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

Gabi: A girl in pieces is a honest and frank look from Gabi’s perspective how it is to live as a teenage girl.  Gabi is a Mexican-American senior writing in her journal around the time of her senior year.  Gabi is a smart student that loves poetry, good food who plans a life bigger than in her town in California. Her parents are immigrants with strong opinions, she is constantly told not to be too white, stop eating  and keep her knees together.  Her Dad is a meth addict that seems to love his addiction more than his family.  She is determined to do well in school and wants to experience new love and passion. She has two best friends, Cindy and Sebastian, who are going through their own struggles as they navigate their senior year. Gabi  is relatable and conveys the heart of teenage girl’s journey with family, boys, food and her body.    

Gabi: A Girl in Pieces is an excellent book written by first time author Isabel Quintero.  She shares what it like to be a teenager girl that feels the pulls of society and culture with her weight, relationship, the pressure of school and a dysfunctional family.  Themes of teenage pregnancy, first time love, drug addiction and being gay are all topics that Quintero explores through her beautifully layered book. More books like Gabi s are needed showing the experience of Mexican American women deeply rooted in both cultures and wanting to succeed. Quintero has created a heroine that is not perfect but identifiable to many regardless of background. Gabi: A Life in Pieces was a 2014 Morris Winner, it was published by Cinco Puntos  Press. Cinco Puntos Press  is a superior source for amazing Mexican-American literature, authors and experiences of growing up in the Southwest. Isabel Quintero has created other books since including the Ugly Cat and Pablo series.  Gabi’s experience along with many other students regardless of race is having bits of pieces of various languages and slang surrounding them. Quintero inclusion of that dialogue that is around her is excellent.  A classroom idea is for students to create a story with the language or slang used in their home and within their culture. Students should write authentically and see themselves within the pages. To the Librarians by Isabel Quintero