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Pieces

G. Benson (Goodreads Author)

4.04 · Rating details · 226 ratings · 71 reviews

Orphaned Carmen is sixteen, newly homeless and will do almost anything to survive and keep her and her kid brother safe, together, and out of foster care. Ollie, also sixteen, has a life that’s all about parents, school pressure, friends and dreams of summer. The two fall into each other’s orbit, and one kiss changes everything. Ollie is captivated… but then Carmen vanishe ...more

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ebook, 314 pages

Published May 15th 2017 by Ylva Publishing (first published May 2017)

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May 17, 2017 Lex Kent rated it really liked it

Shelves: ya-or-na, f-f-ylva-romance, drama

3 1/2 Stars. This is a book YA fans will enjoy. I first read Benson's book, All the Little Moments, and loved it. It was an easy 5 stars for me. I was hoping I would have the same feeling with this book. That didn't end up being the case. I can be a little picky with YA, I have a real hit or miss relationship with it. There are certain things I look for in YA, one of them is making me feel something. I like an emotional YA feel, and this book certainly had that. I think the problem for me, it wa 3 1/2 Stars. This is a book YA fans will enjoy. I first read Benson's book, All the Little Moments, and loved it. It was an easy 5 stars for me. I was hoping I would have the same feeling with this book. That didn't end up being the case. I can be a little picky with YA, I have a real hit or miss relationship with it. There are certain things I look for in YA, one of them is making me feel something. I like an emotional YA feel, and this book certainly had that. I think the problem for me, it was a little too depressing at times, with not enough emotional uplifts. The ending was more a happy for now, than the HEA, I was hoping for.

This book deals with tough themes, abuse, the foster care system, fighting, survival, grief. Although, I must admit, it was not as dire as I thought it might be. I was a little worried in reading some of the other reviews. But I still could have used some more uplifting moments. There was also times I felt like drama was just thrown into the book to make everyone miserable, when it was not really needed. (view spoiler)

What I though Benson did really well is write in the voice of teenagers. I absolutely believed they were the age they were suppose to be, they acted and sounded like teenagers. I also really enjoyed the main character of Ollie. I thought she was really well written, and I felt connected to her. I also really liked the affection and how the intimate scenes were handled between Carmen and Ollie. Again, really well written and appropriate for a YA novel.

I don't want to get into too much more, for fear I might spoiler something. This book has a lot going on. Although, I do admit there was times when the pacing dropped a little too much for my liking. Overall, I liked this book and I think YA fans will enjoy this more than I did. There was just something that stopped me from loving this, like Benson's last book. It still has my recommendation, and I will absolutely read anything Benson writes in the future.

An ARC was given to me by YLVA, for a honest review. ...more

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May 23, 2017 Jem rated it really liked it

Shelves: p-o-c, coming-of-age

Pieces is YA lesfic for people who hate YA lesfic. While most of the characters are sixteeners going on seventeen, the issues they face are nothing teenagers should ever have to deal with in their journey to adulthood.

Pieces is about Carmen. Like all teens, she longs for parties, dates, sleepovers. Regular teen stuff. And she notices the girl who sneaks long looks at her. But it all feels like another world to her, so far from her reality at home—a reality where she has to worry about where the Pieces is YA lesfic for people who hate YA lesfic. While most of the characters are sixteeners going on seventeen, the issues they face are nothing teenagers should ever have to deal with in their journey to adulthood.

Pieces is about Carmen. Like all teens, she longs for parties, dates, sleepovers. Regular teen stuff. And she notices the girl who sneaks long looks at her. But it all feels like another world to her, so far from her reality at home—a reality where she has to worry about where their next meal will come from AND, at the same time, maintain an illusion of normalcy, so people won’t notice anything’s amiss….so she and her brother won’t be hauled off again to some random foster home.

Pieces is about coming of age. But not in the usual “transition from child to adult” sense. Carmen came of age the moment her mother stopped being one. Pieces is about her journey to make the rest of the world acknowledge and accept she’s finally come of age.

