Gabi, a Girl in Pieces

Quintero, I. (2014). Gabi, a Girl in Pieces. TX: Clinco Puntos. Gabi Hernandez is the protagonist in Gabi, a Girl in Pieces. In the novel, there are a lot of problems: Gabi’s friend Cindy is pregnant and later reveals she was raped, Gabi’s friend Sebastian reveals to Gabi that he is gay and deals with the consequences that follow, while Gabi deals with boys, her father’s addiction to meth, and her body image and weight. The character’s arcs end with Gabi helping Cindy reach out for help, Sebastian finds support at school, and Gabi wants to go to college to leave her town, but is pressured by her mother to stay home at the same time. Recommendations for follow up reading include How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon, Girls Like Us by Gail Gides, When I Was the Greatest by Jason Reynolds, and Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel by Sara Farizan. I believe a strength of the book include readers should be able to relate to Gabi, either through at least one event or emotion she goes through, or through her friends, Cindy and Sebastian. I think Gabi, a Girl in Pieces meets the physical developmental criteria because Gabi has low self esteem with her body image, meets the mental developmental criteria because Gabi has to deal with her mother’s expectations of her as a girl, meets the emotional developmental criteria because Gabi helps her friends through their issues she is beyond capable of doing, and meets the social developmental criteria because Gabi’s perspective of boys changes entirely after she is told the reason behind Cindy’s pregnancy.