantastic book!” — Jamie Canaves
from The Best Books We Read In August: http://bookriot.com/2015/08/31/riot-r...
from The Best Books We Read In August: http://bookriot.com/2015/08/31/riot-r...
May 12, 2015
Maybe 3-1/2 stars, rounded down.
A detailed review will follow.
I really enjoyed Gabi's voice -- she's fresh and funny and very much a real kid. And I really loved the author's eagerness to normalize what people feel and to encourage kids to seek to be authentic and honest with themselves. But at the same time, there was so much going on (body image! pregnancy and motherhood! abortion! gayness! drug addiction! lust! etc.) that none of it got explored very deeply. And by the end, it all felt just a bit preachy. (Although I know I was at my own Apex of Preachiness as a teen, so that's pretty genuine! And it's also why I can hardly bear to look at my own diaries from then.)
Overall, I really enjoyed this book, but it just hasn't quite got that extra something that would kick it up to four stars. I especially disliked the way the topic of rape was handled, so that knocks a star off my rating. But I definitely recommend this book if you enjoy YA contemporary.
A detailed review will follow.
I really enjoyed Gabi's voice -- she's fresh and funny and very much a real kid. And I really loved the author's eagerness to normalize what people feel and to encourage kids to seek to be authentic and honest with themselves. But at the same time, there was so much going on (body image! pregnancy and motherhood! abortion! gayness! drug addiction! lust! etc.) that none of it got explored very deeply. And by the end, it all felt just a bit preachy. (Although I know I was at my own Apex of Preachiness as a teen, so that's pretty genuine! And it's also why I can hardly bear to look at my own diaries from then.)
Overall, I really enjoyed this book, but it just hasn't quite got that extra something that would kick it up to four stars. I especially disliked the way the topic of rape was handled, so that knocks a star off my rating. But I definitely recommend this book if you enjoy YA contemporary.
December 6, 2014
Oh my gosh, outstanding, especially the second half.
Wasn't there some sort of question about best YA boyfriend last year? Because Martin is the best YA boyfriend of all time. All the others can give up and go home.
Wasn't there some sort of question about best YA boyfriend last year? Because Martin is the best YA boyfriend of all time. All the others can give up and go home.
March 3, 2015
Not what I thought it would be like at all. I was expecting this to be grittier and more mature. Told in diary format 17/18 year old Gabi often sounds more 13/14 and at times her chatty tone really got on my nerves. I liked that topics explored- sexuality, class, drug use, queerdom, pregnancy.. but I felt like the author was ticking teen drama boxes and it would have been better to just pick one or two and go more in depth. Gabi talks about loving her city but I didn't get any real feel for the place, similarly she 'loves' her friends but there isn't much dialogue etc cos of the diary format so it is hard to feel her relationships are sincere.
In saying all that, I did want to finish it and there were parts I really liked. I liked that it included a zine, I liked her courage and her belief in her right to be fat and her right to be a woman even though she had so many crappy messages from those around her.
I would recommend 'Manstealing for Fat Girls' by Michelle Embree
In saying all that, I did want to finish it and there were parts I really liked. I liked that it included a zine, I liked her courage and her belief in her right to be fat and her right to be a woman even though she had so many crappy messages from those around her.
I would recommend 'Manstealing for Fat Girls' by Michelle Embree
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October 9, 2014This book is FANTASTIC.
Written as a diary of a single year -- senior year -- of high school, Quintero's novel focuses on what Gabi goes through on a near-daily basis when it comes to family, friends, boys, her future, and more. Gabi's voice is fresh and funny, even amid the exceptionally tough things going on in her life. Her father's a drug addict, her best friend is pregnant, and her best guy friend just came out to her, causing his life to spin out of control because he was kicked out of his home. In the midst of the chaos, Gabi is interested in finding the right boyfriend and she loves the new-found excitement in kissing boys. There are ups and downs with the relationships, but they're awkward and amusing, rendered in a way that's absolutely 17/18-year-old teen girl. In so many ways, this element of the story and the voice more broadly reminded me of Amy Spalding's KISSING TED CALLAHAN and boy would these two books make great read alikes.
What I loved most about this is that the diary style worked. It worked because it was Gabi telling us what happened after the fact, and rather than have to react in the moment, she has to face how she DID react and reflect upon whether it was the right move or not.
Gabi is a FAT GIRL in this book, and the way the fat girl story line is worked into the book is so honest and rewarding. Gabi does struggle with her weight and she's honest about her body and her perceptions of her body, as well as the things other people tell her about her body. But it's not all doom and gloom. Gabi loves to eat and she's not ashamed of being a person who loves to eat (she sneaks stuff because of other people's beliefs about her weight and body). More, though, Gabi isn't self-deprecating and doesn't believe a weight loss fundamentally changes her. In fact, there's no weight loss in here at all. Gabi comes to own who she is AS she is and says that nothing else matters in terms of other people's perspectives about it. It's wholly refreshing.
Likewise, I thought the way Gabi's exploration of sexuality happened was true to her, true to the story, and true to teenagers, period. It's funny and awkward, and it's something she thinks about all the time.
My favorite part, though, was how empowered Gabi was at the beginning and how much more empowered she became in the end because she recognized that power within her. I love how female-centric this novel is and how much Gabi prides herself on being there for her friends, even when things in her own life are upended.
We so, so rarely see a Mexican American girl as the focal point of a story, let alone the person who has complete control over the telling of the story. It's even more rare to see a Mexican American girl get to tell a story about a year in her life in a diary.
I love this book, I love this character, and I cannot wait to see what Quintero writes next.
Written as a diary of a single year -- senior year -- of high school, Quintero's novel focuses on what Gabi goes through on a near-daily basis when it comes to family, friends, boys, her future, and more. Gabi's voice is fresh and funny, even amid the exceptionally tough things going on in her life. Her father's a drug addict, her best friend is pregnant, and her best guy friend just came out to her, causing his life to spin out of control because he was kicked out of his home. In the midst of the chaos, Gabi is interested in finding the right boyfriend and she loves the new-found excitement in kissing boys. There are ups and downs with the relationships, but they're awkward and amusing, rendered in a way that's absolutely 17/18-year-old teen girl. In so many ways, this element of the story and the voice more broadly reminded me of Amy Spalding's KISSING TED CALLAHAN and boy would these two books make great read alikes.
