Pieces of Us

Feb 10, 2012 Kat Kennedy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-fiction, kat-s-book-reviews, to-ya-or-not-to-ya

This is one of those books where the author carefully paints and dresses each of her dolls with delicacy and precision. Then she painstakingly applies her marionette strings, lowers them to the stage, and starts the music. The audience watches in polite interest. The puppets move this way and that, dancing out their little, unremarkable performance. As a trick of the light, one by one the strings disappear and the little puppets move more and more like real people.

Before you know it, Gelbwasser...more This is one of those books where the author carefully paints and dresses each of her dolls with delicacy and precision. Then she painstakingly applies her marionette strings, lowers them to the stage, and starts the music. The audience watches in polite interest. The puppets move this way and that, dancing out their little, unremarkable performance. As a trick of the light, one by one the strings disappear and the little puppets move more and more like real people.

Before you know it, Gelbwasser has her little strings attached to you, and you feel each tug and release with sharp clarity. She writes like a true author of tragedies. It's all mistaken identities, ill-fated timing and misunderstanding. Oftentimes this can feel forcefully contrived and ridiculous plot-forwarding. But not with Pieces of Us. Instead it just felt real. Unfortunate but unavoidable and completely understandable. Each character is driven by a different need and that need is always their downfall. Do they all manage to pick themselves up at the end? I won't say. Should they have? I'm torn with that question.

This novel has a great deal of sexual content. It's a lucky thing that I'd already read Taming the Beast:by Emily Maguire. Otherwise, I don't think I would have made it through Pieces of Us with all its content.

I took issue, though, with the novels depiction of what occurs to Katie. It's a very raw, disgusting, horrifying moment in the book, and it just keeps getting worse and more graphic. Yet a male character suffers a similar fate and the author offers him the privacy and dignity of not even mentioning it. Why does he get this consideration when Katie is opened up bare? All her shame revealed and smeared around for the reader to see and judge? It feels grossly unfair. It felt cheapening. Is it more horrific and terrible if it happens to a man? Or is it just that, as a society, we're numbed to the horror of violence and sexual degradation to women?

It's hard to discuss the quality of writing in this novel. The author switches between four distinct personalities. Some of the voices worked better than others but none truly felt disengenious. Some of the writing is very telling as opposed to showing, but Gelbwassa managed to pull me in anyway.

I was completely absorbed by the dance and entirely at Gelbwassa's mercy. She almost had me. Almost. Then, just before the finishing line, the lights came on, the music stopped and I saw a tangle of strings and lifeless puppets. I felt empty, hollow, confused. I'm not sure the ending did the rest of the story justice, but when I close my eyes I can still see the silhouette from the dancing and the music still plays in my mind. I guess that still means it was a good book for me. Not to confuse my metaphors, but if Gelbwasser works on her dismount in the future, then I'll happily read any book she puts out.(less)

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Feb 22, 2012 Aly (Fantasy4eva) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: crushing-on-the-cover, dark-and-gritty, fast-paced-and-engrossing, favourites, i-ache-for-you, received-for-review, netgalley-reads, you-inspire-me, had-me-at-hello, pleasantly-surprised, lets-be-mates

4.5

they said it was too dark, graphic, disturbing and edgy.

i just say it's real.

this book broke my heart. and i do not care because i know for a fact that pieces of us is going to stay with me for a while.

gone is that funk that was hanging over my head for weeks. because when i went out in the middle of reading this book, all i could think about was coming home and finishing it. it has been too long since i have felt like that about a book. too long since i have been this engrossed.

what do i s...more 4.5

they said it was too dark, graphic, disturbing and edgy.

i just say it's real.

this book broke my heart. and i do not care because i know for a fact that pieces of us is going to stay with me for a while.

gone is that funk that was hanging over my head for weeks. because when i went out in the middle of reading this book, all i could think about was coming home and finishing it. it has been too long since i have felt like that about a book. too long since i have been this engrossed.

what do i say about katie, alex, julie and kyle. well, let's start with alex. alex is one fucked up asshole. and julie is an equally fucked up bitch. in fact, i'd go as far to say they deserve each other. and that's all that i'm feeling right now after finishing this book. just a whole lot of sadness and anger. because although i understand what alex went through as a child was horrible, he still chose to do the things he did. and although julie was clearly disgustingly neglected by her mother, it doesn't take away all common sense. alex, in particular, is very messed up. (maybe the fact that the two actually enjoy watching chickens getting their head cut off was a bit of a hint, eh?) he's cruel and just made me uncomfortable at times. because you see the sweet, soft side when he's with katie. but when he's not with her you see how he treats other girls. to him katie is this saint. she's not like the other 'hos'. the problem with this is that - what happens the moment he thinks she is? the moment she's not the perfect katie that he see's as different to all the other blurry faces that he has hurt, prodded and broken over the years. that's the real question.

when it comes to julie, it truly makes me wonder: can jealously really create so much hate, and towards your own sister too? it's just all so ugly. i mean. it was almost, no wait, let's be honest here. i know for a fact she actually enjoyed watching her sister suffer. and it gives me shivers to say it. but it's the truth. that's how much of a cow she is. as things go more and more downhill for katie, to the point where i just wanted to walk away and close my eyes to it all. to make things worse, she just continues judging her, constantly ignoring her even though all the signs are there. even though her sister tries so hard with her. katie is not perfect, i know that, but god, she's a saint next to her little sister. i can't imagine going through what katie does. i just can't. and my heart reaches out to her because so many times i wanted to hold her and protect her. i felt her loneliness and sadness and it scared me. thank god for kyle. that's all i have to say.

