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Pieces of Why
From the award winning author of Fat Kid Rules the World and The Liberation of Gabriel King comes a lyrical, middle grade gem that asks all the hard questions and hits all the right notes--perfect for fans of Cynthia Rylant and Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine
Tia lives with her mom in a high-risk neighborhood in New Orleans and loves singing gospel in the Rainbow Choir with Keisha, her boisterous and assertive best friend. Tia's dream is to change the world with her voice; and by all accounts, she might be talented enough. But when a shooting happens in her neighborhood and she learns the truth about the crime that sent her father to prison years ago, Tia finds she can't sing anymore. The loss prompts her to start asking the people in her community hard questions--questions everyone has always been too afraid to ask.
Full of humanity, Pieces of Why is a timely story that addresses grief, healing, and forgiveness, told through the eyes of a gifted girl who hears rhythm and song everywhere in her life.
Tia lives with her mom in a high-risk neighborhood in New Orleans and loves singing gospel in the Rainbow Choir with Keisha, her boisterous and assertive best friend. Tia's dream is to change the world with her voice; and by all accounts, she might be talented enough. But when a shooting happens in her neighborhood and she learns the truth about the crime that sent her father to prison years ago, Tia finds she can't sing anymore. The loss prompts her to start asking the people in her community hard questions--questions everyone has always been too afraid to ask.
Full of humanity, Pieces of Why is a timely story that addresses grief, healing, and forgiveness, told through the eyes of a gifted girl who hears rhythm and song everywhere in her life.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published September 8, 2015
52 people are currently reading
1057 people want to read
About the author
K.L. Going
27 books261 followersK.L. Going is the award winning author of numerous books for children and teens. Her first novel, Fat Kid Rules the World was named a Michael Printz Honor Book by the American Library Association, and was included on YALSA’s Best Books for Young Adults list and their list of Best Books for the Past Decade. Her books have been Booksense picks, Scholastic Book Club choices, Junior Library Guild selections, NY Public Library Best Books for the Teenage, and winners of state book awards. They’ve been featured by Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, Kirkus, and Children's Book Council as Best Books of the year. Her work has also been published in Korea, Italy, Japan, Germany, and the UK, and her novel Fat Kid Rules the World is soon to be an independent film!
K.L. began her career working at one of the oldest literary agencies in New York City. She used this inner knowledge of publishing to write Writing and Selling the Young Adult Novel -- a how-to book for aspiring writers, published by Writer's Digest. She has also written short stories for several anthologies and currently has multiple picture books under contract. She lives in Glen Spey, NY where she both writes and runs a business critiquing manuscripts. She’s also a mom to the world’s cutest little boy.
To visit KL on-line go to www.klgoing.com, www.facebook.com/klgoing, or at http://twitter.com/#!/KLGoing.
K.L. began her career working at one of the oldest literary agencies in New York City. She used this inner knowledge of publishing to write Writing and Selling the Young Adult Novel -- a how-to book for aspiring writers, published by Writer's Digest. She has also written short stories for several anthologies and currently has multiple picture books under contract. She lives in Glen Spey, NY where she both writes and runs a business critiquing manuscripts. She’s also a mom to the world’s cutest little boy.
To visit KL on-line go to www.klgoing.com, www.facebook.com/klgoing, or at http://twitter.com/#!/KLGoing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 189 reviews
September 20, 2015
"Did being the daughter of a murderer mean I'd grow up to do horrible things?"
Whenever we hear of a gun shooting incident, our thoughts are immediately about the victims. And there's nothing remotely wrong about that, in fact, its the most obvious thing to do. To sympathize with the victims. And to think of all the vicious and nasty things we could think of towards the shooter. Some of us may do it unconsciously, but the point is, we still do it. What rarely pass on our thoughts though was the families of the shooter. When this kind of event happens, it's not only hard for the victims... but for the shooters family as well.
Pieces of Why is such a thought provoking novel. My eyes and my mind was opened. And my heart was even tested. Who can really answer the questions that has been on Tia's mind for so long? And who says if they're right? With a situation like Tia's, what is the definition of right and wrong?
Tia is an amazing character. A kid who is going through a lot and whose mind is filled with questions. Its amazing how PIECES OF WHY tackled lots of aspect when it comes to a teens life. This book touched puberty, friendship, family relationship and there's even a hint of romance that I must say is truly appropriate.