What I loved most about this is that the diary style worked. It worked because it was Gabi telling us what happened after the fact, and rather than have to react in the moment, she has to face how she DID react and reflect upon whether it was the right move or not.
Gabi is a FAT GIRL in this book, and the way the fat girl story line is worked into the book is so honest and rewarding. Gabi does struggle with her weight and she's honest about her body and her perceptions of her body, as well as the things other people tell her about her body. But it's not all doom and gloom. Gabi loves to eat and she's not ashamed of being a person who loves to eat (she sneaks stuff because of other people's beliefs about her weight and body). More, though, Gabi isn't self-deprecating and doesn't believe a weight loss fundamentally changes her. In fact, there's no weight loss in here at all. Gabi comes to own who she is AS she is and says that nothing else matters in terms of other people's perspectives about it. It's wholly refreshing.
Likewise, I thought the way Gabi's exploration of sexuality happened was true to her, true to the story, and true to teenagers, period. It's funny and awkward, and it's something she thinks about all the time.
My favorite part, though, was how empowered Gabi was at the beginning and how much more empowered she became in the end because she recognized that power within her. I love how female-centric this novel is and how much Gabi prides herself on being there for her friends, even when things in her own life are upended.
We so, so rarely see a Mexican American girl as the focal point of a story, let alone the person who has complete control over the telling of the story. It's even more rare to see a Mexican American girl get to tell a story about a year in her life in a diary.
I love this book, I love this character, and I cannot wait to see what Quintero writes next.
September 6, 2021
I'm in awe of this book; in awe that it was published 7 years ago, but it still feels so relevant today. All young teen girls should read this book; I loved this book immensely, for all the things that it explored.
- Follows Gabi, a fat Mexican teen girl who chronicles her last year in her journal, wherein she explores her fraught feelings about her father who struggles with an addiction, her friend's teenage pregnancy, romance, college, and her friend's coming out.
- This is told with such a wonderful and authentic voice. At times, Gabi is absolutely hilarious, and at times, the things that she mulls over are heavy and sad.
- The book explores a variety of things, which made the book so resonant and intriguing. Gabi doesn't really offer a 'moral handbook', but it's really about her exploring her feelings about things, questioning things, challenging things, being frustrated by things, and even just swooning about things too.
- The story is relationship-focused - her relationships with cute boys, her friends, her relationship with her mother, who is overbearing at times, her meth-addicted and absent father, and also her relationship with her body as she navigates the world as a fat teen who loves food.
- I just really, really enjoyed this. I cannot wait to read Isabel Quintero's future books!
Content warning: death, anti-fat comments, racism, anti-gay comments, sexism, misogyny
- Follows Gabi, a fat Mexican teen girl who chronicles her last year in her journal, wherein she explores her fraught feelings about her father who struggles with an addiction, her friend's teenage pregnancy, romance, college, and her friend's coming out.
- This is told with such a wonderful and authentic voice. At times, Gabi is absolutely hilarious, and at times, the things that she mulls over are heavy and sad.
- The book explores a variety of things, which made the book so resonant and intriguing. Gabi doesn't really offer a 'moral handbook', but it's really about her exploring her feelings about things, questioning things, challenging things, being frustrated by things, and even just swooning about things too.
- The story is relationship-focused - her relationships with cute boys, her friends, her relationship with her mother, who is overbearing at times, her meth-addicted and absent father, and also her relationship with her body as she navigates the world as a fat teen who loves food.
- I just really, really enjoyed this. I cannot wait to read Isabel Quintero's future books!
Content warning: death, anti-fat comments, racism, anti-gay comments, sexism, misogyny
May 5, 2018
I lost my notes for this review. I really liked this book about a Mexican-American teen writing about her last year of high school. It's written diary-style. There's a lot going on in this book, and many people complained about this in their reviews, but isn't life full of issues and problems and we learn to handle it all? Gabi's dad is a meth addict, her mom doesn't trust her, her best friend Cindy is pregnant, her other best friend Sebastian has been kicked out of his house for coming out to his dad. Add to these problems, Gabi is facing her own insecurities about her body, dealing with boyfriends, and trying to get into college. It all felt very realistic and true to what a teenager would be going through.
I'm not a big fan of poetry, mostly because it tries to be so obscure. There's quite a bit of poetry going on in this book, but I actually enjoyed it, even writing down one piece Gabi wrote about her grandfather that brought me to tears. It made me want to take a stab at writing some of my own.
I've been reading quite a few books about Mexican-American girls and have loved that this group is being represented in such a wonderful light. I would have loved to have these type of books as I was growing up.
I'm not a big fan of poetry, mostly because it tries to be so obscure. There's quite a bit of poetry going on in this book, but I actually enjoyed it, even writing down one piece Gabi wrote about her grandfather that brought me to tears. It made me want to take a stab at writing some of my own.
I've been reading quite a few books about Mexican-American girls and have loved that this group is being represented in such a wonderful light. I would have loved to have these type of books as I was growing up.
March 24, 2015
Okay, I just loved this book. I feel like my colleagues at work are probably sick of me going on about how good it is. And Thank Goodness for people like Kelly Jensen and awards like the Morris Award or else I probably would not have picked up this book and I would be missing out.
Gabi's voice is SO REALISTIC. I truly felt like I could have been reading the actual diary of a 17-year-old girl. And even though I have nothing in common with Gabi culturally or even the experiences that she goes through, 17-year-old me would have strongly identified with her. I would hand this to teens who love diary stories and real characters that they can root for, and anyone who loves the honesty of Anne Frank's diary because even though this is a fictional story, the truths about life and love and hard times come through beautifully.
Gabi's voice is SO REALISTIC. I truly felt like I could have been reading the actual diary of a 17-year-old girl. And even though I have nothing in common with Gabi culturally or even the experiences that she goes through, 17-year-old me would have strongly identified with her. I would hand this to teens who love diary stories and real characters that they can root for, and anyone who loves the honesty of Anne Frank's diary because even though this is a fictional story, the truths about life and love and hard times come through beautifully.