kyle was a bit of a strange one. the second person narrative always made me feel like there was this barrier that i was constantly trying to push through. it didn't help that he was so guarded. but i love how he is so wise and such a great observer. he see's everything around him. maybe more that he wants at times because even if alex see's him as weak, kyle can never back down when it comes to something he believes in. i admire that about him. i respect him for it.

on the flip-side, it was annoying at times how there was more telling than showing, (especially when it came to certain scenes i really wanted to see) and i did find it a little unrealistic how katie's mother loved one daughter so bluntly over the other (also the reasons for her behavior just seemed a little meh). and that ending? i kind of had this WTF moment. it was so abrupt and random. it just didn't seem to fit in with the book. a part of me considered knocking down the (.5) because of it, because even now that ending really pisses me off, but it would be a big disservice to the book. because it really just was that brilliant. you have no idea how much i ached in those last few pages. i was so heart-broken and such a mess.

so forget those low stars, guys. give it a chance. i think you'll find yourself a little changed by the end of it.

oh, and by the way. you'll find yourself really appreciating the cover after reading the book. it's so much more meaningful to me now :) <3(less)

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Mar 13, 2012 Isamlq rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, 2012-favorites

I was holding my breath for something to make me smile. Yet by the time I was done with it, there was this gigantic weight pressing down on me. The blurb hints at it, but this is a bleak, bleak book. Moments of it hinted at happy possibilities but never really went there.

So, if good books are suppose to make you feel, PIECES OF US just might be stellar. I’m feeling hell lot of things right now. Granted, none of the things I’m feeling right now are all that positive. It’s bleak, dark; the situat...more

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Mar 15, 2012 Jana (The Book Goddess) rated it 1 of 5 stars

The most messed-up book I've read in a long time.

Also posted on: http://jana-thebookgoddess.blogspot.com/
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This book was so crude and contains VERY graphic content. Be warned: if you've read Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma, well, let me tell you ain't seen nothing yet. There was a lot of 'eww' moments and 'did that just happen' faces thrown in there too. I think my mouth was hanging open for like 3/4 of this book. This is like 10 times as descriptive of...more The most messed-up book I've read in a long time.

Also posted on: http://jana-thebookgoddess.blogspot.com/
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This book was so crude and contains VERY graphic content. Be warned: if you've read Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma, well, let me tell you ain't seen nothing yet. There was a lot of 'eww' moments and 'did that just happen' faces thrown in there too. I think my mouth was hanging open for like 3/4 of this book. This is like 10 times as descriptive of THOSE scenes and 100% more messed-up and disgusting as that. (I do love Forbidden, I didn't find it as hard to read as some people.)

You see, I didn't like ANY of the characters in here. Either they were too abusive, too cynical, too stupid, or just plain suck (sometimes literally). The four main characters were abused in a different way. I could understand Julie's character, and boy, this book made me so HAPPY that I don't have a sister. That's all I'm going to say. Both guys (they're brothers by the way), were just so weird and mysterious and jerks and I dunno.

I'm sorry, but that girl Katie, is a SLUT. Simple as that. I know slut-calling isn't great, but seriously if you've read this book, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. All the stuff that she's done and how she reacts and what she do is just disgraceful. This is NOT a female character you should idolise, or even feel sorry for. I spent the whole time wanting to kill her. I hate her THAT much. But you see, I can imagine some girls in my school being in that position. And doing exactly what she did.

Right... *thinking*... about the only positive thing about this book. I couldn't put it down. Don't ask me why, I sure as hell don't have a frigging clue. Maybe it's because I wanted to now the ending, I was busy planning some sort of evil plan for these characters. Or maybe because it's so unbelievably messed up that I couldn't stop reading.

The ending was like this whole big thing blew up and called it WTF. There was no resolution whatsowhever. On the other hand, I thought it was done deliberatley by the author for the ending to be open for discussion; anything can happen.

Overall, this book is such a big NO NO for me. But for people who love crazy (and not in a good way) characters and an engaging storyline, then at the very least BORROW this book from a library. I don't encourage you spending your money, though.(less)

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Feb 26, 2013 ♥ Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to ♥ Sarah by: Rachmi Febrianty

Shelves: issues, ya-na, love-love-love

4.5

Pieces of Us is not your typical walk in the park, happy go lucky kind of story. There is no redemption, no salvation and no fairy-tale ending; there is only darkness, bleak reality, and the perpetual feeling of loss... Yes, it was bleak, depressing, dreary, dark, very uncomfortable and discomforting to read.

So I don't recommend this for the fainthearted.

The subject matter & content definitely calls for mature readers. However, the deep layers of the depicted abuse, serves as a cautiona...more

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Mar 08, 2012 Kelly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-fiction, read-in-2012

Let's talk about a disturbing book. Let's talk about a book that made me uncomfortable. Let's talk about a book without likable characters.

Gelbwasser somehow makes you care about four teens who are all so broken and abused/abusive (I'd argue they all abuse and are abused equally). Little by little they continue to fall apart and it looks like there's no redemption to be had at all. I walked away pretty unsettled, and I mean that in a good way. That is successful storytelling.

This is a book tha...more

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Mar 26, 2012 Angela Fristoe rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-books

First off, this book is not for the faint of heart. Pieces of Us is a very raw and honest look into the minds of four very different teens that all have some type of emotional problems. While I loved this book, I would not recommend it to any teen under sixteen simply because I think there is a need for a certain level of maturity to handle the subject matter. There is cussing, there is drinking, there is sex (consensual and not), and it's not pretty.

Written in alternating points of view we get...more First off, this book is not for the faint of heart. Pieces of Us is a very raw and honest look into the minds of four very different teens that all have some type of emotional problems. While I loved this book, I would not recommend it to any teen under sixteen simply because I think there is a need for a certain level of maturity to handle the subject matter. There is cussing, there is drinking, there is sex (consensual and not), and it's not pretty.

