Gabi: A Girl in Pieces

Gabi: A Girl in Pieces

Quintero, I. (2014). Gabi: a girl in pieces. El Paso, TX: Cinco Puntos Press.

Gabi: A Girl in Pieces tells the story of a young Hispanic girl during her senior year in high school. As told through her journal, Gabi struggles with her Hispanic heritage, her weight and her family. Gabi’s voice is wickedly funny along with being heart-breakingly honest.

Her dad is a drug addict who drifts in and out of the family while her younger brother is acting out. Her relationship with her mother is also difficult. As Gabi wrestles with her own teenage drama, her best friend becomes pregnant and her best guy friend comes out as gay. Gabi starts dating for the first time and starts really thinking about boys and sex. She deals with so many adult issues such as abortion and drug overdose. She finds a voice for her thoughts and feelings through poetry. Gabi has so many hopes and wishes and dares to dream about college and the future.

Gabi: A Girl in Pieces is a contemporary realistic fiction novel full of Hispanic heritage and language. Told through Gabi’s journal, her voice is loud and clear. She shows that she is a typical teen, a confused teen and a teen who deals with what life throws her. She lives in poverty, but dreams of going to college (Berkley) to become a writer. She longs to control her eating issues, but loves food. Her dad is addicted to drugs and eventually dies from an overdose. She is extremely loyal to her friends, especially as they deal with pregnancy, abortion, and sexual orientation. Gabi’s story would resonate with teens and should find a place in any high school library.

Awards:

William C. Morris Award (2015)

School Library Journal Best Books (2014)

YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers (2015)

Interesting Links:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hy_Iwrzy2-Y

Fangirl

Fangirl

Rowell, R. (2013). Fangirl. New York: St. Martin’s Press

Fangirl is the wonderful coming of age story of a young girl, Cath, who is heading to college with her twin, but her sister has decided they won’t be roommates. Cath is very introverted and has a hard time adjusting to her new dorm life. She manages to go to classes, but hesitates to even go and find the cafeteria. She finally hits it off with her roommate, Reagan, and her “boyfriend” Levi. Cath (and her sister, Wren) are HUGE Simon Snow fans and have created their own Simon Snow stories shared on-line that have a substantial following. Cath is a talented writer who thinks she might have found someone in her creative writing course, Nick. She discovers that Levi is not Reagan’s boyfriend and they start spending more time together. While struggling with the first semester exams and projects, her dad has a significant bi-polar incident and ends up in the hospital. During the second semester, Cath finds herself and her voice. She finally feels accepted enough as herself to enjoy her relationship with Levi and her growing relationship with her sister. She also learns to embrace her fanfiction writing, but to also accept that she can write more than fanfiction.

Fangirl is a contemporary young adult novel that paints a realist picture of freshman life. Cath’s fanfiction is fantasy, which is where she escapes her stressful life. This book is very character driven and told from Cath’s point of view. She deals with her father’s mental illness and the reappearance of her long absent mother and watching her sister self-destruct. Through it all, her romance with Levi continues to grow. By the end of her first year, she becomes stronger and is learning to stand up for herself. When she stands up to her former writing partner and refuses to bend to his demands, she finally starts finding out how strong she is.

Interesting Links:

http://www.rainbowrowell.com/fangirl/

Book Trailers:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsQ1fPMRCPk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVwro9_3mfA

Other books by Rainbow Rowell:

Elenor & Park

Carry On (The fanfiction story Cath and Wren write about Simon Snow)

Mexican Whiteboy

Mexican Whiteboy

de la Pena, M. (2008). Mexican whiteboy. New York: Random House.

Danny moves to National City, Mexico to live with his father’s Hispanic family for the summer, trying to find himself and his heritage. He attends a prestigious private school in San Diego and is one of a few Hispanic students in attendance, leaving him feeling outcast even though he speaks no Spanish. Danny is a natural athlete and his sport is baseball. After a rough start, he finds forms a friendship with Uno, the local tough guy, and they start running baseball scams to earn money. Uno wants to go live with his dad and Danny wants to visit his father. As the story progresses, Danny writes to his dad telling him of all the wonderful things that are happening in his life. Sadly, these things are just a dream; a way of Danny hoping his dad will be proud of him. Danny barely speaks, spending most of his time observing the people around him. While in the car with his uncle, Danny witnesses a brutal murder and this triggers a series of memories about his dad and why he doesn’t live with the family anymore.

Mexican Whiteboy is a contemporary, realistic fiction of Danny a young teen of mixed heritage who is coming of age in two worlds. He is convinced the reason his dad left was because he was too white. His father’s family lives closer to poverty and he wonders if this is the life he wants instead of his prestigious school and mom’s rich boyfriends. Danny is very introverted and when he becomes upset, he self-harms. He begins to socially drink this summer and he watches some recreational drug use. As Danny slowly finds himself, he also is in better control of his pitching. While unwilling in the car with his uncle, he witnesses unbelievable rage and sees his uncle kill a man. All of this triggers memories of the domestic abuse his mom faced and realization that his dad is not living in Mexico, he is in prison.

Interesting links:

http://mattdelapena.com/books/mexican-whiteboy/

Awards:

YALSA Best Book for Young Adults (Top 10 Pick)

Notable Books for a Global Society 2009

Texas TAYSHAS Reading list