February 8, 2022
Read for MLIS elective
I really liked the epistolary/diary style format! Gabi was such a honest and wonderfully flawed character.
Content warning: misogyny, fatphobia/body shaming, death of a parent, rape, drug addiction, religious themes, cheating (by a side character), homophobia, racism, parental abuse, ableism (sorta challenged but sorta not at the same time?)
I really liked the epistolary/diary style format! Gabi was such a honest and wonderfully flawed character.
Content warning: misogyny, fatphobia/body shaming, death of a parent, rape, drug addiction, religious themes, cheating (by a side character), homophobia, racism, parental abuse, ableism (sorta challenged but sorta not at the same time?)
August 26, 2014
What's not to love about GABI, A GIRL IN PIECES? Not much that I can think of. This new book by Isabel Quintero is sassy, funny, heart-felt, heartbreaking, hearwarming, and unputdownable. I love Gabi Hernandez, the protagonist, not for her self-deprecating humor, but for her willingness to grow past it. I loved her honesty, as she struggles with some pretty tough stuff, from being the "fat girl" to her best friend's unwanted pregnancy to her dad being a meth addict. It's not that she takes it in stride, but that she takes it, and survives it, and does it in style.
Gabi Hernandez is starting her senior year with a lot on her plate. Aside from the aforementioned drama, one of her besties has just come out to his family is gay, and he's been kicked out of his house. She's trying to figure out how to find a guy to kiss, and as soon as she gets someone to like her, he turns out to be kind of a weirdo. And while she's kicking butt in her poetry class, that class is forcing her to confront her issues with her family. Her mom is never shy about telling Gabi to drop a few pounds, which means shopping for a prom dress sounds like the absolute worst. Plus, if she flunks Algebra II again, her chances of getting into her dream school -- Berkley -- are down the drain.
With a voice that is reminiscent of A.S. King and Hannah Moskowitz, written in journal format and sprinkled with Gabi's poetry, this is definitely the kind of book that fans of fearless, "edgy" YA will devour.
Gabi Hernandez is starting her senior year with a lot on her plate. Aside from the aforementioned drama, one of her besties has just come out to his family is gay, and he's been kicked out of his house. She's trying to figure out how to find a guy to kiss, and as soon as she gets someone to like her, he turns out to be kind of a weirdo. And while she's kicking butt in her poetry class, that class is forcing her to confront her issues with her family. Her mom is never shy about telling Gabi to drop a few pounds, which means shopping for a prom dress sounds like the absolute worst. Plus, if she flunks Algebra II again, her chances of getting into her dream school -- Berkley -- are down the drain.
With a voice that is reminiscent of A.S. King and Hannah Moskowitz, written in journal format and sprinkled with Gabi's poetry, this is definitely the kind of book that fans of fearless, "edgy" YA will devour.
May 23, 2015
4.5 stars
When I read glowing reviews of a book, my expectations are super high. And I read a few reviews of Gabi, a Girl in Pieces from teenlibrariantoolbox.com and the interviews with the author on YALSA's The Hub. I was interested and really hoping that this book would deliver. And it did!
While I didn't love Gabi, a Girl in Pieces to pieces (har har), I did really appreciate this book. Normally, me appreciating a book doesn't really warrant 5 stars, but this book feels like a 21st century mix of Judy Blume's Are You There God, It's Me Margaret? and Forever. The issues Gabi faces (sex, drug addiction, coming out, puberty, unplanned pregnancy) are real and handled in a way that feels authentic. Gabi is no fallen woman or some teen horror story written to show teens what not to do. Gabi is just a girl who faces very real problems and discovers that she had the strength inside her to overcome it. And, my goodness, she faced so many problems.
There's so much I really appreciated about this book. I liked that Gabi was a fat girl. I liked that she didn't abide slut shaming. I liked that she is able to balance family life, friendships, and romance. I liked that there was a romance but it most definitely was not the focus of the book. My only complaint is that the dialogue/Gabi's inner monologue sounds preachy. And while I agree with what the author/Gabi is preaching (example: the saying "boys will be boys" is really terrible and boys should be held accountable), I don't think teens enjoy being preached at.
If I were a teen, I would've loved this book. The teen in me recognizes that Gabi is a female character that I could really look up to and I wish that there had been a character like Gabi when I was growing up.
When I read glowing reviews of a book, my expectations are super high. And I read a few reviews of Gabi, a Girl in Pieces from teenlibrariantoolbox.com and the interviews with the author on YALSA's The Hub. I was interested and really hoping that this book would deliver. And it did!
While I didn't love Gabi, a Girl in Pieces to pieces (har har), I did really appreciate this book. Normally, me appreciating a book doesn't really warrant 5 stars, but this book feels like a 21st century mix of Judy Blume's Are You There God, It's Me Margaret? and Forever. The issues Gabi faces (sex, drug addiction, coming out, puberty, unplanned pregnancy) are real and handled in a way that feels authentic. Gabi is no fallen woman or some teen horror story written to show teens what not to do. Gabi is just a girl who faces very real problems and discovers that she had the strength inside her to overcome it. And, my goodness, she faced so many problems.
There's so much I really appreciated about this book. I liked that Gabi was a fat girl. I liked that she didn't abide slut shaming. I liked that she is able to balance family life, friendships, and romance. I liked that there was a romance but it most definitely was not the focus of the book. My only complaint is that the dialogue/Gabi's inner monologue sounds preachy. And while I agree with what the author/Gabi is preaching (example: the saying "boys will be boys" is really terrible and boys should be held accountable), I don't think teens enjoy being preached at.
If I were a teen, I would've loved this book. The teen in me recognizes that Gabi is a female character that I could really look up to and I wish that there had been a character like Gabi when I was growing up.
December 4, 2016
I have lots of thoughts on this book. Most of them positive, but also had a few problems. Will try to write up a review in the next few days.
July 3, 2016
Wow. Honestly, I didn't expect to love this book when I first started it. Somehow, Gabi irritated me in the start; she was whiny, she kept saying she needed to lose weight but she kept eating too much. It was kind of annoying. But then, Gabi started talking about her daily life and, finally, I felt a connection with her.