I’ve come across a number of lesfic characters who’ve been bounced around in the foster system, but in every single book, it was always something the character experienced in the past. This is the first time I’m reading about characters who are presently caught in the often harsh impersonal system. To say that this is a refreshing departure is an understatement. This is a visceral kick in the gut. It’s a very realistic and gritty look at the stark and often frightening options (or the lack of it) for young people who’ve been abandoned by their parents, either by death or by choice; of vulnerable siblings being torn apart because some are easier to place than others; and the danger, desperation and uncertain fate faced by kids who’ve fallen through the cracks of the system.

Perfectly juxtaposed against this gritty tale is a sweet story of young love. The kind that all YA love stories are made of--sweet, innocent, passionate--the very definition of YA, ‘spiced up’ with all the usual adventures of the young and idle: drinking, goofing around and doing absolutely nothing. Oh, and there’s the usual teen concerns: worries about the future, dealing with parental expectations and coping with life’s unexpected curve balls. Ollie is the epitome of the average, well-provided teen whose only cares in the world are exams and how to get her parents to let her go partying. Carmen, on the other hand, is tragically forced to grow up early and learn to put food on the table, often by any means necessary. The contrast between the two protagonist's respective worlds is so vividly drawn. I was totally invested in how they would ever bridge that huge divide with dignity and their love intact.

The book's biggest strength lies in its well-realized, easy to identify with and sympathetic characters--from the leads to all the supporting ones. Mattie is one of the best-written child characters I've encountered. His rollercoaster emotions (that reunion scene where he goes from sullen to hot anger to heart-melting sadness is especially memorable) are spot-on. Ollie and her dad also have their own memorable scene that brought tears to my eyes. And of course, there's the gang--Ollie's loyal school friends and Carmen's family of outcasts-- who round out the rest of the colorful cast of supporting characters that keep our two protagonists grounded and firmly on their feet.

Despite the seemingly gritty and grim tone of the book, this is a surprisingly hopeful and positive read. The book has managed to strike a delicate balance between realistic and 'feel good'--gritty enough to feel real but not so bleak as to turn off romance readers. While it paints a realistic view of the sometimes dysfunctional foster home system, it avoids getting too...shall we say, depressing. For example, when Carmen turns in desperation to a group of 'runaways', (view spoiler)

So, if I love the book so much, why isn't it getting the perfect score? I did love the book...a lot, but not the first quarter (more or less). It has nothing to do with the story or the characters but the author's overuse of elaborate similes and metaphors, which were either hit or miss (clattering arms on shoulders?)... and it drove me nuts. It distracted rather than enhanced my reading as I had trouble with some of the imagery she was striving for, so I had to keep on tuning them out. Fortunately, it got better gradually as their use tapers off as the plot picks up speed and either they worked better, were used more sparingly, or I was just too absorbed to pay them any mind. :)

4.35 stars

ARC from Ylva

Note about the ending: for me, I believe this is an HEA, not just HFN because after what these characters went through, it'll be easy as pie for them to make it to happily ever after. :) ...more

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May 16, 2017 Ted rated it really liked it

This is not a light read. Not even close. Not enough good feels to get 5 stars. This is dark, gritty, violent and.... real. That's the thing that struck me the most. I was a foster kid growing up too, so the main story arc hits pretty close to home. I gotta say though, it is a book I won't forget for a while. Recommend? IDK. ...more

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Nov 14, 2018 Agirlcandream rated it really liked it

Shelves: friends-to-lovers, romance, ya-na

Wow. Impressive YA read and I say that as a reader who avoids the majority of YA novels. I assume I will not relate to the all consuming high-drama of love affairs and bullies who haunt the school hallways. Teen angst is (generally) not my thing. Pieces has many angst filled moments but it is far from a simple teen drama.

