Gabi, a Girl in Pieces in Our Shared Shelf

Oct 07, 2017 Liz Laurin rated it really liked it

This book meant so much more to me than I expected.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR UNDERSTANDING WHAT BOYS WILL BE BOYS REALLY MEANS

1. You're wearing that little dress tonight? Remember, boys will be boys, so be careful.

2. If you drink way too much, your body is fair game -for anyone or anyones. Boys will be boys, and you just made it easier.

3. When a girl says no, you might want to consider your position. I don't think she meant yes. But I'm a girl, so what do I know? But beause boys will be boys, you don't

...more

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Feb 14, 2016 alana rated it it was amazing

Shelves: females-and-feminists, making-things, espanol, poetry, young-adult, sept-11, teachers-and-pupils, immigration

Wah, this book was fab! I want to share it with young girls but also young boys and also include it in a poetry writing class for teens.

The book is told solely through diary entries by Gabi throughout her senior year of high school in Southern California. She's bilingual and surrounded by Mexican-American family and friends, so Spanish is woven in and out of dialogue and diary rants. Often the same expression is repeated in English just after, so readers who don't understand Spanish can still ge Wah, this book was fab! I want to share it with young girls but also young boys and also include it in a poetry writing class for teens.

The book is told solely through diary entries by Gabi throughout her senior year of high school in Southern California. She's bilingual and surrounded by Mexican-American family and friends, so Spanish is woven in and out of dialogue and diary rants. Often the same expression is repeated in English just after, so readers who don't understand Spanish can still get what's happening. I think. It's not hard Spanish, though, so there's a language learning plus woo. Also, Gabi falls in love with writing poetry throughout the school year (in part to an awesome teacher), and the book is filled with her creations as well as references to great poets and specific poems (hello, expansion into a unit of study). The book addresses drug abuse, physical violence, rape, teen pregnancy, body image, arrests, illegal immigration, questioning Catholicism, abortion, death, and more that I'm likely not recalling now. And yet the book never feels heavy or depressing as Gabi perseveres and balances all the madness of her life with humor, positivity, and a desire to dialogue about everything happening. Teen sexuality isn't presented in black and white absolutes but as a natural part of growing up that can lead to complicated and individualized situations ranging from fabulous to terrifying to meh.

What I really super loved about this book is all the frustration Gabi expresses over how her mother, aunt, peers, teachers, and society as a whole address female sexuality and beauty in such a different way than they do male behavior and image. She's constantly pointing out inequalities in expectations, acceptable reputations, and judgements of behavior. I'm really not sure I noticed or reflected on these as a teenager, but I would like to think this book would have brought them to my attention. Oh, and Gabi considers herself "a fat girl" and often addresses her struggle to accept her body and her disappointment that her mother doesn't.

Plus she spends a lot of time describing Mexican food/making this pregnant reader really hungry. ...more

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Feb 15, 2015 Alexa Hamilton rated it really liked it

Shelves: teenbooks, ebook

Gabi is an extraordinary character--I loved the poetry and all of her emotions that were certainly teenage appropriate but not over the top. Yes, there are a lot of issues in this book but they seemed to snowball realistically. Real life is often complicated and so is this book.

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