This book is about a Mexican-American girl going through the daily notions of life while dealing with a gay best friend, a pregnant best friend, awful bullies in her school as well as her mother's over controlling nature.
It's an interesting story if you like to learn more about Mexican culture. One criticism I do have is the author's use of Spanish. For someone like me, who has never been near any Spanish speaking person in their entire life, it is quite irritating to read words in another language. Look, I am all about adding your mother-tongue here and there but the author should at least translate what her characters said in the next line or paragraph. It's like she expects every reader is fluent in Spanish. It's like if I started speaking Urdu in my reviews and expecting people to understand what I said.
Anyway, generally, this book is really good. I loved the drawings included in the middle of the book as an added bonus. They were awesome. I will end with how Gabi ended her story:
Seeing my beautiful crazy and colorful all-American family sit together at a slightly sticky table in one of the best hot wing restaurant in all the land, in a rundown shopping strip, made me feel like everything was at it should be, and that all the things that I am worried about are gonna be alright. And if anyone has trouble understanding that, well, they can kiss my ass
This book is about a Mexican-American girl going through the daily notions of life while dealing with a gay best friend, a pregnant best friend, awful bullies in her school as well as her mother's over controlling nature.
It's an interesting story if you like to learn more about Mexican culture. One criticism I do have is the author's use of Spanish. For someone like me, who has never been near any Spanish speaking person in their entire life, it is quite irritating to read words in another language. Look, I am all about adding your mother-tongue here and there but the author should at least translate what her characters said in the next line or paragraph. It's like she expects every reader is fluent in Spanish. It's like if I started speaking Urdu in my reviews and expecting people to understand what I said.
Anyway, generally, this book is really good. I loved the drawings included in the middle of the book as an added bonus. They were awesome. I will end with how Gabi ended her story:
Seeing my beautiful crazy and colorful all-American family sit together at a slightly sticky table in one of the best hot wing restaurant in all the land, in a rundown shopping strip, made me feel like everything was at it should be, and that all the things that I am worried about are gonna be alright. And if anyone has trouble understanding that, well, they can kiss my ass
February 21, 2019
Gabi, a Girl in Pieces reminded me a lot of Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian--they're told in a very conversational, somewhat rambly diary format. Both books give readers an intensely honest look at a (very charismatic) teenager and their highs and lows with cultural identity, fathers who struggle with addiction, sexuality, etc. But while I definitely liked and appreciated The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Gabi, a Girl in Pieces had an immediate lock on my heart. Everything about it just worked for me and I connected with the text so strongly. Some of that was personal (Gabi is a poet! I can't express how much of a sucker I am for protagonists who write poems!) but a lot of my love for this book came from universal themes as well.
Gabi is a protagonist that you root for--I felt like the biggest cheerleader on the sidelines of her life. She is messy and flawed but so genuine and earnest. She's charming and honestly hilarious and I enjoyed her narrative voice so much. I wish this book was an actual person so I could hug it. Reading this book felt very empowering, even at times when Gabi expressed negativity about her Mexican heritage, family, or body image, because it was an extremely real experience for her that she needed to go through in order to reach the other side.
A major part of this book is how Gabi processes the misogynistic society she's grown up with and internalized. She is stumbling to reassess her own values and isn't always perfect but you can hear this strong feminist voice emerging within her and I loved it. This book deals with a lottt of tough topics (teenage pregnancy, rape, death, and homophobia to name a few) but I didn't feel bogged down by all this nor did I feel like anything was written about disrespectfully. There were a lot of relationships in this book--family, friends, and romantic alike--and all of them had weak and awful moments but ultimately there was so much strength between Gabi and the people she cared about.
Yeah, I just loved this and have nothing negative to say about it. Definitely a new favorite.
update: re-reading this has made me a bit more aware of a handful of flaws so maaaybe this is more of a 4.5 but I don't mind rounding it up. I still adore this book with my whole heart. There are a few things I struggled with especially in the beginning of the book but by the end I was just as enraptured with Gabi and her story.
Gabi is a protagonist that you root for--I felt like the biggest cheerleader on the sidelines of her life. She is messy and flawed but so genuine and earnest. She's charming and honestly hilarious and I enjoyed her narrative voice so much. I wish this book was an actual person so I could hug it. Reading this book felt very empowering, even at times when Gabi expressed negativity about her Mexican heritage, family, or body image, because it was an extremely real experience for her that she needed to go through in order to reach the other side.
A major part of this book is how Gabi processes the misogynistic society she's grown up with and internalized. She is stumbling to reassess her own values and isn't always perfect but you can hear this strong feminist voice emerging within her and I loved it. This book deals with a lottt of tough topics (teenage pregnancy, rape, death, and homophobia to name a few) but I didn't feel bogged down by all this nor did I feel like anything was written about disrespectfully. There were a lot of relationships in this book--family, friends, and romantic alike--and all of them had weak and awful moments but ultimately there was so much strength between Gabi and the people she cared about.
Yeah, I just loved this and have nothing negative to say about it. Definitely a new favorite.
update: re-reading this has made me a bit more aware of a handful of flaws so maaaybe this is more of a 4.5 but I don't mind rounding it up. I still adore this book with my whole heart. There are a few things I struggled with especially in the beginning of the book but by the end I was just as enraptured with Gabi and her story.
August 26, 2016
I loved reading Gabi's journal (even though I wished there had been more in-person conversations.) I also loved that she was unapologetic in her love of food:
I am going to have a grilled cheese sandwich and think about this precarious situation
I came back to my room to think. I sat munching on some Hot Cheetos with lemon and Tapatio and a bottle of Dr. Pepper (my favorite thinking foods)
I am going to make another zine soon about one of my most favoritist of favorite foods: tacos. Tacos are like what the voices of a hundred angels singing Bob Dylan while sitting on rainbows and playing banjos would taste like if that sound were edible.
I would definitely read Gabi: The Sequel (or anything else this author writes.)