Written in alternating points of view we get to see the characters not only as they see themselves, but also how others see them. The alternating voices is one of Gelbwasser's strengths. Each of the four characters were very distinctive in their speech and in their thought process. I had a galley copy, so there were minor errors such as missing headings signalling the change in character point of view. But I was able to quickly figure out there had been a change, simply by what the characters were thinking.

Julie immediately grabbed me and I felt a lot of sympathy for her. She's the ugly duckling of her family and is constantly envious of her older sister Kate, but she also has her own personality and she stands strong, or at least she thinks she does. She really starts off as the unwilling victim. Her older sister Kate took me a lot longer to get into. She does initially come across as the shallow girl Julie sees her as, but the more of her view we see the more obvious it is that she's facing harder things than her sister ever imagines. Alex and Kyle are a completely different story. Alex is one of those teen guys that my father would have killed if I'd ever brought home. He has zero respect of women and he hides that side of himself from Kate. He is the abused becoming the abuser. Kyle's story seems to be a bit more on the sad side, but there were bits and pieces that really made me wonder at the extent of abuse he was suffering.

There is so much more I want to say about this book, but I can't figure out how to do it without spoiling the story. I will say that the ending left me with wanting more, but I think if I had been given the ending I wanted I would have felt that the author had caved under pressure. As it stands I was left feeling both hope and hopelessness for the characters. Definite read if you're looking for a good cry and a dark contemporary read.

Check out more of my reviews on my blog Turning the Pages (less)

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May 17, 2012 Wendy added it

Shelves: ya-take-it-or-leave-it, ya-didn-t-like, what-were-they-thinking, contemporary

hmmm... I going to have to digest this for a few days.

gritty, raw, unnerving, uncomfortable, anger... I have to make sure I'm not just emotional because of the unsatisfying ending.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It's the next day, and I'm still having a hard time digesting this book.

I don't want to just give this one star because the behavior of MOST of the characters was repugnant, offensive and pathetic.

All the characters begin the story with no hope at all for a happy ending. And if you know me, I love hap...more

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Jan 25, 2012 Bookish♥Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: singles-fic, read-in-2012

♥ Find my reviews on Blogger ~ Reviews by Bookish Sarah

- - -

2.5 stars

This book is from the POV of four different teens. Two sisters and two brothers.

The brothers: They live in Philly with their stripper mother. Their father committed suicide years before. The older brother, Alex, is a complete mess. He blames his mother for his father's death and takes it out on everyone around him. He treats his mother with no respect, and beats on his little brother. He disrespects females in general and brin...more

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Feb 04, 2012 Shari rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-reading-challenge-2012, ebook-challenge-2012, from-netgalley, read-in-2012, ya-contemporary-challenge-2012, unable-to-finish-due-to-time, ya-reading-challenge-2012, reviewed

If I had to review this book in one sentence.... A Disturbing novel about four teens each abused in their own way.

When I first finished this book my initial reaction was UGH, this was so not the book for me. However, I am finding that I can't stop thinking about the characters in this book. Their actions have left me thinking about what I would have done differently in the same situation, and why the characters maybe didn't react the way I would have. At first I found the characters to be weak...more If I had to review this book in one sentence.... A Disturbing novel about four teens each abused in their own way.

When I first finished this book my initial reaction was UGH, this was so not the book for me. However, I am finding that I can't stop thinking about the characters in this book. Their actions have left me thinking about what I would have done differently in the same situation, and why the characters maybe didn't react the way I would have. At first I found the characters to be weak and sometimes stupid, but the more I think about them the more I realize that not everyone can stand up for themselves at any given time. Some people have to grow into their courage.

This book is not for the faint of heart. All four of these teens have been abused in one way or another, and there are a few scenes that are not graphic but still extremely disturbing. The biggest problem I had with Pieces of Us is that I just couldn't connect with any of the characters. They are all very flawed and troubled, but that's not what bothered me. I like it when characters are believable as real people with relate-able problems. Usually I can find at least one thing I like about these troubled people, but in this book I just wasn't feeling it. It's not that I have a problem reading books that don't have a happy ending or books that deal with real life, hard issues. I've read many and loved them. This one just didn't do it for me.

The writing wasn't bad but I found it hard to switch between the characters when they were each written in a different point of view. One character was written in the first person another the second, that made it hard for me to really enjoy, like the flow was constantly interrupted. I would start reading and then have to check back to see which character I was reading about, it became tiresome. As much as I am complaining here I do have to admit that I read this book pretty quickly so there was something about it at least that kept me reading. The ending was a bit disappointing because I didn't feel like there was one.

Since writing this review I've gone out seeking other reviews of this book because hey this is just one girl's opinion. I wanted to know why others liked the same book that I didn't. So I am including a few links to a few positive reviews as well.

Word of warning: if you decide to read Pieces of Us there is a lot of sex (not always consensual), drinking, cursing, and abuse of all types. This is by no means a light read. As a parent I mentioned to my almost 13 year old that she may not be ready for this one, and my almost 16 year old knows that if she picks this one up that I am always available to talk about any of the issues that get brought up. (less)

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Feb 01, 2012 Jessica rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: i-own, kindle, read-in-2012

This book is not for teens under 17. I'm not sure If I've ever seen so much bad language/abusive terms in a book -- even an adult one. I understand that these 4 teens are damaged and need help, but I didn't see that happen for some of them..? Maybe it's because I was too focused on the graphic nature of it all. I'm sure a lot of people will love this but it just wasn't for me.