Benson gives us unforgettable characters in Carmen and her brother Mattie. Carmen’s efforts to care for and support her younger brother are as heartfelt as they are herculean. ...more

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May 15, 2017 Tiff rated it it was amazing

Shelves: family-involvement-family-issues, kids, unforgettable-protaganist, 2017-reads, unforgettable-suporting-charecter, ya, rich-girl-poor-girl, trust-issues

MOVING. POWERFUL. CAPTIVATING. All caps, bolded, if I could I would put in flashing neon lights. This book is all of these adjectives and so much more. This story pulls you in and holds you till the very end. I cannot do this book justice in a review. All I can say is read it, you will not be disappointed. G. Benson brings you another amazing story. She is truly a remarkable writer.

Carmen Garcia is sixteen, but you wouldn’t know it. The child of a drug addicted mother, Carmen has had to walk a MOVING. POWERFUL. CAPTIVATING. All caps, bolded, if I could I would put in flashing neon lights. This book is all of these adjectives and so much more. This story pulls you in and holds you till the very end. I cannot do this book justice in a review. All I can say is read it, you will not be disappointed. G. Benson brings you another amazing story. She is truly a remarkable writer.

Carmen Garcia is sixteen, but you wouldn’t know it. The child of a drug addicted mother, Carmen has had to walk a tightrope all of her life. She cannot just be a student, a teen. She doesn’t know how to be those things because that was never an option for her, that is a luxury for her classmates. No, she is the caretaker to her 8-year-old brother, she pays the bills, she keeps her mother’s secrets so her family can survive. She has been a product of the foster care system before, her brother has too. To say that went poorly would be a terribly unjust understatement. It was bad enough that Carmen lived on the streets for over a year, surviving by the skin of her teeth, until her mother got clean and was able to get custody of her brother. Her worst nightmare becomes a reality when a knock at the door in the wee hours of the morning comes from a police officer letting her know her mother has been found dead. It unthinkably frightening to go back into the system.

Ollie is our other main character. Ollie has a huge heart. Her kindness is truly an endearing quality. She is an artist who tends to live in her head but is brought back from the clouds by an amazing group of friends and supportive parents. Ollie notices Carmen one day at school and is intrigued, and also totally smitten. She finds a way to “accidentally” bump into the newcomer. That moment bonds these two teens in a way that neither excepted but both so badly need.

I could talk about this story forever, it’s just that good. You don’t need me to do that though. I’ll ruin it for you and what truly is my main point is that you want this book in your life. Get your hands on this one, you will not be sorry. The romance is deliciously sweet. The story is enthralling and so beautifully written. G. Benson gives so many diverse characters a strong voice. This is an easy 5 stars. ...more

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Sep 12, 2018 BadassCmd rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: wlw-contmp, ylva-books, harold, favorites, wlw-ya, subj-fanfic

The two of them: seventeen and drowning in life.

I have been debating whether to read this book for a while, because I tend to feel too much with the stories I read and feared this book about a girl living on the street with her kid brother would be too tragic for me.
But I'm really happy I finally read it in the end.

I mean, it's still heartbreaking at times, but it's also utterly beautiful and soft and captivating.
The first time I had the thought ' Urgh I have FEELINGS about this ', I was j ...more

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May 24, 2017 Gaby LezReviewBooks rated it it was amazing

This book is in my list of recommended books of the month:

https://lezreviewbooks.wordpress.com/...

First of all, I have to say that angsty books about young adults aren't my cup of tea. However, I've read G Benson's previous books which I liked a lot and decided to read this one. I'm glad I did because it's a very good read.

Written in third person from the point of view of both characters, Ms. Benson deals with very difficult issues such as the fallouts of the foster care system, transsexualism, ...more

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May 16, 2017 Dee rated it liked it

Shelves: lesbian-romance, f-f, net-galley, young-adult, ylva-publishing

3.5 stars

This story is told in third person, past tense and from both main characters point-of-view - my favorite style of narration.

G. Benson is a new to me author and there’s no denying she has the gift of the gab! The characters jump off the page, their plight and emotions are palpable. I was drawn in from the get-go.

While Ollie/Olivia certainly is a central character, this story is really about Carmen and her kid brother, Mattie. It’s a look into the lives of children with uncaring parents, ...more

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May 20, 2017 Catherine rated it it was amazing

I'm sitting here trying to find the best words to express how much I loved this book! It was a lot more intense than I was expecting it to be. What you will find is the topics and what these two characters are going through is dark and hard to read about at times. But the romance and the interaction between the two is so sweet and beautiful that it balances the book perfectly.