I absolutely recommend Pieces of Why to every kind of reader out there. Some may be hesitant because of Tia's age but you'll be surprised by how Tia's story can tug your heart strings. Poignant, thought provoking and beautifully written, KL Going just weaved a precious and brilliant story!
Whenever we hear of a gun shooting incident, our thoughts are immediately about the victims. And there's nothing remotely wrong about that, in fact, its the most obvious thing to do. To sympathize with the victims. And to think of all the vicious and nasty things we could think of towards the shooter. Some of us may do it unconsciously, but the point is, we still do it. What rarely pass on our thoughts though was the families of the shooter. When this kind of event happens, it's not only hard for the victims... but for the shooters family as well.
Pieces of Why is such a thought provoking novel. My eyes and my mind was opened. And my heart was even tested. Who can really answer the questions that has been on Tia's mind for so long? And who says if they're right? With a situation like Tia's, what is the definition of right and wrong?
Tia is an amazing character. A kid who is going through a lot and whose mind is filled with questions. Its amazing how PIECES OF WHY tackled lots of aspect when it comes to a teens life. This book touched puberty, friendship, family relationship and there's even a hint of romance that I must say is truly appropriate.
I absolutely recommend Pieces of Why to every kind of reader out there. Some may be hesitant because of Tia's age but you'll be surprised by how Tia's story can tug your heart strings. Poignant, thought provoking and beautifully written, KL Going just weaved a precious and brilliant story!
September 15, 2015
Thank you to Penguin Random House for sending me an ARC of this book. This does not affect my review in any way.
After a thousand years, I have finally read another middle grade book! Pieces of Why by K.L. Going is beautifully written and is such a thought provoking book I wish this was published when I was in my middle grade age. (I said middle grade age because we didn’t have middle grade here)
Firstly, I can say that the title really suits the story well. Here, we have Tia a 12 year old girl who’s experiencing some major changes not just with her body, feelings but also with the realization of what really happened to her family years ago. For a 12 year old girl, I can say that Tia is a little mature. It felt like I’m not reading a Middle Grade book so I’m pretty sure avid YA readers will adore this book. Seriously, she’s better than most female protagonists from YA!
The side characters are also interesting. Keisha, Tia’s best friend is what every girl needs for a bestie. She’s spunky but also a very good friend to Tia. I can’t help but compare their friendship with my own when I was in their age. They’re so adorable and they bring out the best in each other. I also adore Keisha’s parents as they are really helpful to Tia’s mom and Tia’s development throughout the novel. Tia’s mom is meh although I can see where she is coming from. Of course, there is some cute romance here!
Often times, when violence happen our thoughts immediately go out with the victim and their families and of course, that’s totally reasonable. But in Pieces of Why, it showed the other victims of the violence. It showed what the family of the person who did the bad thing are feeling. It’s such a thought provoking novel and since it’s a Middle Grade book, I never expected it to be that good. And yes, I shed a few tears towards the ending.
I recommend this book to all Middle Grade readers because this is a book you surely wouldn’t want to miss. If you also want to try MG fiction then start with this book!
Here are some of my favorite quotes from the book!
Certain days ought to come with warning notices. WARNING: This day will be hazardous to your health. Instead, most days start out normal. Maybe even better than normal.
Which is so much worse.
This is the first paragraph from the book and it has such a strong opening line, that you will just read it page after page to find out what is going to happen. Also, can I just say how true is that statement?
I'd open my mouth and sing so loud, I'd blow this whole rotten neighborhood away.
Can I pretty please hear Tia sing? I love how very driven she is with reaching her dreams.
Trouble was like a hurricane. If you were in its path, it would barrel down on top of you, no matter how hard you tried to shore things up.
Like it or not, life goes on, Tia Rose.
That's what Ma always said. But even that was a lie.
For some people...it didn't.
Note: These are taken from the ARC.
There are many more beautiful quotes from the book that you have to read it for yourself!