It was emotional and disturbing and one event hit very close to home. But because of that, I was furious at how the char...more This book is not for teens under 17. I'm not sure If I've ever seen so much bad language/abusive terms in a book -- even an adult one. I understand that these 4 teens are damaged and need help, but I didn't see that happen for some of them..? Maybe it's because I was too focused on the graphic nature of it all. I'm sure a lot of people will love this but it just wasn't for me.

It was emotional and disturbing and one event hit very close to home. But because of that, I was furious at how the character was treated by one of the male leads. I didn't feel she ever got the justice she deserved and that bothered me.

I'll give you an example. But, don't read this if you don't want it spoiled a bit. (view spoiler)

This next part is related and is from Kyle's POV. (view spoiler)

Here is a part I that really shows some of the graphic nature of the book. From Alex's POV (view spoiler)

The last quote is from Julie about Katie and Alex (view spoiler)

I'm not trying to turn people off from reading this book. Maybe one of the stories was just too much for me to take. If you are easily offended, or a young teen, please take caution before you read this story. It will stick with me for a while and sadly, not for a good reason. I've read several books that are focused on abuse and I even host the feature "Stand Up Against Abuse" on my blog, but this one just didn't leave me with a good feeling like the characters got what they needed.

NOTE: Quotes were taken from the NetGalley/ARC copy. They may be different in the finished copy. I would like to thank NetGalley and Flux for providing the review copy. Everything written here is just my opinion and I encourage everyone to maybe read a sample first and check out other responses from reviewers. (less)

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Jan 16, 2012 Ashlie rated it 1 of 5 stars

Kirkus reviewed this book as "Suspenseful, disturbing and emotionally fraught, a strong novel for a strong stomach." I think that is all an understatement. The teens in this story are beyond damaged, and you need more than a strong stomach to be able to sit through the very mature content. It's rated as a "14 & up" book, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone under AT LEAST 17. Some of the content, while not detailed, made me sick to my stomach. Many times I put the book down and walked away,...more Kirkus reviewed this book as "Suspenseful, disturbing and emotionally fraught, a strong novel for a strong stomach." I think that is all an understatement. The teens in this story are beyond damaged, and you need more than a strong stomach to be able to sit through the very mature content. It's rated as a "14 & up" book, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone under AT LEAST 17. Some of the content, while not detailed, made me sick to my stomach. Many times I put the book down and walked away, but I think some of these issues are real ones that teens face today so I didn't want to ignore it because it wasn't a "happy" novel. The other reason I thought it was important to finish this book is because I need to review it to let others know how extreme and crude the content is. I'm not a supporter of "banning" books, but if my daughter came home with this book, I would definitely have a discussion with her about it. I didn't enjoy any of it. I felt sad for the kids who told their stories, but the writing wasn't what I hoped for when I read the blurb. The story was nothing as I expected and the ending left me upset that I'd picked up the book at all. Kirkus says there is "hope," and I understand this perspective, but I found the ending haphazard and clashing. The character who "finds hope" shows no sign that she's actually getting the help she needs (i.e., the circumstances leading up to her current situations where never dealt with) she never told the truth to the people who needed to know who could deliver reprimands and consequences. It is something that should have been investigated and explored, not locked away by a character's fear. The other two character's drop off the map of the story and just...are. I was disappointed and not to be dramatic, disgusted. I could never recommend this book to a young woman or even a friend. If someone was reading this book over my shoulder I would be embarrassed at what I was reading. I wanted so much for this book to change directions and become uplifting and help all the characters deal with their issues, instead I found that there were no real resolutions, just constant building upon the catalytic problems. This story left me feeling depressed, disturbed, grossed out and without answers. I am so bummed about this book.(less)

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Dec 26, 2011 Mrs Mommy Booknerd http://mrsmommybooknerd.blogspot.com rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

There are things that are a part of life and cannot be avoided. For most kids, that is experiencing the trials and tribulations that come with growing up. Most of us have suffered a breakup, suffered from a bad choice that took us down a wrong path, suffered fights with friends and/or siblings and suffered through issues with our parents. Pieces of Us touches on all those topics is in honest and realistic fashion. It is the other side of the story, the side that is not always happy, the side tha...more

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Feb 26, 2013 cactussecret rated it 4 of 5 stars

For a fifteen year old to read this kind of book, I felt utterly traumatized and heart broken. I did not have the balls to read through every page especially near the end when the video was released to the public. It had a very unexpected turn of events and I really really hated the ending. Somehow I felt it did not do justice to the whole story and a happy ending could have been achieved but was not. However, not all stories have happy endings and this is the first book I read that I felt was e...more

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Oct 30, 2012 Jeanbooknerd rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviews

The highly inspiring Pieces of Us by Margie Gelbwasser touches on some of today’s important issues. Nothing is watered down as it delivers a very powerful story that includes rape, bullying, eating disorders, betrayal, and more. When pairs of siblings, Katie & Julie and Alex & Kyle, come together at the lake in the summer cottages, a story unfolds that is very real and will have a direct connection to any reader.

The raw honesty that Margie delivers in this book is absolutely marvelous. I...more

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Jul 24, 2012 Rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Depressing, depressing as hell.

It makes me want to rage; rage that something so tragic could have happened to one person, and that one person is so greatly misunderstood by almost everyone she trusted. It makes me so angry, so sick, so .... GAH. It makes me furious that justice wasn't served. But I understand that that is life.

I think that's what makes a great book; a book that makes you feel so strongly, it lingers long after you are done with it. And I think I just had an epiphany (this is pe...more

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Jun 20, 2012 Tayiba Ahmed rated it 5 of 5 stars

Well...it took me a few hours to get my head wrapped around the book. It was just so raw and heart breaking; I don't think i've cried this hard for a book in a while. This book made me feel so many different emotions, and i absolutely loved it for that.