I love a young adult book with strong mature characters and you most definitely get that here. The group of friends that ...more

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Jun 16, 2017 Kitty McIntosh rated it it was amazing

Shelves: lesfic, romance, ya

‘Pieces’ is an emotionally deep story, dealing with very difficult subject matter. At one point I found the issues upsetting and hard to read but the characters really got to me and I had to find out how their story ended.

Carmen has been looking after her brother Mattie since he was a baby, as their mother was a neglectful junkie/alcoholic. The teenager showed such strength and determination and her desire to keep them together was astounding. After meeting Ollie at school she has something of ...more

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May 05, 2019 Megan EM rated it it was amazing

Shelves: lgbtq, f-f-romance, f-f-drama, young-adult

I cried. I loved it.

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May 13, 2017 Katherine Jensen rated it it was amazing

This is another amazing book from G Benson. So well-written! She tackled tough topics like homelessness, death, and the dark sides of the foster care system. The relationship between Carmen and Ollie was great, and the one between Carmen and her brother, Mattie, was even better. She also does a good job with representation in terms of race, sexuality, and gender. Highly recommend!

ARC received from Ylva in exchange for an honest review

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Jun 01, 2017 Starsandsun18 rated it really liked it

I can see that a lot of people don't really like YA genre. As for me, I'm one of those who loves to read them. Maybe I like the sweet young love and a bit of angst. But this one is full of angst like heavy! Carmen is one of the best YA mc. She's been through a lot but you can see a positive aura in her. She's not the typical I hate the world teen considering all the things the happened to her. She's strong and reliable.
And you can really feel the love between her brother and her and with that k ...more

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May 27, 2017 Liz rated it liked it

Shelves: lesbian, ya

I will confess the last time I read an YA novel I was a YA and that was some time ago. I thought I would give it a go. I now realise it is just not the genre for me, however well written it is.

To be fair the story is well written, a little depressing in parts, but overall handled well. I just could not engage with 16/17 year olds. That is down to my personal taste and not a reflection on the story.

I would be interested to read more from the author, but in my age range.

Received Arc for honest re ...more

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May 18, 2017 Jane Clements rated it liked it

Shelves: lesbian, coming-of-age, young-adult

I would give this book 3 and a half stars if I could.

This is a gritty and sometimes bleak novel for young adults. It chronicles two years in the lives of its main protagonists: Olivia – “Ollie” – and Carmen. Benson doesn’t pull any punches in her story, referencing issues such as drug addiction, underage drinking, child neglect, the perils of the foster system and death. Our heroines have a lot to deal with.

It has some beautifully written moments and it’s good to find a YA novel willing to write I would give this book 3 and a half stars if I could.

This is a gritty and sometimes bleak novel for young adults. It chronicles two years in the lives of its main protagonists: Olivia – “Ollie” – and Carmen. Benson doesn’t pull any punches in her story, referencing issues such as drug addiction, underage drinking, child neglect, the perils of the foster system and death. Our heroines have a lot to deal with.

It has some beautifully written moments and it’s good to find a YA novel willing to write about some of more difficult challenges that people who live on the fringes have to deal with. It is refreshing to read a story that’s so inclusive and embraces difference. It’s also creditable that the author tries not to be too judgemental or polemical, allowing the reader to make her own value judgements. However, the characters naturally have their own views on these issues so some judgements are voiced. I was therefore surprised that no character in the book is alarmed by the amount of alcohol consumed by its sixteen year-old heroines and their friends. Even Ollie’s mother finds her drunken daughter amusing. Don’t get me wrong, I know that young people drink, but the large amount of binge drinking that these characters indulge in seems both unhealthy and dangerous. I would assume that a mother who is a physician would want to talk to her daughter about these dangers and try to encourage responsible drinking, at least. Still, I recognise that’s my own perspective and it may not trouble other readers.