I am going to have a grilled cheese sandwich and think about this precarious situation
I came back to my room to think. I sat munching on some Hot Cheetos with lemon and Tapatio and a bottle of Dr. Pepper (my favorite thinking foods)
I am going to make another zine soon about one of my most favoritist of favorite foods: tacos. Tacos are like what the voices of a hundred angels singing Bob Dylan while sitting on rainbows and playing banjos would taste like if that sound were edible.
I would definitely read Gabi: The Sequel (or anything else this author writes.)
October 13, 2016
Review originally published on my blog
https://ifyoucanreadthis.wordpress.com/
Gabi has a lot on her plate. It’s her last year of high school but apart from classes and college applications, she also has to deal with a father who is fighting a losing battle with meth addiction, her friend Cindy getting pregnant (as a result of date rape, we learn later), her other best friend Sebastian coming out, as well as exploring her own sexuality and first relationships.
Isabel Quintero’s first novel Gabi, A Girl in Pieces, published byCincoPuntoPress, is a tour-de-force. The good thing about being blissfully ignorant about new releases and a lot of hype before joining twitter is that I mostly missed all the excitement and picked up this book only now because I vaguely remembered someone saying it was good and it being LatinX Heritage Month. So I got to skirt the overblown expectations trap, yay, but am totally doing this to you now with this review. #sorrynotsorry
If you’re into intersectional feminism (you better be!), then this book will make you want to get out your highlighters. Let me quote this section, which everyone else is apparently also quoting (google told me, but still thanks for the easy c&p)):
"My mother named me Gabriella, after my grandmother who, coincidentally, didn’t want to meet me when I was born because my mother was unmarried, and therefore living in sin. My mom has told me the story many, many, MANY, times of how, when she confessed to my grandmother that she was pregnant with me, her mother beat her. BEAT HER! She was twenty-five. That story is the basis of my sexual education and has reiterated why it’s important to wait until you’re married to give it up. So now, every time I go out with a guy, my mom says, “Ojos abiertos, piernas cerradas.” Eyes open, legs closed. That’s as far as the birds and the bees talk has gone. And I don’t mind it. I don’t necessarily agree with that whole wait until you’re married crap, though. I mean, this is America and the 21st century; not Mexico one hundred years ago. But, of course, I can’t tell my mom that because she will think I’m bad. Or worse: trying to be White.
"
This excerpt really concisely introduces all the issues Quintero adresses in the novel and also drives home the point that Gabi lives at a very specific intersection of gender, race and ethnicity. So the novel explores one culture’s version of the double-standard, that of patriarchal machismo Mexican-American dichotomy of the virgen/puta. And Gabi has to realize that many women in her community have internalized this toxicity and police other women’s behavior and expression of sexuality (as they tend to, don’t get me started on this issue), her mother among them:
“for my mother, a woman’s whole value is what’s between her legs. And once a man has access to that, she has no more value.”
Part of this patriarchal view is also the refusal to accept homosexuality and Gabi’s friend Sebastian is thrown out by his parents when he comes out. On the other side of the coin we have the boys will be boys mentality, about which Gabi writes a scathing poem.
Gabi is furthermore not marked Mexican-American by her skin color, instead she is so light-skinned she can pass as white but as a result has to deal with feeling alienated at times. Since I basically have the opposite problem, this was an interesting change in perspective.
The book also shows Gabi’s acceptance when it comes to her body and she moves from regarding herself as a “fatgirl” to acceptance. There’s a terrible lack of “fativism” in books and hopefully this will change in coming years, but it’s another reason why I hope Gabi will be read and taught widely, so these young women will see themselves represented too.
I also loved was watching Gabi coming into her own as a poet, apart from the diary style of the novel, we also get to read Gabi’s poetry and her attempts at spoken word. Poetry is how Gabi finds a way to express and empower herself. Her words are sharp and to the point and you’ll want to pick up a poetry collection immediately after finishing this book (I’ll be gushing about one particular, exciting collection later this week, stay tuned!).
The language use is wonderfully done as well, I’m glad there’s no glossary and hardly any translations. Quintero makes me work for it and I gladly got out my rusty Spanish for beginners knowledge, and between knowing other romance language and guessing from context…no excuses people! I’m sure LatinX will love this book and the intermingling of English and Spanish…Spanglish? And us other readers do well to remember to work on our privilege.
It’s amazing that this is a first novel. It’s a book that will be taught in high schools and colleges everywhere!
https://ifyoucanreadthis.wordpress.com/
Gabi has a lot on her plate. It’s her last year of high school but apart from classes and college applications, she also has to deal with a father who is fighting a losing battle with meth addiction, her friend Cindy getting pregnant (as a result of date rape, we learn later), her other best friend Sebastian coming out, as well as exploring her own sexuality and first relationships.
Isabel Quintero’s first novel Gabi, A Girl in Pieces, published byCincoPuntoPress, is a tour-de-force. The good thing about being blissfully ignorant about new releases and a lot of hype before joining twitter is that I mostly missed all the excitement and picked up this book only now because I vaguely remembered someone saying it was good and it being LatinX Heritage Month. So I got to skirt the overblown expectations trap, yay, but am totally doing this to you now with this review. #sorrynotsorry
If you’re into intersectional feminism (you better be!), then this book will make you want to get out your highlighters. Let me quote this section, which everyone else is apparently also quoting (google told me, but still thanks for the easy c&p)):
"My mother named me Gabriella, after my grandmother who, coincidentally, didn’t want to meet me when I was born because my mother was unmarried, and therefore living in sin. My mom has told me the story many, many, MANY, times of how, when she confessed to my grandmother that she was pregnant with me, her mother beat her. BEAT HER! She was twenty-five. That story is the basis of my sexual education and has reiterated why it’s important to wait until you’re married to give it up. So now, every time I go out with a guy, my mom says, “Ojos abiertos, piernas cerradas.” Eyes open, legs closed. That’s as far as the birds and the bees talk has gone. And I don’t mind it. I don’t necessarily agree with that whole wait until you’re married crap, though. I mean, this is America and the 21st century; not Mexico one hundred years ago. But, of course, I can’t tell my mom that because she will think I’m bad. Or worse: trying to be White.