Gelbwasser writes this book from four different POVs' so that we get to see each character's story and understand their part. Contrary to what people might think, this does not break the pace of the book, which is what i really love about this boo...more Well...it took me a few hours to get my head wrapped around the book. It was just so raw and heart breaking; I don't think i've cried this hard for a book in a while. This book made me feel so many different emotions, and i absolutely loved it for that.

Gelbwasser writes this book from four different POVs' so that we get to see each character's story and understand their part. Contrary to what people might think, this does not break the pace of the book, which is what i really love about this book. A few of Katie's parts are written in verse form, which makes them even more emotional and almost lyrical, a nice touch by the author. Also, Most of Kyle's parts are written in second form which makes it much easier to feel his part of the story as he is the most complex (and weird) character in this book.

Margie Gelbwasser's writing gave life to the characters, and their flaws made them that much more real. The only character that i really truly liked in this book was Kyle. Even though he did seem messed up at times, he was the most sympathetic character in the book (besides Katie's Dad, but we don't see him much). I loved it how he stuck with Katie till the end when even her mother turned her back on her (That's not to say that i didn't hate him for not standing up to his brother Alex).

I really liked Katie despite everything. I could see why she did what she did, even though it was very wrong. She had her reasons and i understood them. In the beginning, i might have hated her a little, but that changed as we saw more of the story from her POV. She wasn't a strong character, but she was real enough to make me pity her. The one thing that bugged me about her was her stupidity with Alex. I wanted to scream at her that Alex was no saint. Sure he seemed a little sweet with Katie, but the way he treated other girls like trash was just messed up.

Alex. Alex. Alex. How can i say it nicely? Let's just say he was a total you-know-what (use your imagination). He had a very bad childhood and he was treated like trash, but that's really no excuse for what he became when he grew up. I understood a little of his anger towards Katie, after all Katie could have told him about the incident, but still, the way he treated her afterwards was just heartless and really cruel.

Now Julie is an another character that rivaled Alex for my hatred. She was just so jealous and bitter, it was impossible to think that she was Katie's sister. If only she had taken the time to ask Katie rather than just jump to conclusions about the incident, and so quick to judge her sister, she might've been a little likable. Don't get me wrong, she was sweet sometimes. But sadly, she was a heartless little sister, and i hated her as much as Alex.

As for Katie's mother, well let's just say she was a sorry excuse for a mother. I mean, what kind of mother chooses between her daughters, then turns her back on said daughter when she is less-than-perfect and needs her mom the most? That made me super mad at her.

The ending wasn't what i was expecting. It was abrupt, but it did give us a little flicker of hope. I was rather happy that Julie, her mom and Alex were outta Katie's life because really she deserves way better than them. And Kyle. He was with her till the end and that is the only thing that made the end a little bearable.

I loved the cover as soon as i saw it, but reading the book and knowing it's significance just made me love it that much more. This book broke my heart and crushed it. I know for a fact that this book will stay with me for a long while.(less)

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May 11, 2012 Victoria Caplinger rated it 3 of 5 stars

YA fiction. Interesting book - certainly takes on some pretty heavy topics. Focuses on two brothers and two sisters, and the dysfunctional relationships in between them, each other, and their families. Each of the four main characters take turns narrating, which makes the story move pretty quickly.

First, the relationship between the brothers – the older brother is abusive – I guess it’s sexual abuse since he forces his brother to have sex with girls after he is done with them. There’s some inte...more

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Apr 12, 2012 Elizabeth B rated it 1 of 5 stars

There is graphic writing that aids a plot and graphic writing that’s done to shock. Unfortunately, this book is full of shock value scenes. The characters are your average messed up teens so common in the YA field but I suppose in an attempt to make it “different” their level of problems is so high it becomes completely unbelievable. Before you think of this as a summer read as it is advertised, the summer plays little part in this story. The families get together a few times and the kids meet u...more

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Apr 08, 2012 Amanda Marasco rated it 4 of 5 stars

As with several books that I've read recently, this book wasn't something that I wouldn't normally pick up. But the summary of this book seemed very very interesting and I was compelled to read it to discover these weird family dynamics and to get to know these broken characters.

The plot was a bit slow, but it made up for this with fantastic character development. Instead of an action sequence, we get to become really involved with the characters and get inside their heads. But while no one is r...more

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Mar 31, 2012 cecilia rated it 3 of 5 stars

pieces of us is not a happy book. I would dare to say it leaves readers heart-heavy as the four characters – Alex, Katie, Julie, and Kyle - watch their lives intertwine and then unravel from each other. Katie’s story (view spoiler) was the hardest to stomach, and understandably everyone else’s reactions to her story was equally harder to witness – and sometimes to forgive. Margie Gelbwasser has written a tough coming-of-age story, and even though I wish it had not...more

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Mar 20, 2012 April the Librarian rated it 1 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Sisters Katie and Julie and brothers Alex and Kyle are teens who share summers at their respective grandparents homes. They have their 'school lives' and a totally separate 'summer life' in which they can be free, clean and full of life. They even have traditional family names used only in the summer. Sounds great - it's not.

These teens and all of the adults surrounding them are deeply damaged, and the teens continue to be emotionally and physically brutalized throughout the book. Are there no d...more

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Mar 10, 2012 Jim From YAYeahYeah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Every summer Katie and her sister Julie meet up with Alex and his brother Kyle at a lakeside community in New York. They leave behind their problems - which are legion - and find comfort in each other. But when a dark secret of one of them leaks out, the four are all left reeling by the far-reaching consequences.

