I have very mixed feelings about this. I enjoyed the character. I liked the diversity. Gabi, being a fat Mexican girl was refreshing. 

This deals with a lot of difficult topics in life, teenage pregnancy, rape, overdoses, sex, etc. Many teens will probably relate to them,. 

I dunno, I just felt like it was almost too preachy for me to enjoy? I get it, these topics need to be talked about. But that's what it felt like this book was doing. Just preaching tough choices and tough teen issues. I wanted more. 

I enjoyed the poetry throughout the book. Its not terrible, just not a favorite of mine. I'd probably recommend it if you love YA contemporary. Chances are you will enjoy this one. 

10/2/15 ** An absolutely fascinating book, with so many important ideas. The book is a series of journal entries written in verse during Gabi's senior year. She explores her father's meth addiction, the coming out of a good friend, another friend's pregnancy, and her wishes about her boyfriend. Throughout the book she also strives to reconcile her notions of being a young American woman with her mother's ideas of how young Latina women should behave.

Gabi's snark and humor made me laugh and cry; her use of Spanish pushed my own ability to "read between the lines," and I felt as if I had made a new friend.

Title: Gabi, A Girl in Piece

Author: Isabel Quintero

Publication Date: Sept 22nd 2014

Publisher: Cinco Puntos Press

Page Number: 208

Blurb:

Named to "Kirkus Reviews" Best Books of 2014

Named to "School Library Journal" Best Books of 2014

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.

Isabel Quintero is a library technician in the Inland Empire. She is also the events coordinator for Orange Monkey and helps edit the poetry journal "Tin Cannon." "Gabi" is her debut novel.

What I Thought:

What a though girl Gabi was. She's an Mexican American high-school teen, she has two best friends: Sebastian the gay (and who always be bullied because of it) and Cindy the pregnant girl (she also mocked by their school friends because of it), a father who always be high, an ignorant mother and a younger brother who hate their father. Gabi also found herself as a fat girl who loves to eat. But in other hand, she's a poetry genius, she's a caring person and the most of all, she's quite attractive for some boys.

This book is about finding ourselves and the true dreams even in the harsh time. This book also gave me another perspective about teenage sex. As an adult, this book told me the big confusion of teenager about their sex life. This is a good book and it has lots of messages, especially for parents.

Opening Lines:

July 24

 

My mother named me Gabriela after my grandmother who -- coincidentally -- didn't want to meet me when I'm born because my mother was not married and was therefore living in sin.