Piecing Me Together

I suppose Jade is a likable heroine and I appreciate that Piecing Me Together addressed some important topics about race and privilege, but I wasn't won over. The book seemed to lack a story arc; rather than building up to a climax, it felt like plodding through a grade of school.

Things I Liked: 

• the descriptions of Jade's collage art (I kept hoping there would be images of the actual pieces of art she created . . . alas, this fictional book about a fictional teenager making fictional collages didn't include any of the art described!)
• the Spanish word chapter headings (clever way to introduce and foreshadow)
• the fact that Jade confronted Sr. Flores about not being nominated for the study abroad (legitimately unfair)

Things I Didn't: 

• the dialogue (it all felt very unnatural to me - how everyone sounded similar and way too explanatory when they spoke about things and the way she had Maxine's family talk to each other especially)
• the pacing (again, sort of trudging rather than building up and then resolving)
• Jade's victim attitude (I'm not saying her accusations of being treated differently for her race and SES were unfounded; I just felt like she complained about being a victim more often than actually addressing the injustices (probably why I liked her confrontation with Sr. Flores so much))

I can see this novel being an important read for some girls who are trying to piece themselves together in a confusing and unfair world, but it didn't serve that function for me.