herlifewithbooks's review against another edition
4.0
YA realism, doing its thing. I do still wish 1 out of 2 YA books would skip the unplanned pregnancy plot line, but I think it's handled really well here - with attention to the specific culture Gabi and her friends live in. If you're gonna have a pregnant teen girl in your book, then I'd like to see something other than "OH NO, THE WEIGHT OF THE WORLD, SHOULD I KEEP THE BABY STRUGGLE STRUGGLE. And this is a great example.
Anywaaaaay, these reviews are weird because I read these books like 9 months ago so I'm just latching on to whatever little bit of the book I remember and trying to say any single thing about it. So, grain of salt? Not like you shouldn't take ALL Goodreads reviews with a grain of salt, but just thought I'd keep you in the know.
Anywaaaaay, these reviews are weird because I read these books like 9 months ago so I'm just latching on to whatever little bit of the book I remember and trying to say any single thing about it. So, grain of salt? Not like you shouldn't take ALL Goodreads reviews with a grain of salt, but just thought I'd keep you in the know.
meredithmc's review against another edition
5.0
This book will be my new go to recommendation for teens and anyone who works with them. I was excited, sad, heartbroken, and so much more for Gabi. This is a perfect example of the kind of book the "We Need Diverse Books" campaign is talking about. While it tells the story of a young Mexican-American woman, there is something in there that anyone who is or was a teenage girl can relate to. It's not only eye-opening in its realness but might help someone with a more sheltered background to start understanding a group of people she might be unfamiliar with and open her eyes to the lives & struggles of others.
I saw some reviews that said Gabi's feminist awakening seemed heavy-handed. I'd like to counter that when you're a teenage girl (especially one whose been raised Catholic and with the idea of being a good girl thrown at you), your feminist awakening is heavy-handed. It's overwhelming and you feel it so strongly that it does affect your daily life. Gabi's burgeoning feminism read as extremely honest to me, not over-the-top at all.
Oh, and she has a supportive, creative boyfriend who is down with her feminism and isn't afraid of showing emotion. Perfect YA boyfriend.
Also, there's a zine in the book!!
I saw some reviews that said Gabi's feminist awakening seemed heavy-handed. I'd like to counter that when you're a teenage girl (especially one whose been raised Catholic and with the idea of being a good girl thrown at you), your feminist awakening is heavy-handed. It's overwhelming and you feel it so strongly that it does affect your daily life. Gabi's burgeoning feminism read as extremely honest to me, not over-the-top at all.
Oh, and she has a supportive, creative boyfriend who is down with her feminism and isn't afraid of showing emotion. Perfect YA boyfriend.
Also, there's a zine in the book!!
maggior's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
fast-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? Yes
2.0
lucyblack's review against another edition
2.0
Not what I thought it would be like at all. I was expecting this to be grittier and more mature. Told in diary format 17/18 year old Gabi often sounds more 13/14 and at times her chatty tone really got on my nerves. I liked that topics explored- sexuality, class, drug use, queerdom, pregnancy.. but I felt like the author was ticking teen drama boxes and it would have been better to just pick one or two and go more in depth. Gabi talks about loving her city but I didn't get any real feel for the place, similarly she 'loves' her friends but there isn't much dialogue etc cos of the diary format so it is hard to feel her relationships are sincere.
In saying all that, I did want to finish it and there were parts I really liked. I liked that it included a zine, I liked her courage and her belief in her right to be fat and her right to be a woman even though she had so many crappy messages from those around her.
I would recommend 'Manstealing for Fat Girls' by Michelle Embree
In saying all that, I did want to finish it and there were parts I really liked. I liked that it included a zine, I liked her courage and her belief in her right to be fat and her right to be a woman even though she had so many crappy messages from those around her.
I would recommend 'Manstealing for Fat Girls' by Michelle Embree
ronielle's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book. Quintero has created such a strong voice for Gabi and I grew to love her in this book. I loved her sense of humor and in reading her diary I laughed out loud more than once. A great book that I will be sharing with my students and I will be looking out for more from this author.
samw0327's review against another edition
2.0
DNF. This book wasn’t terrible, but it just didn’t grab me. I needed to put it down because I want to read other things and it’s holding me back. Written as journal entries and poetry. I like the idea of the book, but just wasn’t invested.
aartzer's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book. It has so much voice and Gabi deals with so much.
bookbaddie's review against another edition
funny
inspiring
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
3.5
I listened to this as an audio book. This was geared more toward a younger audience but I still thought the lessons about being a teenager were insightful.
toadstoolsnshit's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75