"
This excerpt really concisely introduces all the issues Quintero adresses in the novel and also drives home the point that Gabi lives at a very specific intersection of gender, race and ethnicity. So the novel explores one culture’s version of the double-standard, that of patriarchal machismo Mexican-American dichotomy of the virgen/puta. And Gabi has to realize that many women in her community have internalized this toxicity and police other women’s behavior and expression of sexuality (as they tend to, don’t get me started on this issue), her mother among them:
“for my mother, a woman’s whole value is what’s between her legs. And once a man has access to that, she has no more value.”
Part of this patriarchal view is also the refusal to accept homosexuality and Gabi’s friend Sebastian is thrown out by his parents when he comes out. On the other side of the coin we have the boys will be boys mentality, about which Gabi writes a scathing poem.
Gabi is furthermore not marked Mexican-American by her skin color, instead she is so light-skinned she can pass as white but as a result has to deal with feeling alienated at times. Since I basically have the opposite problem, this was an interesting change in perspective.
The book also shows Gabi’s acceptance when it comes to her body and she moves from regarding herself as a “fatgirl” to acceptance. There’s a terrible lack of “fativism” in books and hopefully this will change in coming years, but it’s another reason why I hope Gabi will be read and taught widely, so these young women will see themselves represented too.
I also loved was watching Gabi coming into her own as a poet, apart from the diary style of the novel, we also get to read Gabi’s poetry and her attempts at spoken word. Poetry is how Gabi finds a way to express and empower herself. Her words are sharp and to the point and you’ll want to pick up a poetry collection immediately after finishing this book (I’ll be gushing about one particular, exciting collection later this week, stay tuned!).
The language use is wonderfully done as well, I’m glad there’s no glossary and hardly any translations. Quintero makes me work for it and I gladly got out my rusty Spanish for beginners knowledge, and between knowing other romance language and guessing from context…no excuses people! I’m sure LatinX will love this book and the intermingling of English and Spanish…Spanglish? And us other readers do well to remember to work on our privilege.
It’s amazing that this is a first novel. It’s a book that will be taught in high schools and colleges everywhere!
June 10, 2018
WARNING THIS BOOK CONTAINS RAPE AND DRUG USE
This has to be one of the best books that portrays what it is like to be a Mexican-American. The whole thing was so good that I couldn't put it down, and honestly we need more of those books with Mexican-American MC's in it.
This book is the diary of Gabi, a chubby Mexican girl that has to struggle with the ins and outs of high school. It details the day to day life that she goes through and it's nice to see that this book captured the craziness of being of teenager without becoming a typical ya contemporary novel. And Gabi has to be one of the cutest MC's I have seen in a while. So relatable with the chubby thighs and good Mexican food. Now I'm craving it.
Gabi also writes a lot of poetry in this book, which is a welcome touch as it breaks up the text with something else to read.
One thing that I did find nice was that it gives the perspective of being a child of a parent who does drugs, without it being the main theme of the book.
Honestly I loved that this book also touches on teen pregnancy and being gay, and I think a lot of kids may struggle with those issues and finding them in a book may help know they are not alone. One thing that did anyone me in this book was the romance in it. At times it became too dramatic and I wanted it to end because of how suffocating it was. But I guess that's close to real life.
Overall, it was a fantastic read that felt really relatable for a Mexican-American. I definitely recommend picking it up.
This has to be one of the best books that portrays what it is like to be a Mexican-American. The whole thing was so good that I couldn't put it down, and honestly we need more of those books with Mexican-American MC's in it.
This book is the diary of Gabi, a chubby Mexican girl that has to struggle with the ins and outs of high school. It details the day to day life that she goes through and it's nice to see that this book captured the craziness of being of teenager without becoming a typical ya contemporary novel. And Gabi has to be one of the cutest MC's I have seen in a while. So relatable with the chubby thighs and good Mexican food. Now I'm craving it.
Gabi also writes a lot of poetry in this book, which is a welcome touch as it breaks up the text with something else to read.
One thing that I did find nice was that it gives the perspective of being a child of a parent who does drugs, without it being the main theme of the book.
Honestly I loved that this book also touches on teen pregnancy and being gay, and I think a lot of kids may struggle with those issues and finding them in a book may help know they are not alone. One thing that did anyone me in this book was the romance in it. At times it became too dramatic and I wanted it to end because of how suffocating it was. But I guess that's close to real life.
Overall, it was a fantastic read that felt really relatable for a Mexican-American. I definitely recommend picking it up.
January 29, 2022
I rate this book a 4/5
"My mother named me Gabriella, after my grandmother who, coincidentally, didn’t want to meet me when I was born because my mother was unmarried, and therefore living in sin. My mom has told me the story many, many, MANY, times of how, when she confessed to my grandmother that she was pregnant with me, her mother beat her. BEAT HER! She was twenty-five. That story is the basis of my sexual education and has reiterated why it’s important to wait until you’re married to give it up. So now, every time I go out with a guy, my mom says, “Ojos abiertos, piernas cerradas.” Eyes open, legs closed."
Gabi Hernandez chronicles her last year in high school in her diary: 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.
Here's my review. Isabel Quintero’s debut YA novel, Gabi: A Girl in Pieces, is witty, stimulating, and genuine. Through a diary admission narrative, the novel follows Gabi Hernandez through her senior year in high school. Gabi is a self-identified light-skinned, fat Mexican with an inextinguishable appetite for hot wings, tacos, sopes, and poetry. The book opens with a tremendous fetish for hot wings and with Sebastian, Gabi’s best friend, coming out to her.
"My mother named me Gabriella, after my grandmother who, coincidentally, didn’t want to meet me when I was born because my mother was unmarried, and therefore living in sin. My mom has told me the story many, many, MANY, times of how, when she confessed to my grandmother that she was pregnant with me, her mother beat her. BEAT HER! She was twenty-five. That story is the basis of my sexual education and has reiterated why it’s important to wait until you’re married to give it up. So now, every time I go out with a guy, my mom says, “Ojos abiertos, piernas cerradas.” Eyes open, legs closed."
Gabi Hernandez chronicles her last year in high school in her diary: 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.