This one goes straight into my five most disturbing reads of all time, with subject matter including rape, blackmail, cyberbullying, and emotional abuse. Margie Gelbwasser is clearly a v...more Every summer Katie and her sister Julie meet up with Alex and his brother Kyle at a lakeside community in New York. They leave behind their problems - which are legion - and find comfort in each other. But when a dark secret of one of them leaks out, the four are all left reeling by the far-reaching consequences.

This one goes straight into my five most disturbing reads of all time, with subject matter including rape, blackmail, cyberbullying, and emotional abuse. Margie Gelbwasser is clearly a very brave author - not only does she tackle these issues head on, she does it without providing us with any pleasant characters to root for. As if that isn't enough of a handicap to a novel's success, younger boy Kyle's parts are narrated in the second person, which is almost always thought to be a major mistake. Despite all this, Gelbwasser somehow just about pulls everything together to create a novel which is never less than compelling.

The two brothers in this quartet are Alex, an abusive playboy who practically forces his younger brother to take part in sex acts with various girls, and Kyle, the nearest thing we get to a likeable character and a born victim. From the other family, we get cheerleader Katie, who starts off the novel seeming to have the world - or at least her school - at her feet, and falls from grace spectacularly, and her younger sister Julie, constantly berated by their mother for being in Katie's shadow. Their mother is one of the most horrendously vile characters I've ever read about - I have rarely felt so utterly repulsed by a fictional person.

Given how relentlessly bleak this book is and the subject matter I've seen a fair few suggestions that it should be for over 18's only. As tempting as it is to agree with them, though, I think people saying this are missing the point. Yes, the events of the novel are truly horrific. Yes, it's thankfully rare for things like this to happen. But at the end of the day, sadly, this sort of stuff actually does happen to teens, and a book like this is important because it shows those suffering that they're not alone, and opens other eyes to some of the problems teens endure. What I would say to parents, though, is that if your child is reading this book, then you should find the time to read through yourself and discuss the issues with them. It will definitely provoke some serious conversation. With that proviso, I think I'm probably putting it in 'recommendation' territory because it is exceptionally powerful.

Gelbwasser's writing style is superb and I look forward to reading more from a very talented author - I can't help but hope, though, that the next book she tackles is a lighter read than this!(less)

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Jan 23, 2012 Aly rated it 3 of 5 stars

Featured on myheartheartsbooks.blogspot.com & myheartheartsbooks.tumblr.com

Two families. Four teens.
A summer full of secrets.

Every summer, hidden away in a lakeside community in upstate New York,four teens leave behind their old identities…and escape from their everyday lives.

Yet back in Philadelphia during the school year, Alex cannot suppress his anger at his father
(who killed himself), his mother (whom he blames for it), and the girls who give it up too easily. His younger brother, Kyl...more Featured on myheartheartsbooks.blogspot.com & myheartheartsbooks.tumblr.com

Two families. Four teens.
A summer full of secrets.

Every summer, hidden away in a lakeside community in upstate New York,four teens leave behind their old identities…and escape from their everyday lives.

Yet back in Philadelphia during the school year, Alex cannot suppress his anger at his father
(who killed himself), his mother (whom he blames for it), and the girls who give it up too easily. His younger brother, Kyle, is angry too—at his abusive brother, and at their mother who doesn’t seem to care. Meanwhile, in suburban New Jersey, Katie plays the role of Miss Perfect while trying to forget the nightmare that changed her life. But Julie, her younger sister, sees Katie only as everything she’s not. And their mother will never let Julie forget it.

Up at the lake, they can be anything, anyone. Free. But then Katie’s secret gets out, forcing
each of them to face reality—before it tears them to pieces.

Katie and Julie are sister. There mother clearly loves Katie more and basically ignores Julie,
always putting her down with backhand insults, that is if she even pays attention. Alex and Kyle are brothers, Alex always beating on Kyle and putting him down. They all meet each summer when they go to their grandparents houses at the lake. Alex and Katie have a summer relationship where the things that happen during the school year doesn't exist. Only the summer and the moments that they share between them. When tragic falls upon Katie during the school year, she tells no one. However, it threatens her being, and makes her reevaluate who she is and who she thought she was and who she is expected to be. Julie and Kyle are friends, but then Julie develops feelings and wants that relationship to development. These four teen appear to have it all, but looks aren't what they seem and they all have problems that they just aren't willing to admit.

This novel is heartbreakingly good. You just wish that there were a band aid big enough to help heal each battle wound that life has inflicted upon Katie, Julie, Alex and Kyle. It's too easy to forget that this is pure fiction, and you genuiely develop frustration because although the answer seems to clear and easy to the reader, it lies just out of reach for the character. You also experience these extreme remorse for Katie and Julie for having to experience a life where their mother is the mother. That lady is so delusional and so hopeless, and her bad parenting is partially (a really big part, in my opinion) why Katie and Julie are so screwed up. Reading this novel makes you think twice when you see people and think that they have it all. No one has it all, and this novel reminds you that under the surface, the people you meet may be silently screaming for help.

You should definitely check Pieces of Us when it come out on March 8th, 2012.
ARC provided by NetGalley(less)

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Jan 20, 2012 Linda Dao rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book. This book is haunting. It ate my heart and spit it out again. I'm still trying to pick up the pieces. Netgalley (oh you beautiful thing) gave me a wonderful chance to read this. I read the synopsis. Clicked request, never knowing how much downloading the galley would rock my world.
So I read...and read. Then went to sleep feeling awful but unable to put down my iPhone. I won't bother summarizing. It wouldn't do this book justice.