November 12, 2015
Twelve year old Tia may be tiny, but she has a powerful singing voice and loves singing in the Rainbow Choir with her best friend, Keisha at an old church in New Orleans. In fact, Tia dreams that she might just change the world with her voice. But her world crumbles around her at choir practice on a hot summer night in June when the sound of gunshots shatter the air. Soon after gossip about Tia’s incarcerated father flares up again and spreads through the community. Her best friend tells her truth about why her father was sent to jail, but Tia’s mother doesn’t want to talk about it. Tia can no longer bear to sing, stops going to voice lessons and choir, but starts asking hard questions of people in her community trying to find answers. Written with extraordinary grace and deep and honest emotion, Tia’s story reaches to the core and stays with the reader long after the book is closed. K.L. Going takes on a tough subject and succeeds in writing a story that is not only appropriate for young readers, but should be required reading. Pieces of Why makes the reader think not just about the victims and their families, but what it’s like to be a young girl and her mother living in the shadow of the father’s unspeakable and seemingly unforgivable act. Highest recommendation.
August 1, 2019
Wow! Chapter 1=sadness, Chapter 3= the secret, Chapter 23-25 = mending fences. Last three chapters I couldn't stop crying. This was great.
Tia a girl of 12 with an amazing voice finds out her father is in prison for murder, she had been lied to. The accounts of how she felt were real, her inner dialogue captured by the writer were wonderful. The family of the deceased girl asked to sing at a fund raiser against violence. She doesn't make up for her father, but it story of restoration for Tia & her mother.
Tia a girl of 12 with an amazing voice finds out her father is in prison for murder, she had been lied to. The accounts of how she felt were real, her inner dialogue captured by the writer were wonderful. The family of the deceased girl asked to sing at a fund raiser against violence. She doesn't make up for her father, but it story of restoration for Tia & her mother.
January 11, 2020
Tia is such a strong little lady ... so glad that despite everything she chose to forgive her father and pursue her dream of becoming a singer.
October 9, 2015
This was an interesting one to read. It asked a lot of questions, both of the kids and the adults. I liked that by the end Tia and her mother were finally talking and that Tia's family's past was brought out in the open so it wasn't a dirty little secret.
January 8, 2016
4.5*
This was so good - very emotional, and dealt with many different problems realistically. Trigger warnings for violence.
This was so good - very emotional, and dealt with many different problems realistically. Trigger warnings for violence.
April 1, 2022
one of my favorite books of all time.
October 3, 2017
In the story Pieces Of Why by K.L Going, a young girl, Tia, is going through what will be one of the roughest times in her life. Her father Lyle Frank has been imprisoned for life for being found guilty of armed robbery, and only a handful of people know about it; that much she knows. In the story, Tia and her best friend Keisha sing in the Rainbow Choir, lead by Ms. Marion. Tia loves singing, and the choir reinforces her desire to sing. She feels like she has found all her answers in singing; her life revolves around it. And many people recognize Tia’s star voice just like her friend Keisha always tells her she has--she almost always ends up singing the lead part in their concerts. But everything starts going downhill one day during choir practice, when gunshots ring outside the church; and she then fainted. As she woke up she heard some of the adults talking about her father, as if he had made her faint, which sparked questions in her mind. An unquenchable thirst to know more about her father. So she and her best friend Keisha end up going behind their parents’ backs and look up Tia’s father on the internet. But when she finds out what he really has done, she hears things said around her that she had never heard before, making her do things that she wouldn’t have done either. These things make Tia feel the need to tear herself away from the people around her, and it made her stop singing and being the joyful person she was. And the same person she felt had lied, and helped to tear her apart, placed the pieces back together.
How the text was organized and how it was used helps readers understand how people's minds can be manipulated by others through the negativity shown towards them. People around Tia had manipulated her feelings and thoughts by what they had said about her while she was near, and how they had acted around her, as if she and her father were the same person. They made her feel guilty for things she shouldn’t have, emphasizing the theme of crime and guilt. She also made herself feel at fault for how poor she and her mother were, also emphasizing that theme too. This book is a great read for all, for it expressed many real world problems and ordeals throughout the book, and would mainly be good for those who enjoy reading realistic fiction.
How the text was organized and how it was used helps readers understand how people's minds can be manipulated by others through the negativity shown towards them. People around Tia had manipulated her feelings and thoughts by what they had said about her while she was near, and how they had acted around her, as if she and her father were the same person. They made her feel guilty for things she shouldn’t have, emphasizing the theme of crime and guilt. She also made herself feel at fault for how poor she and her mother were, also emphasizing that theme too. This book is a great read for all, for it expressed many real world problems and ordeals throughout the book, and would mainly be good for those who enjoy reading realistic fiction.