As I read further into the book, I wanted to like it more than I actually did. Some aspects just did not gel for me and at times I had to force myself to continue with the book. I’m glad I persevered because it did get better.

The aspects I most enjoyed were the warehouse and Carmen’s relationship with her younger brother. The romantic scenes were actually the least interesting parts of the story. Although there was heat between Ollie and Carmen and the sex scenes are quite realistic – although not too explicit – the romance seems less important than other aspects of the book. And given the events our heroines deal with, this is understandable.

The book almost, but not quite, descends into melodrama at times. I’m sure that many of the young adults at whom this book is aimed will enjoy and relate to the angst. But somehow, it left me feeling vaguely dissatisfied. I’m confident that others will not feel the same, however, and that most readers will enjoy this book even more than I did.

Note: I received a free advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
...more

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Jul 02, 2017 Jade rated it liked it

*ARC provided by the publisher for an honest review*

I have read other books by this author and I really enjoyed them but this book just wasn't for me.

I enjoy a book that has depth but this book was a bit to deep and the characters spent most of the book in their own heads and I couldn't concentrate on each ones existential crisis for very long before I lost interest.

The book is well written and neither character lacks a compelling storyline and the storyline itself is quite interesting but I fou ...more

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May 20, 2017 Andrea rated it it was amazing

Wow this book left me speechless...it was powerful, captivating and very moving. The book talked about a lot of issues like grief, guardianship, street kids, foster care, loss, LGBT and more but it didn't feel overloaded on issues or that they were just put in to get another one in. Each one of them was handled perfectly and natural. I liked how the transgender issue was handled - I don't think it was ever said straight out that Sarah is transgender, just through the plot and narrative, which I Wow this book left me speechless...it was powerful, captivating and very moving. The book talked about a lot of issues like grief, guardianship, street kids, foster care, loss, LGBT and more but it didn't feel overloaded on issues or that they were just put in to get another one in. Each one of them was handled perfectly and natural. I liked how the transgender issue was handled - I don't think it was ever said straight out that Sarah is transgender, just through the plot and narrative, which I found very empowering to show that Sarah is a character and being transgender is not what should be front and center about her but her being a former foster child with problems and now having found a great family and being smart and a great friend.
The two main characters, Ollie and Carmen, have the same tragedy happen to them and it shows how different but yet the same it is in their opposite situations. Their relationship was one of many topic in the book and wasn't put in the center of the story. Like the other books by G. Benson, the relationship was just part of the story along with hard and deep issues that the main characters have to overcome, apart from their relationship. I like ho she doesn't write her stories in the typical cookie cutter style and takes on some hard topics that are not talked about enough and need to be put in peoples minds. Like in this book the problem with foster care - there are many issues with the system and many kids end up on the street or in bad foster situations. It is great to see an author write about a topic that is not popular to write about and how she put in a success story of the system with Sarah to show how it could be and Maddie's last foster family was good as well.
I had to put the book down a few times because it became hard to read and turned kind of dark when you thought they would finally get a break, but that's what made the book so great for me. It was definite not a light reading story but a story that will follow e for a while.

*I received a ACR from Ylva Publishing* ...more

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Aug 21, 2018 Alealea rated it liked it

Shelves: f-f, romance

Reminded me of the movie Gracie's Choice.
It's sad, sweet, and not surprising.
The best part is that most of the cast is part of a minority. And that even minor characters are complex. ...more

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Dec 07, 2020 Alex rated it liked it

It's an interesting book. Obviously people know about the problems with people living on the streets and a vague idea of what hardships they suffer, we know about the government programs that help homeless children and although you have knowledge of the faults and omissions, it hardly enters your mind unless someone points it out or it happens to someone close. And although the system in the United States has flaws and is insufficient, in my country it's practically non-existent, so what you hav ...more

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Mar 08, 2020 Pam Holzner rated it liked it

Shelves: scribd

Meh. Well written drama. Romance just adds some hopefulness to a dark (but ultimately hopeful) family drama. Other elements are almost scifi: instant attraction/connection, zero fights between honies, hacker genius friends, a home for runaways run by the best people ever, a parent with a convenient apartment for rent ...