Everything! Everything was painful! But it was real. It w...more This book. This book is haunting. It ate my heart and spit it out again. I'm still trying to pick up the pieces. Netgalley (oh you beautiful thing) gave me a wonderful chance to read this. I read the synopsis. Clicked request, never knowing how much downloading the galley would rock my world.
So I read...and read. Then went to sleep feeling awful but unable to put down my iPhone. I won't bother summarizing. It wouldn't do this book justice.

Everything! Everything was painful! But it was real. It was just like high school (or how I remember it). Ahh! The chicken blood! So sickening but that's what made Pieces of Us amazing.
I could identify with every character. Katie who doesn't know she's fake until it's too late. Julie who wants to finally be noticed and accepted for who she was. Alex who is broken and forced to grow up too early. Kyle who faces his big brother with disgust, but powerless to stop him. These are teen stories! These are teen lives!

And so I continued reading, torturing my soul. Knowing that this could never have a happily ever after but still hoping. Just as these characters hope to repair themselves when they meet again at the lake. Where they could forget everything and just live. And then I reached a point where it was too much. It was a scene between Alex and Katie. This is where my heart finally tore in half. So I did a really stupid thing and looked in last few pages of the book. (view spoiler) I regretted it instantly. So I stopped reading. Just plain stopped. And the books sat there glaring at me for a week. I don't know. I guess that maybe if I left it alone, it would disappear and so would my memory. I wanted that to happen. I cried again for the third time.

But not all hope is lost! (for those of you who clicked on my spoiler, I hope you're laughing) A friend from twitter was talking about the book, which got me talking. She finished. *starts clapping* She got me motivated to read again since I've also been in a reading slump since that happened. She told me it was much better to rip the bandage off fast. I listened. I read. I cried some more (I cry too much okay?). Now, I sit here and pretend like I'm affected by this book as I lead myself to believe. My friend also sent me her mock-up review. She is so, sooo right. I hope she posts it on here soon because I'll link it up and show what I really thought of the book with a clear mind. There's one thing she wrote that stuck with me. Pieces of Us is RAW. So raw that it scraped under my tough skin that had thought she had read every face-slapping and tear-jerking kind of book out there. It went through my muscle. Through my bone. And for a while, it became part of me. Part of my blood. Raw. It's the perfect description.
I thank you, Jennifer, if you're reading this, for sharing your thoughts with me. I appreciate it. I really do. I also want to thank Margie for writing this. I hope you know that you changed a part of my life. I'll be looking out for more of your work. Just as soon as I recover from this one.
Recommended for ages 16+. Please trust me when I say this isn't recommended for 14-year-olds. But I do wish that more teens will get a chance to pick it up. Everyone needs a good dose of reality sometimes. For contemporary fans who are looking for a coming of age story.

I must say that I never ramble on like this in my other reviews. This took me about 45 minutes to write, the shortest ever. I'm also not this weird and sentimental. Review will not be able to go up on the blog on account that I don't think it fits in the categories of which I review for. And for that, I'm truly sorry.

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Dec 26, 2011 Tara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary

This was not a nice story. It did not make me feel good. I finished it with a slight sense of hopefulness, but the raw, gritty, honest story of how terrible and nasty people can be, and how so many people are broken, has overwhelmed me.
The story is told from four P.O.V. Katie, Julie, Alex and Kyle. Four teenagers who all have been broken and damaged in some way but who spend the summer months together with their respective grandparents at the lake house. During summer, they try to be themselves...more

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Jan 19, 2013 Hannah Moe rated it 4 of 5 stars

Pieces of us is told from the alternating points of view of four teenagers: Katie, Julie, Kyle, and Alex. Katie and Julie are sisters who live in New Jersey, Kyle and Alex are brothers who live in Philadelphia, but each summer they go to the same lake to visit their grandparents. Alex and Katie had always had sort of a summer romance going on, but they agreed to just keep it in the summer, until one summer when they decide to finally start a real relationship. Kyle and Julie had always been just...more Pieces of us is told from the alternating points of view of four teenagers: Katie, Julie, Kyle, and Alex. Katie and Julie are sisters who live in New Jersey, Kyle and Alex are brothers who live in Philadelphia, but each summer they go to the same lake to visit their grandparents. Alex and Katie had always had sort of a summer romance going on, but they agreed to just keep it in the summer, until one summer when they decide to finally start a real relationship. Kyle and Julie had always been just friends, until feelings between them started to change too. But Katie has a secret, and when that secret gets out it turns the world upside down for all four of them.

This is not a nice book, there is no happy ending. This is the first book I’ve ever read that made me feel sick to my stomach and truly uncomfortable. This book is filled with disturbing events and characters who are all terrible people in their own way. However, I still have to say that I did LOVE this book, it definitely unforgiving but it was so well written. I’m sure Margie Gelbwasser entirely meant for her book to be crossing the line into a painful and much too real world that the reader will be stuck thinking about for a long time. I’ve never had a book make me so deeply upset, but also I’ve never had a book make me FEEL things so deeply and personally, and that’s what kept me needing to turn the page.

First of all, I can’t say there was a single character in this book that I could let myself like for more than a page or two. They were all their own mix of broken, abusive, weak, selfish, indecisive, and stupid. Though with the devastating events they went through, I found it hard to really blame them for it. By the end of the book it seems like all the characters had started to become a bit insane. This book definitely isn’t appropriate for anyone younger than high school, and even then a lot of people might not be able to handle it. This book uses very strong language and can get very graphic.

I’ve always liked sad books because I feel like they give me a lot more to feel and think about than just a basic happy book with no drama. This book really pushed the limit, but it was incredible how much of an emotional roller coaster it put me on. Luckily I can’t personally relate to most of the things the characters had to go through, but there were a few small things I could understand first hand and it made those parts really hit home for me. I felt so involved in this book; I can’t even count the number of times I wanted to just jump into the book and try to fix everything. I think the alternating points of view really helped with that. The reader is able to see inside each of the main characters personal thoughts, which caused me to feel like they were all stupid for not being able to understand each other as well as I could understand each of them.