June 14, 2017
I found this to be a great read. Two things annoyed me:
1) The cheesy title. Glad I gave the book a chance anyway, though.
2)The cover shows a young girl who appears to be a person of color, so I was thinking I was going to read a story from that perspective. But it's established in the first chapter that Tia, our main character, is white. I thought that to be an odd disconnect and a little disappointing. However, the book actually has some very interesting conversations about race and has prominent characters that are people of color that discuss the implications of Tia's whiteness. I was worried race would just be ignored when race would certainly have an impact on Tia's situation, but thankfully that wasn't the case.
I loved the simplicity of a story that tackled complex, difficult themes. Tia's perspective as a family member of a hated criminal was one that I'd never really considered. Tia's mother was an especially fascinating character, I loved learning about her motivations. I grew to love and understand many characters, I found that they were well developed. I enjoyed this book as a twenty-something and I imagine I would have enjoyed as a young teen as well. I think it's also a good read for someone older. What a versatile book! Yeehaw.
1) The cheesy title. Glad I gave the book a chance anyway, though.
2)The cover shows a young girl who appears to be a person of color, so I was thinking I was going to read a story from that perspective. But it's established in the first chapter that Tia, our main character, is white. I thought that to be an odd disconnect and a little disappointing. However, the book actually has some very interesting conversations about race and has prominent characters that are people of color that discuss the implications of Tia's whiteness. I was worried race would just be ignored when race would certainly have an impact on Tia's situation, but thankfully that wasn't the case.
I loved the simplicity of a story that tackled complex, difficult themes. Tia's perspective as a family member of a hated criminal was one that I'd never really considered. Tia's mother was an especially fascinating character, I loved learning about her motivations. I grew to love and understand many characters, I found that they were well developed. I enjoyed this book as a twenty-something and I imagine I would have enjoyed as a young teen as well. I think it's also a good read for someone older. What a versatile book! Yeehaw.
December 19, 2023
Honestly not as cheesy of a 12- year-old book I thought it was going to be. However, still not good. I think this book was a good family style book. Some of the characters I feel could have been left out because there was no point for them other than to say a few snarky comments to Tia about her dad.
I also feel that the ending was rushed. I like how it came full circle for both the Raven lady and Tia, but they could have taken a little more time for her to meet her dad and maybe explain the concert at the end. They made it a huge deal that the Morton's invited her to sing but the concert was never actually included in the book.
I also feel that the ending was rushed. I like how it came full circle for both the Raven lady and Tia, but they could have taken a little more time for her to meet her dad and maybe explain the concert at the end. They made it a huge deal that the Morton's invited her to sing but the concert was never actually included in the book.
October 30, 2023
cleaning out my bookshelf and reading books that have been sitting on it for years. i actually enjoyed this novel and wish i would’ve read it when i was younger so i could connect more with the main character.
it had good themes about gun violence issues, moving, forgiveness etc. i also liked the southern setting, as i have family near where the character lived and it was nostalgic.
i couldn’t get into the plot though and had to force myself to finish it. i am not surprised though, considering this was meant for a different audience.
it had good themes about gun violence issues, moving, forgiveness etc. i also liked the southern setting, as i have family near where the character lived and it was nostalgic.
i couldn’t get into the plot though and had to force myself to finish it. i am not surprised though, considering this was meant for a different audience.
October 1, 2018
Pieces of Why by K.L. Going was an "URBAN REALITY" read .( I liked it much better than "THE HATE YOU GIVE" which so was unrealistically violent , homicidal and racist that I DNF) . This was sweeter cleaner and I also liked the excellent inter play between Keesha and Tia as best friends . The whole trend of was book was light and headed in a positive direction (not to say that it was predictable )
I also liked the choir scenes (that's just how choir leaders are IRL)
If you want a good clean drama with friendship - a little romance -and a happy ending but not before you get through some scary street violence and danger this is your ticket ( actual 4.5 stars ---Im in a good mood)
I also liked the choir scenes (that's just how choir leaders are IRL)
If you want a good clean drama with friendship - a little romance -and a happy ending but not before you get through some scary street violence and danger this is your ticket ( actual 4.5 stars ---Im in a good mood)
August 1, 2017
A heart felt story about some tough topics to tackle. There was real emotion and pain in these words and is something that is hard to even imagine living through. I am glad there are books like this for kids who are going through the same thing that most wouldn't even think about.
