Posts in Category: self-acceptance

Gabi, a Girl in Pieces

by Isabel Quintero

Gabi, a girl in pieces

Gabi's high school life life is stressful. She faces many external struggles like her father's meth addiction, a friend's pregnancy, another friend's sexuality struggles, and her own body image issues, all the while helping or hurting her relationships.

I loved Gabi's personality from her vulnerability, her loyalism, and her fierceness. I also loved the author's interpretation of Gabi's bilingualism. Gabi's fluency goes so far so that she feels confident in it. When she paraphrases a meaning or expands upon a sentence in different languages, it adds an extra layer of authenticity to her character.

I would recommend this book to anyone who has any form of doubts surrounding their relationships, whether it be with with family, friends, or lovers. Gabi shares her vulnerable parts, so it doesn't make one feel uncomfortable for having their own intrusive thoughts or insecurities. For me, it made me feel validated to have second thoughts or "what if" moments. Definitely worth a second read!

Lucia, 14

Rating:  

smiley Find at the library

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

by Sherman Alexie

The absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian

Arnold Spirit, Jr. wants more than his sad Native American reservation life. He wants to pursue a higher education, which lands him at an all-white school and pronounced a traitor to his people. He must now learn how to navigate his new life and learns to uncover a strength he never new he had.

I loved this book! It really reflects how racism is an ongoing issue in our society. The book was very fast-paced and had a captivating plot. The conflict and tragedies in the novel keep you captivated the whole way through.

I would totally, 100% recommend it!! The characters are so relatable and you're bound to have a connection to at least one of them. The only thing that might be concerning is the amount of profanity. There is frequent swearing throughout the novel and some sexual themes. There are also homophobic slurs occasionally tossed around, as well. I'd say the book is for more mature readers, around 13 and up. If you are sensitive to these kinds of topics or make you overly uncomfortable, I strongly suggest you do not read it. But, if you're a more mature person and can handle such themes, then by all means, read it!

Ofel, 13

Rating: 

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Mexican WhiteBoy

by Matt de la Peña

Mexican whiteboy

The setting is in San Diego more specifically National City. It's about a teenager that's Mexican and white and how he struggles to fit in with the Mexican community because he doesn't know Spanish. His struggles become even worse once he moves in with his uncle and aunt because their entire neighborhood speaks it.

This book was slow in the beginning but as I kept reading, it got better over time. This book is good because of the way it portrays how one feels when they don't fit in and I connected with the main character in that way.

I would recommend this book if you struggle with feeling like you don't fit in with a certain community. This book also revolves around baseball and that helps the main character fit in with more people.

Nadia, 16

Rating: 

smiley Find at the library