Since I finished reading the book a few days ago, I still haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. I feel like the story has become a part of me, and that’s why I feel like it really was a good book, traumatic experiences and all.
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Apr 01, 2012 Jenni Arndt rated it 4 of 5 stars

You can read all of my reviews at Alluring Reads.

Pieces of Us was a painful book to read. It was unrelenting and vivid and it felt like a punch in the gut. At times it made me feel dirty for continuing on, but I had to. This book does not shy away from the taboo, I had to check a few times to make sure that I was in fact reading a YA book. It is heavy on the language and painfully descriptive of the sex. This wasn't like any book I have ever read before, but I loved it. I spend most of my time r...more You can read all of my reviews at Alluring Reads.

Pieces of Us was a painful book to read. It was unrelenting and vivid and it felt like a punch in the gut. At times it made me feel dirty for continuing on, but I had to. This book does not shy away from the taboo, I had to check a few times to make sure that I was in fact reading a YA book. It is heavy on the language and painfully descriptive of the sex. This wasn't like any book I have ever read before, but I loved it. I spend most of my time reading paranormal and dystopian books, so when I read a book like this it feels like it brings me back to reality.

The characters in Pieces of Us all have their own horrifying story and we get to learn it first hand as the POV splits between our 4 MC's chapter by chapter. The most painful for me was Katie, hers was a story that you would see on CNN and it would make you feel utterly disgusted to your core. Julies story also pulled at my heart strings, and I felt so bad for her in the beginning. As it went on and Julie fought harder for her mothers approval I really started to dislike her and once she was vindicated and received that approval I hated her. The girls mother is really a terrible woman, I found it a little hard to believe that she would favour one child so openly.

Alex and Kyle have their own problems and the broken home that they come from was all too real. Their absent mother who let her children slip away from her angered me to no end. I could not bring myself to like Alex, even when he was showing his softer side as Sasha, all I could think of were the derogatory terms he used when talking about women and I wanted to punch him in the face. While their story isn't as descriptive I'm left to wonder if it is still just as effective because it leaves the horror to your imagination.

I know that what I have said here may not make you want to run out and read this book. It left me with a very somber and empty feeling and I think Pieces of Us is a book that will stick with me for a very long time. But it is well worth the read, just be warned that you are in for some heavy reading. (less)

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Feb 04, 2012 ABookVacation rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a very gritty, real story dealing with the darker sides of life, love, and loss. Told through the eyes of all four characters, Katie, Julie, Alex, and Kyle, Gelbwasser gives the reader a glimpse into the inner turmoil and miscommunications that run rampant among these four struggling teens as they try to find true love an acceptance. It’s a heartbreaking tale full of abuse and distrust, making it a story for mature YA and beyond. Readers should be aware that there is some cursing and man...more This is a very gritty, real story dealing with the darker sides of life, love, and loss. Told through the eyes of all four characters, Katie, Julie, Alex, and Kyle, Gelbwasser gives the reader a glimpse into the inner turmoil and miscommunications that run rampant among these four struggling teens as they try to find true love an acceptance. It’s a heartbreaking tale full of abuse and distrust, making it a story for mature YA and beyond. Readers should be aware that there is some cursing and many sexual encounters, both consensual and forced, within the text. Yet, Gelbwasser does not exploit them—instead she treads lightly around these encounters, alluding to these actions more so then explaining them in vivid detail. And, these allusions are more than enough for the reader to understand the dire circumstances of what is happening without it being written onto the page in explicit description. Instead, Gelbwasser chooses an extremely tasteful way to present these dark circumstances and, though they are chilling and will promote feelings of extreme anger and hatred within the reader, the themes and overall truths make Pieces of Us a must read.

The only truly likeable character, in my opinion, is Kyle—and though he has his fair share of problems, dealing with an incompetent mother and his abusive brother, he seems to overcome his issues and care for others, though it is an immense struggle for him. His understanding of Katie and his forgiving nature cause the reader to sympathize with him on a level that isn’t possible with the other characters as they relate their feelings and actions. It is also interesting to note that, amongst all the narrators, Kyle is the only one who invokes the second person point of view, almost as if he has removed himself from the situation, flying high above it while placing the reader directly into his shoes through the constant use of “you” and not “I.” This is a very interesting technique that Gelbwasser employs in her novel, and it works extremely well, creating a deeper connection between Kyle and the reader.

Alex, however, is much harder to character to connect with due to his extremely nasty nature, and Gelbwasser has written him in such a way that he’s able to evoke strong emotions of hatred in the reader as he relays his story. Though Alex’s issues stem a bit deeper than his brother, and his abuse at the hands of his mother’s johns has left him angry and despondent, his abuse of others, though blinded by his own anger, is inexcusable. Yet, even though I despised him throughout much of the novel, Gelbwasser has done an amazing job creating him, as my feelings towards him are indeed extremely vivid and real...

To read my full review upon release (3/5/12):

http://bookvacations.wordpress.com/bo...(less)

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Aug 20, 2012 kari rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, 2012

Not sure what to think here. I give credit to the author for telling the story in four distinct voices, but overall, then you have the possibility of four unreliable narrators which doesn't work so well. I felt somewhat creeped out and voyeuristic while reading this. It is hard for me to understand why all of the things that happened to Katie were described even though she doesn't want to think about it and tries hard to block it out. While what Alex and Kyle are doing with whatever girl they ch...more

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