Greatly moved!
Greatly moved!
March 26, 2024
wow. wow. wow. speechless…..4.25 ⭐️ had me bawling 🥺such a sweet sweet story that had me intrigued the entire time. i will be thinking about this story for a long time to come…definitely had more dark topics and heart wrenching plot points than i was expecting.
January 26, 2018
I love it
February 15, 2019
It was very good!!!!!!!!!
October 24, 2019
I think Pieces of Why is a really nice book. It totally goes to show that there can be (and is) lots of problems that could happen around our world.
In Pieces Of Why, there is a twelve-year-old girl, named Tia, who definitely didn’t have the brightest of her life. Throughout her life, it’s been a huge roller coaster. Ups, downs, and usually downs. Growing up with just her mother and her friend Keisha, no father, well she does have a father but...he’s in prison. Not ever going to come out. While finding news about why her father really was in prison, from the community, she feels even worse-disappointed, upset, mad and wondering why her father did what he did (I don’t want to say because of spoilers).
Later in the book, Tia and her mother then visit her father in prison. Tia’s mom had called prior to the visit to see if they could come and visit and he was wondering why they really wanted to come and visit him. He described during the visit how the murder all happened.
Tia had a hard life but she could totally count on her best friend Keisha and her talent of singing. She was in the chorus and loved singing. Tia felt that it helped calm her stress down completely. Keisha and Tia always stuck together and always had a respectful heart for each other.
I personally think that you should read this book if you can relate to any of these things or enjoy it: singing, living with one parent, wondering why their life, or loves singing! This awesome book is written by an award-winning author, K.L. Going! This is an awesome book! I would rate this book a 4/5 because it was really fun. The theme is "always trust that everything will be ok" because that's what she needed to do.
In Pieces Of Why, there is a twelve-year-old girl, named Tia, who definitely didn’t have the brightest of her life. Throughout her life, it’s been a huge roller coaster. Ups, downs, and usually downs. Growing up with just her mother and her friend Keisha, no father, well she does have a father but...he’s in prison. Not ever going to come out. While finding news about why her father really was in prison, from the community, she feels even worse-disappointed, upset, mad and wondering why her father did what he did (I don’t want to say because of spoilers).
Later in the book, Tia and her mother then visit her father in prison. Tia’s mom had called prior to the visit to see if they could come and visit and he was wondering why they really wanted to come and visit him. He described during the visit how the murder all happened.
Tia had a hard life but she could totally count on her best friend Keisha and her talent of singing. She was in the chorus and loved singing. Tia felt that it helped calm her stress down completely. Keisha and Tia always stuck together and always had a respectful heart for each other.
I personally think that you should read this book if you can relate to any of these things or enjoy it: singing, living with one parent, wondering why their life, or loves singing! This awesome book is written by an award-winning author, K.L. Going! This is an awesome book! I would rate this book a 4/5 because it was really fun. The theme is "always trust that everything will be ok" because that's what she needed to do.
May 28, 2019
I like this book but it was a little bit sad. Is about a young girl that love singing in a Rainbow choir with her best friend. Until she wanted to know what happened to her father. She wanted answer but she was scared to ask. It looks like she was scare to know why her father went to prison.
October 29, 2016
***SPOILER ALERT*** Tia lives with her mom in New Orleans but her father is away in prison for life. The genre of this book is realistic fiction because it tells a story in the real world today but it is made up. I honestly loved this book and the way the author portrays the main character. She likes to sing in choir to get away from all the stress she has by singing it all away. She eventually finds out her dad wasn't in jail for robbery, but he was in jail for the murder of a then 12 year old girl named Danielle but Tia was only 4 when this occurred.
During one of Tia's rehearsals with he choir which is The Rainbow Choir there was a shooting which took the life of a young 9 month old baby. While they hid she held the hand of her soon to be crush Kenny. Word spreads that her father is in prison for murder. After that she tries to find the home of Danielle Morton (The girl who was killed by Tia's dad) and she also tries to cope with the fact that her mom lied to her about her father. She eventually see's her father in prison and he says he is sorry for what he did. She then sings with The Rainbow Choir at an event to stop violence.
