tree_star's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
sad
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
A fun and poignant YA read about a girl navigating high school, love, family and poetry. A combo I can't resist. This is pretty standard YA fare, but I loved it all the same. Gabi is hard not to like and I found myself laughing and crying with her in turns, and even cheering her on when...maybe...I shouldn't have.
But that's the point: None of us are perfect but we all deserve to take up space just as we are.
But that's the point: None of us are perfect but we all deserve to take up space just as we are.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Addiction, Body shaming, Death of parent, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Homophobia, and Abortion
mhm0920's review against another edition
4.0
I picked this book off of libby kind of on accident. I was looking for an audiobook for another book I am currently reading (which they did not have) and found this and was very intrigued by the cover as it is very weird. I read the little synopsis of the book and it sounded interesting and I am so glad I listened to this book. It was so interesting but also so sad in some aspects.
This book is about a girl named gabi and she is a Mexican "fat girl" as she likes to say. She was born out of wedlock which was a very big no no in her family and because of that she has been intimidated by sex as well as her mother who is very strict with her. Through this, she also has a meth head for a dad and a best friend who is gay and his family shames him for it. Her best friend is pregnant as well. There is just so many things happening in this story and with all of this, gabi also feels down on herself because she feels like no one loves her because of her size. You go through the story through her personal journal learning about how she gets through the craziness of life as a high school senior.
I loved this book. It was so fun to listen to and just a very interesting story all around. I felt so bad for gabi with dealing with a meth head for a father and a strict mother. I felt so bad for cindy too and the things she had to go through with being pregnant and just being pregnant at all. I related with gabi when she said she felt like she wasn't enough and others didn't like her because I have felt that in the past too.
I know they say don't judge a book by its cover, but i'm really glad I did for this one.
This book is about a girl named gabi and she is a Mexican "fat girl" as she likes to say. She was born out of wedlock which was a very big no no in her family and because of that she has been intimidated by sex as well as her mother who is very strict with her. Through this, she also has a meth head for a dad and a best friend who is gay and his family shames him for it. Her best friend is pregnant as well. There is just so many things happening in this story and with all of this, gabi also feels down on herself because she feels like no one loves her because of her size. You go through the story through her personal journal learning about how she gets through the craziness of life as a high school senior.
I loved this book. It was so fun to listen to and just a very interesting story all around. I felt so bad for gabi with dealing with a meth head for a father and a strict mother. I felt so bad for cindy too and the things she had to go through with being pregnant and just being pregnant at all. I related with gabi when she said she felt like she wasn't enough and others didn't like her because I have felt that in the past too.
I know they say don't judge a book by its cover, but i'm really glad I did for this one.
jamilabedelia's review against another edition
5.0
Omg I’ve been looking for this book forever. I couldn’t remember the title just that the main character’s name was Gabi and that she was going through ALOT of stuff in her life. It was a perfect blend of humor and growing pains that also focused on some really heavy stuff. I remember laughing like crazy in one passage and also being incredulous that I was because as I said, Gabi and her loved ones we’re dealing with a lot of heavy stuff. It kind of reminded me of the absolutely true diary of a part time Indian in the way it infused humor and common coming age tropes along with shedding a light on more some more adverse struggles that a girl like Gabi or a boy like Junior would experience. I think it’s a touch sorely missing from YA. I think I took away from this novel that life is hard but poetry is freeing and friendships and love are worth fighting for.
emmaburlingham's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
goodsun8's review against another edition
4.25
She's in highschool so she's a little flawed so it's kinda frustrating there. But the story is really great and easy to follow. Written a little juvenile at points but then really serious at others.
gschroeder's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
maddiekl's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
grise's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
mdjones's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
lizlikesfrogs's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
It's usually hard for me to digest mexican-american authors, but I really liked this easy read. I found the discussions around catholic guilt and gender norms to be interesting since they're a prevalent issue within mainstream post-colonial mexican society. More so around the folks who have migrated to the Global North. I wish that Gabi's ED would have been addressed another way and not made into a "quirky" fat girl trait. The language around substance use also needs some changing, specially if younger audiences are reading this. Overall, a good pick.