Benson writes better than many lesfic writers but of the 3 I've read, I liked this the least.

Your mileage may vary. I wanted to read a romance and this is a drama. ...more

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Feb 15, 2021 Jamie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: trans-or-nb-side-character

I've read most of G Benson's books at this point, and she has never failed to disappoint. And while this might not be my favorite of hers, it holds up really well. It's also definitely darker than her other books too.

Pieces explores the lives of Carmen and Ollie, and how they respectively cope with loss and radical change in their lives. That loss brings trials to their lives of different kinds and magnitudes, and how their romantic relationship with each other grows out of their other losses. I've read most of G Benson's books at this point, and she has never failed to disappoint. And while this might not be my favorite of hers, it holds up really well. It's also definitely darker than her other books too.

Pieces explores the lives of Carmen and Ollie, and how they respectively cope with loss and radical change in their lives. That loss brings trials to their lives of different kinds and magnitudes, and how their romantic relationship with each other grows out of their other losses. It also explores Carmen's relationship and protection of her much younger brother.

This is really a heartwrenching book and a moving one that shows what we are willing to do for the people we love and are close to. Carmen will climb mountains to protect her brother and you can really feel her devotion to Mattie, and it's so very moving. And Ollie. Ollie has such a giving heart and is so open to the people she loves. I loved both characters so much.

I really appreciated the juxtaposition in this book between the dark story of teenagers literally trying to survive on their own, with a very YA-esque love story. As someone who appreciates both genres of books separately I think this is a really good combination of them.

One thing that I think makes Benson's books stand out is her absolutely wonderful secondary characters she puts into her books, and I think these are some the strongest secondary characters I've seen too. Sara and Rae both are vibrant and rounded characters that not only help color the world Benson creates, but have depth to them too and you feel for their lives just as hard as our main characters. Dex and Ollie's father were also really interesting to see different kinds of parenting. (view spoiler)

This was a really powerful and great book by Benson. She's very quickly become one of my favorite writers in lesfic. This book was darker and a little different thematically, but still really good. 4.5/5 ...more

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May 15, 2017 Jasmine rated it it was amazing

I teared up when this book arrived on my kindle, like my subconscious already knew this book was going to be a doozy. From the very first sentence I had goosebumps and I was lost in the magic of this story. Every richly crafted sentence was like your favourite decadent desert. I loved this book so very much. If I could give it six stars, I would.

Ollie and Carmen connect one night at a party like typical teenagers, a little alcohol and a lot of kissing. They're sixteen, it's sweet and it's anyth I teared up when this book arrived on my kindle, like my subconscious already knew this book was going to be a doozy. From the very first sentence I had goosebumps and I was lost in the magic of this story. Every richly crafted sentence was like your favourite decadent desert. I loved this book so very much. If I could give it six stars, I would.

Ollie and Carmen connect one night at a party like typical teenagers, a little alcohol and a lot of kissing. They're sixteen, it's sweet and it's anything but complicated. But these formidable young women have to grow up way too fast. Carmen and her little brother are living on the streets and Carmen is doing everything in her power to keep him safe and to prove herself responsible to gain custody of him when she turns eighteen. Ollie is working through her own losses when the two reconnect. This is a story of hardship, loss, friendship and love. A love that has no bounds.

The narrative is poetic, lyrical, abstract, and in any other story it might seem too flowery and unrealistic for a 16 year old's voice. But because Ollie is an artist it absolutely works - it's just how her mind perceives the world.

It feels so weird to be out in the real world after finishing this book. I'm so emotionally raw. I cried many times and a cheered many times. I swooned at the adorable romance and my heart ached for these girls and everything they, their friends, and their family, went through. I keep wondering how people can go about their days and just be so blissfully unaware that such a masterpiece exists, that something so special and so so incredibly important exists and people are none the wiser.

I will be buying a paperback copy of this book ASAP. I will be casually offering it to anyone who is willing to read this book (And quite possibly begging everyone else to read this book). It's special. It's important. Thank you G. Benson. Thank you for making the world a better place with your words. Thank you for sharing this story.