The first person point of view affects the story because you can read what is going on from Tia's point of view and read what is going on in her mind which brings more to the table than a 3rd person point of view. The authors word choice really helps the reader connect with the main character because of her tone and attitude which an adolescent can relate to. The setting adds more conflict because she lives in a semi bad part of New Orleans which is why the baby got shot and killed which was because of the violence and badness of the neighborhood. A major event that changes the character is when she finds out the truth about why her father is in prison. You can tell that she changed a little bit during the story because she stops singing in the shower (which she usually did) she also got nervous and didn't want to sing anymore (which never happened).The title relates to the book a lot because when Tia finds out about her dad and the girl who her dad killed she tries to find the pieces of why these things happened hence the title.
I was surprised when Tia went to the Morton's house so that she could say sorry for what her father did to their daughter (she get to say sorry when the door opened she ran away). I was angry when I found out that Tia's mom had been lying to Tia about her father but reading the story more I understand why she lied. I thought the end of the book was a bit dull because the author didn't give much detail about what happened to Tia singing for the Morton's which is something I really wanted to know. I was moved by the fact that Tia went out of her way to go visit the mother of the dead baby, she would go talk to her and do other things with her. "I think you're really p-pretty. No. Not just pretty. Beautiful", said Kenny. This was my favorite part of the story because Kenny let out all of his feelings of Tia (he has a bit of a stutter).
On a scale from 1-5 I would rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars because I felt this book was really interesting and all out amazing. I would recommend this book for kids ages 10-15 preferably girls because I feel this book would click with many young women and since the book is about a 12 year old girl I think the book should be read by people near that age group. She has many struggles in the beginning but everything starts coming back together little by little. Tia finds her voice again and she sings at the Morton's event like no other. She now has the courage to do what she wants to do in her home town of New Orleans without caring about what other people think.
During one of Tia's rehearsals with he choir which is The Rainbow Choir there was a shooting which took the life of a young 9 month old baby. While they hid she held the hand of her soon to be crush Kenny. Word spreads that her father is in prison for murder. After that she tries to find the home of Danielle Morton (The girl who was killed by Tia's dad) and she also tries to cope with the fact that her mom lied to her about her father. She eventually see's her father in prison and he says he is sorry for what he did. She then sings with The Rainbow Choir at an event to stop violence.
The first person point of view affects the story because you can read what is going on from Tia's point of view and read what is going on in her mind which brings more to the table than a 3rd person point of view. The authors word choice really helps the reader connect with the main character because of her tone and attitude which an adolescent can relate to. The setting adds more conflict because she lives in a semi bad part of New Orleans which is why the baby got shot and killed which was because of the violence and badness of the neighborhood. A major event that changes the character is when she finds out the truth about why her father is in prison. You can tell that she changed a little bit during the story because she stops singing in the shower (which she usually did) she also got nervous and didn't want to sing anymore (which never happened).The title relates to the book a lot because when Tia finds out about her dad and the girl who her dad killed she tries to find the pieces of why these things happened hence the title.
I was surprised when Tia went to the Morton's house so that she could say sorry for what her father did to their daughter (she get to say sorry when the door opened she ran away). I was angry when I found out that Tia's mom had been lying to Tia about her father but reading the story more I understand why she lied. I thought the end of the book was a bit dull because the author didn't give much detail about what happened to Tia singing for the Morton's which is something I really wanted to know. I was moved by the fact that Tia went out of her way to go visit the mother of the dead baby, she would go talk to her and do other things with her. "I think you're really p-pretty. No. Not just pretty. Beautiful", said Kenny. This was my favorite part of the story because Kenny let out all of his feelings of Tia (he has a bit of a stutter).
On a scale from 1-5 I would rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars because I felt this book was really interesting and all out amazing. I would recommend this book for kids ages 10-15 preferably girls because I feel this book would click with many young women and since the book is about a 12 year old girl I think the book should be read by people near that age group. She has many struggles in the beginning but everything starts coming back together little by little. Tia finds her voice again and she sings at the Morton's event like no other. She now has the courage to do what she wants to do in her home town of New Orleans without caring about what other people think.
October 23, 2017
Very, Interesting about teen problems amazing story!! Perfect if you want to learn more about the real world.
July 29, 2020
This hit harder than I expected it too. I loved Tia and I just want to hug her and tell her it's not her fault.
September 29, 2015
This is a beautiful book about an unlikely subject with an even more unlikely cast of characters.