Here's my review. Isabel Quintero’s debut YA novel, Gabi: A Girl in Pieces, is witty, stimulating, and genuine. Through a diary admission narrative, the novel follows Gabi Hernandez through her senior year in high school. Gabi is a self-identified light-skinned, fat Mexican with an inextinguishable appetite for hot wings, tacos, sopes, and poetry. The book opens with a tremendous fetish for hot wings and with Sebastian, Gabi’s best friend, coming out to her.
Read
September 11, 2018DNF at 17 min into audio book. Uses R word. Could be to make a point but way too many books for me to care and keep going when I know I abhor the word so much.
August 9, 2020
I love Gabi! This book made me laugh and cry.
January 1, 2024
Part of the reason I took forever to read this book was mainly that I didn’t want it to end. I felt myself like Gabi in so many situations and I just wasn’t ready to let her go yet. Tonight just felt like the night to finish the book and it was beautiful.
January 10, 2020
Loved this book! A colorful coming of age story written in journal entries from Gabi, a 17 year old Mexican-American high school student. It explores body image, womanhood, high school, sexuality, college admissions, navigating family issues and addiction. This book has been on my TBR for over a year and I'm so happy I was finally able to read it!
October 4, 2017
This is so good. I wasn't expecting much from a jurnal. I've read a few and it did not meet my expectation. But, this is that good. I could not put it down once started. It was honest and funny. And I could feel Gabi's struggle.
I like Gabi a lot. She was comfortable with her body. Yes, she had some issue with her weight but, it did not stop her from being awesome. She had family issue. Again, it did not stop her from being her. She never use excuses like weight and family to go and buy a gun and started shooting at random kids. She was that cool.
The book was not boring. Thank God for miracle. Like I mentioned, it was an honest account from a girl.
This made me want to write poems again. I am not good but, I have a collection. It's freestyle of couse as I don't care much about rhyme and such. But, yeah, I may start writing again.
I like Gabi a lot. She was comfortable with her body. Yes, she had some issue with her weight but, it did not stop her from being awesome. She had family issue. Again, it did not stop her from being her. She never use excuses like weight and family to go and buy a gun and started shooting at random kids. She was that cool.
The book was not boring. Thank God for miracle. Like I mentioned, it was an honest account from a girl.
This made me want to write poems again. I am not good but, I have a collection. It's freestyle of couse as I don't care much about rhyme and such. But, yeah, I may start writing again.
February 5, 2017
Originally posted at https://reallifereading.com/2017/01/0...
The first book I finished, though officially I started it on the last day of 2016, was quite a read. It was a book I didn’t quite know that I needed to read, until I read it. Don’t you just love when that happens?
I like how it opens, and how in this first journal entry that we read, Quintero sets the scene for the book.
"July 24
My mother named me Gabriela, after my grandmother who, coincidentally, didn’t want to meet me when I was born because my mother was unmarried, and therefore living in sin. My mom has told me the story many, many, MANY, times of how, when she confessed to my grandmother that she was pregnant with me, her mother beat her. BEAT HER! She was twenty-five. That story is the basis of my sexual education and has reiterated why it’s important to wait until you’re married to give it up. So now, every time I go out with a guy, my mom says, “Ojos abiertos, piernas cerradas.” Eyes open, legs closed. That’s as far as the birds and the bees talk has gone. And I don’t mind it. I don’t necessarily agree with that whole wait until you’re married crap, though. I mean, this is America and the 21st century; not Mexico one hundred years ago. But, of course, I can’t tell my mom that because she will think I’m bad. Or worse: trying to be White."
Quintero pretty much establishes what the issues that drives her novel, especially Gabi’s struggles to be a modern Mexican-American young woman, in what is more of a patriarchal culture.
Among the very many things that happens in this book are:
– date rape
– teenaged pregnancy
– a gay teen coming out
– drug addiction
and some other things that I probably shouldn’t point out because spoilers.
But, I don’t know, it’s a lot. I don’t mean to say that this all couldn’t be happening to a group of friends and their families out there. I’m not an American teenager, maybe this is all more common than I imagine. When I was Gabi’s age, I was in school in Singapore, where uniforms are required, shoes had to be white, long hair on girls had to be tied up, boys’ hair couldn’t touch the collars etc. It just seems like it was far more innocent times then (obviously I feel like I am too old for this book….! Why couldn’t it have been written and published when I was an actual teenager?).
I adored Gabi’s growing into her own creativity, learning to write poetry, expressing her emotions in what she writes, and her letters to her father made me tear up.
But that cover. Can we talk about that cover? Having read the book now, I understand where the cover art is coming from but if I had randomly come across this book on the shelves of a bookstore or a library, I would never have picked it up.
I loved Gabi. I wrote in my Litsy review that I just wished I could give her a hug! She’s fierce, independent, strong-willed, smart and funny. And I love her honesty, her vulnerability, her strong bonds with her friends and family. What a great read this was. Why didn’t I read it earlier when everyone was saying it, just read it!
The first book I finished, though officially I started it on the last day of 2016, was quite a read. It was a book I didn’t quite know that I needed to read, until I read it. Don’t you just love when that happens?
I like how it opens, and how in this first journal entry that we read, Quintero sets the scene for the book.
"July 24
My mother named me Gabriela, after my grandmother who, coincidentally, didn’t want to meet me when I was born because my mother was unmarried, and therefore living in sin. My mom has told me the story many, many, MANY, times of how, when she confessed to my grandmother that she was pregnant with me, her mother beat her. BEAT HER! She was twenty-five. That story is the basis of my sexual education and has reiterated why it’s important to wait until you’re married to give it up. So now, every time I go out with a guy, my mom says, “Ojos abiertos, piernas cerradas.” Eyes open, legs closed. That’s as far as the birds and the bees talk has gone. And I don’t mind it. I don’t necessarily agree with that whole wait until you’re married crap, though. I mean, this is America and the 21st century; not Mexico one hundred years ago. But, of course, I can’t tell my mom that because she will think I’m bad. Or worse: trying to be White."
Quintero pretty much establishes what the issues that drives her novel, especially Gabi’s struggles to be a modern Mexican-American young woman, in what is more of a patriarchal culture.
Among the very many things that happens in this book are:
– date rape
– teenaged pregnancy
– a gay teen coming out
– drug addiction
and some other things that I probably shouldn’t point out because spoilers.