I received an ARC from YLVA in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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May 25, 2017 Tiffany Shamaly rated it really liked it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Feb 20, 2020 Barbro-Katrin marked it as sadly-dnf

I have loved G. Bensons other books but even when just reading the blurb for this I knew I wouldn’t love this as much but decided to give this a go since I’ve loved her other books. But sadly I was right, I had a hard time connecting to it, I found the story boring and some times confusing. I never knew that Ollie was black, I spent a long time wondering when she broke up with her bf and wondering when I had missed that. Add to that that I knew this was a Clexa ff, I spent a lot of time figuring ...more

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May 17, 2017 Sandra rated it it was amazing

Shelves: various

Whow! Powerful read

This was my second book from G Benson and it’s a fantastic one, it captivated me from the beginning. It isn’t just another young adult novel, it’s one for everybody.

The main story is about the two sixteen year old girls, Carmen and Olli and Carmen’s brother Mattie. They face very different life circumstances, but when they meet at school, there was a connection from the beginning. Also the third characters, like their friends or Olli’s parents are well developed and integrated ...more

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Dec 01, 2020 Julie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

A powerful read. I would agree with another reviewer who questions whether this is YA but in the end it really doesn't matter. It's extremely well written, a gritty look at life on the edges of society where good kids are let down by those who are supposed to care for them. It's a book that is not for the faint hearted; it's for those who want an unflinching look at what is around us, the poverty, the violence, the hunger, the grief, the loss, the longing, the trust and the sense of camaraderie ...more

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Dec 09, 2020 Betty rated it really liked it

Shelves: ff-general-lit, ff-ya

I enjoyed this. YA/NA is something I try and avoid, especially in lesfic, when angsty immaturity rules. But this is nothing like that. It's gritty and grim, dark, and with very little gloss anywhere. I really enjoyed it. It's a reminder that sometimes the good things are small, and the pleasures all come from within.
It's an engaging story, although sometimes the story dragged a little especially in the second quarter. I think because there was so little relief for Carmen. However, come the half ...more

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May 23, 2017 Jane Shambler rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ylva-pub, ya

What to say about this book eludes me if I am honest. It is so powerful, raw and emotional.

We all have some kind of foster system and we all hope it is good and does good. But does it?? Do we let these kids down? You can not read this book and not feel anything. My heart broke for the kids in the so called system and not just Carmen and Mattie. It is so well written that you can not just see it but you can feel it. It is not an easy book to read. On one hand I did not want to put it down, Yet on ...more

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Jul 13, 2017 KateW rated it it was amazing

Shelves: lesbian

With „Pieces“ G Benson weaves a captivating story about the meaning of family and home through the eyes of two teenagers becoming women and fighting for a place in the world.

Ollie grows up in a normal-type of family. They want for nothing, she has two caring parents, and life is almost easy for her. It all collapses when her mother suddenly dies. Ollie loses herself in her friends and alcohol, until she slowly finds a way back to herself.
Carmen grows up with always one foot inside the system. He With „Pieces“ G Benson weaves a captivating story about the meaning of family and home through the eyes of two teenagers becoming women and fighting for a place in the world.

Ollie grows up in a normal-type of family. They want for nothing, she has two caring parents, and life is almost easy for her. It all collapses when her mother suddenly dies. Ollie loses herself in her friends and alcohol, until she slowly finds a way back to herself.
Carmen grows up with always one foot inside the system. Her mother is more gone than there and so it falls to her to take care of her younger brother. She was eight when she started caring for a newborn then. When their mother dies all chance of staying together seems lost for them, and Carmen has to fight for a way to survive and keep her brother alive and conserve his feeling of being loved.
They meet before their respective worlds fall apart, at school, at a party, normal places which are unusual for Ollie but special to Carmen, and they have an instant connection. That spark flares up the moment they meet each other afterwards, when Carmen is working in a bar at nights, not letting on how difficult her life has become.

