Gabi: A Girl in Pieces

 

        

    In this novel, Gabi is a Mexican-American who experiences some major life-changing events during her senior year of high school.  She discovers and experiences the pregnancy and birth of her best friend's baby along with her father's meth addiction and her mom's pregnancy and birth to a new baby brother.  Gabi's father claims his addiction days are over, however, it doesn't include any form of rehab.  After the breakup with her boyfriend, Gabi experiences the discovery of her dead father from a drug overdose in her garage.  It takes a lot for her to realize that life can and will go on even in what seems like the end of her world.

    What I loved most about this novel is that it was written like a diary. Some of the events and content are sensitive, but having it told in the form of the diary and poetry written by a young adult gives readers the chance to better relate to the story.  

    Young adults could not only use this story to learn the power of journaling, but it also gives them a chance to dive into a story that covers some real-life events.  Learning how to face these kinds of experiences with the right mindset is crucial to the young adult development.

Quintero, I. (2014). Gabi: A girl in pieces. Texas: Cinco Puntos.