Tia is a poor white girl from New Orleans. She sings in a gospel choir with her best friend Keisha who is black. Tia's mom works all the time and basically ignores her and her dad is in prison for what she later finds out was a murder during a robbery. After a drive by shooting occurs during choir practice, Tia begins asking questions about her father and we are treated to a very realistic soul searching from the child of a criminal.
This book has some very real moments and is an excellent novel for middle grade readers. It addresses topics from race relations to the consequences of a crime on both the families of victims and criminals. Moving and well written. Recommend that this be added to school reading lists and classroom libraries.
Tia is a poor white girl from New Orleans. She sings in a gospel choir with her best friend Keisha who is black. Tia's mom works all the time and basically ignores her and her dad is in prison for what she later finds out was a murder during a robbery. After a drive by shooting occurs during choir practice, Tia begins asking questions about her father and we are treated to a very realistic soul searching from the child of a criminal.
This book has some very real moments and is an excellent novel for middle grade readers. It addresses topics from race relations to the consequences of a crime on both the families of victims and criminals. Moving and well written. Recommend that this be added to school reading lists and classroom libraries.
October 1, 2020
My mind cries 2 stars, but my compassion whispers 3, so 2.5 it is.
Pieces of Why— another book I soooooo wanted to like because it had such great appeal and topics to explore: middle grade, strong female friendship, incarcerated parent, healing through music, lower SES representation, set in New Orleans. (That last one is only because I think this is the first YA novel I’ve read that’s set there.)
Tia, our 12yo narrator, has the voice of an adult author trying to impersonate a child, a fact I could not get over. The father she hasn’t seen for eight years is imprisoned for an almost unforgivable crime, but now Tia is ready to learn his story. I applaud the author for broaching these topics, but it felt a little too Hallmark or Lifetime movie of the week for youngsters. Will I still recommend it to students? Sure. They may not have the same stylistic hangups I do.
Pieces of Why— another book I soooooo wanted to like because it had such great appeal and topics to explore: middle grade, strong female friendship, incarcerated parent, healing through music, lower SES representation, set in New Orleans. (That last one is only because I think this is the first YA novel I’ve read that’s set there.)
Tia, our 12yo narrator, has the voice of an adult author trying to impersonate a child, a fact I could not get over. The father she hasn’t seen for eight years is imprisoned for an almost unforgivable crime, but now Tia is ready to learn his story. I applaud the author for broaching these topics, but it felt a little too Hallmark or Lifetime movie of the week for youngsters. Will I still recommend it to students? Sure. They may not have the same stylistic hangups I do.
December 31, 2017
An emotional story about family, forgiveness, and the importance of truth. There are few books out there about children with parents in prison, which is something many of my students can (unfortunately) relate to. Tia thinks her father is in prison for robbery, but when she finds out the truth she is left to deal with conflicting emotions towards him, her mother, and herself. There's a little tween romance that feels out of place and unnecessary, but I know that tweens reading the story will probably like it.
March 9, 2022
Una voce di piombo e oro è un meraviglioso romanzo per ragazzi che affronta il tema attualissimo della violenza urbana e il diritto all’uso delle armi da fuoco negli Stati Uniti. La voce della protagonista è davvero pazzesca e Tia già canta con un coro gospel in cui è una delle poche ragazze bianche. Un giorno, a pochi metri da dove il coro sta provando, viene ucciso un bambino e la verità riguardo al motivo per cui suo padre è in carcere esplode, facendo crollare il muro di silenzio che la mamma e i suoi amici hanno costruito attorno a lei. https://ilmondodichri.com/una-voce-di...
December 8, 2020
This Book is real heart-warming. A girl fighting for the truth. I never suspected to get hooked on a book I had no interest in at first. Before I got good into the book it just looked boring like I wouldn't even bother picking it up after the first chapter. Over-All amazing book. Its not a very long book so it shouldn't take long to read. I Definitely Recommend this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 29, 2015
Loved the depiction of family in these books. Being loved has nothing to do with your race or income. This is a book about friendship and forgiveness. The choir is the perfect backdrop for Tia's story. I can see a lot of middle grade girls really enjoying this book.
May 15, 2018
Pieces of Why was a great book, I think it was a great book because it really got the reader hooked and every time I would start a new page I wouldn't want to stop reading. This was a quick read, I wouldn't say it's everyone's type of book, but I would request it for many people.
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