Throughout all their challenges, they both are supported by their friends and friends who have become family. Those secondary characters are what really sell the story. Everyone feels as real as they are to the protagonists. Of course, you are sometimes left wondering whether there could have been a little bit more information, but this is what a third person narrative close to the protagonist does. And it shows how they trust other people, how protective they are of their friends and family. I could list many details, but some of what I loved most was Ollie and her father finding a way to live with each other after their loss, especially how Ollie’s father handled being introduced to Carmen. Ollie caught him emerging himself into soccer because Carmen liked it. That was such a little thing showing so much. It was very nicely done and made me smile a lot.
But don’t be mistaken, smiling about something in this book has to be earned. Benson tackles a lot of heavy stuff, especially youth homelessness and loss, but not exclusively. There’s violence, drugs in the past in the form of Carmen’s mother, Ollie’s best friend Sara having bad experiences in the foster system and with her own parents of being misgendered, and the problems of the foster system in themselves.

It’s admiring how inside all of this, the most important parts are human connections.
It’s about simply being there when someone can’t talk but can’t stand to be alone. It’s about giving advice and helping someone the best way that you can. It’s about being fiercely protective about the ones you love. And most of all it is about love. All kinds of love between all kinds of people.
Because what I loved most about the book was that none of the characters were described as carbon copies of each other, only inhabiting different hair and eye colors, but real people. How seamlessly sexual identity, gender identity, skin color, and social status were present. How black curly hair was poetically beautiful. How easily Ollie’s brown skin and her bisexuality were included as parts of herself, just as her love for art.

I’m sure I’ll read this again, soon. Because it is a book that takes you somewhere else, somewhere that feels real.
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Oct 23, 2019 Ann Fernandez rated it really liked it

Shelves: contemporary, 4-star, 2019-reads, ya

Honestly, where has G. Benson been all my life?

She is very easily becoming a must-read author for me, from Flinging It, which I enjoyed, to now Pieces, which I...experienced. Because this book is truly a trip and a half.

I don't know what it is about G. Benson and her writing, but every time I pick up a book of hers I feel really immersed and invested in her characters and the struggles they face. When they were shocked, I was shocked. When they were heartbroken, I was heartbroken. I could unders Honestly, where has G. Benson been all my life?

She is very easily becoming a must-read author for me, from Flinging It, which I enjoyed, to now Pieces, which I...experienced. Because this book is truly a trip and a half.

I don't know what it is about G. Benson and her writing, but every time I pick up a book of hers I feel really immersed and invested in her characters and the struggles they face. When they were shocked, I was shocked. When they were heartbroken, I was heartbroken. I could understand everything they did perfectly (which is more than I can say for a lot of other novels that come to mind) and always rooted for them.

What's mainly prohibiting me from giving this novel 5 stars is the pacing of this story at times. There is about a sixth of the novel where you aren't sure where the plot is going or how the main focus of this story (the romance, kinda) is, so the story starts to drag, especially since it does get really sad at that exact portion. However, the rest is a complete breeze to go through.

While a lot of the subjects in this book are not for the faint of heart, I do appreciate that it never felt entirely hopeless, at least not for long, and thus made this book still palatable, that there was still bits of humor injected into it to lighten the tone, and never at inappropriate times, which I appreciated.

The deep dive into the foster care system in the US was also very refreshing, since I don't remember the last book that had ever covered the subject, not this well. Learning about how due to conservation of resources a lot of kid runaways, once they hit sometime after 16, aren't really being looked for anymore because they already have so many younger kids to worry about is heartbreaking, and I apreciate that multiple characters point out how wrong this is.

This book as a whole feels very four-stars to me. It's a book I really liked and can appreciate, but it's simply not a book that stood out to me or resonated within me in any major way. Would I recommend this? Absolutely, it's a great read. However, it did not move me enough to give it a higher rating than a simple 4. ...more

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About G. Benson

G. Benson

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Benson spent her childhood wrapped up in any book she could get her hands on and—as her mother likes to tell people at parties—even found a way to read in the shower. Moving on from writing bad poetry (thankfully) she started to write stories. About anything and everything. Tearing her from her laptop is a fairly difficult feat, though if you come bearing coffee you have a good chance.
When not wri ...more