But, I don’t know, it’s a lot. I don’t mean to say that this all couldn’t be happening to a group of friends and their families out there. I’m not an American teenager, maybe this is all more common than I imagine. When I was Gabi’s age, I was in school in Singapore, where uniforms are required, shoes had to be white, long hair on girls had to be tied up, boys’ hair couldn’t touch the collars etc. It just seems like it was far more innocent times then (obviously I feel like I am too old for this book….! Why couldn’t it have been written and published when I was an actual teenager?).
I adored Gabi’s growing into her own creativity, learning to write poetry, expressing her emotions in what she writes, and her letters to her father made me tear up.
But that cover. Can we talk about that cover? Having read the book now, I understand where the cover art is coming from but if I had randomly come across this book on the shelves of a bookstore or a library, I would never have picked it up.
I loved Gabi. I wrote in my Litsy review that I just wished I could give her a hug! She’s fierce, independent, strong-willed, smart and funny. And I love her honesty, her vulnerability, her strong bonds with her friends and family. What a great read this was. Why didn’t I read it earlier when everyone was saying it, just read it!
January 23, 2015
Told in diary format, Gabi chronicles the events that occur during her senior year of high school. During this year she must deal with her best friend's pregnancy and her father's meth addiction. She also experiences many crushes, her first kiss and her first boyfriends. At the same time, she's applying to colleges and making sure she passes all her classes so she can graduate. Her saving grace: her poetry class, where she discovers a love of poetry, and realizes that she enjoys writing and expressing herself through her poetry. She looks forward to college because it will allow her to get away from all of her bad luck.
I really wanted to like this book, but at times I found Gabi annoying. In addition, I have two complaints about the book. Gabi goes through so much during her senior year. We're inundated with teen pregnancy, drug addiction, homosexuality, death, abortion and rape (these are what I can remember off the top of my head). These are important issues and teens need to read about them, but I feel that the author should have written about one or two of these issues. Everything that Gabi went through just seemed like too much. After a while I had had enough of all of her back luck.
At times I also felt that the author was preachy at times. At one point, Gabi realizes she's been taught that boys are allowed to get away with certain behaviors because "boys will be boys," but if girls are seen doing the same things, they're labeled as whores or sluts. Her mother is always telling her to keep her "eyes opened, legs shut." She is so worried that Gabi is going to get herself into trouble and ruining her life by getting pregnant or doing drugs. Again, these are important issues, but I just didn't like how they were presented in the book.
Despite my complaints, I do think teens will read and enjoy the story. While I may not have been able to fully appreciate Gabi, teens looking for real-life stories, may enjoy this book. This past year, there has been a huge push for more diverse books and Gabi, a Girl in Pieces definitely fits the bill.
I really wanted to like this book, but at times I found Gabi annoying. In addition, I have two complaints about the book. Gabi goes through so much during her senior year. We're inundated with teen pregnancy, drug addiction, homosexuality, death, abortion and rape (these are what I can remember off the top of my head). These are important issues and teens need to read about them, but I feel that the author should have written about one or two of these issues. Everything that Gabi went through just seemed like too much. After a while I had had enough of all of her back luck.
At times I also felt that the author was preachy at times. At one point, Gabi realizes she's been taught that boys are allowed to get away with certain behaviors because "boys will be boys," but if girls are seen doing the same things, they're labeled as whores or sluts. Her mother is always telling her to keep her "eyes opened, legs shut." She is so worried that Gabi is going to get herself into trouble and ruining her life by getting pregnant or doing drugs. Again, these are important issues, but I just didn't like how they were presented in the book.
Despite my complaints, I do think teens will read and enjoy the story. While I may not have been able to fully appreciate Gabi, teens looking for real-life stories, may enjoy this book. This past year, there has been a huge push for more diverse books and Gabi, a Girl in Pieces definitely fits the bill.
February 13, 2015
You know when a book just gets you? Like voice in your head, how-could-anyone-other-than-me-even-write-this, gets you? Well if you are (or were) a chubby light skinned Mexican girl trying to deal with family/school/friend drama, stop what you’re doing and read this book. And if you aren’t (or weren’t), still stop what you’re doing and read this book.
Gabi is a girl; a gordita; a guera (not really, she’s just often confused as one since she looks white). These words are used to describe pieces of Gabi but can’t come close to capturing the whole. Gabi’s senior year is supposed to be a piece of cake (minus Algebra, yikes). Her two best friends, Cindy and Sebastian, share her dream of going to UC Berkley and it is so close; only 8 months away. But nothing is ever as easy as we hope, right? Not when your dad is an addict and your mom reminds you daily of how you should act and look and be. And definitely not when your closest friends are dealing with coming out to their unsupportive parents and single motherhood. It’s exhausting just writing this, can you imagine living it?
Thank goodness Gabi is hilarious. She’s also smart and sassy and independent and we get to watch her deal with these issues and many, many more through her equally funny and sassy diary. Part of Gabi’s story is her discovery of poetry as a transformative and healing force. Seeing her work through body image issues, death, anger and love all by writing and performing her poetry is one of my favorite things about this book. My other favorite things are: everything else.
Gabi is a girl; a gordita; a guera (not really, she’s just often confused as one since she looks white). These words are used to describe pieces of Gabi but can’t come close to capturing the whole. Gabi’s senior year is supposed to be a piece of cake (minus Algebra, yikes). Her two best friends, Cindy and Sebastian, share her dream of going to UC Berkley and it is so close; only 8 months away. But nothing is ever as easy as we hope, right? Not when your dad is an addict and your mom reminds you daily of how you should act and look and be. And definitely not when your closest friends are dealing with coming out to their unsupportive parents and single motherhood. It’s exhausting just writing this, can you imagine living it?
Thank goodness Gabi is hilarious. She’s also smart and sassy and independent and we get to watch her deal with these issues and many, many more through her equally funny and sassy diary. Part of Gabi’s story is her discovery of poetry as a transformative and healing force. Seeing her work through body image issues, death, anger and love all by writing and performing her poetry is one of my favorite things about this book. My other favorite things are: everything else.
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