Book Review of Piecing Me Together by Reneé Watson

I learned about Piecing Me Together by Reneé Watson from Francina Simone's unboxing video of the Call Number Bookbox here. Call Number Bookbox is a special one, and if you don't know what it's all about, you should watch the video because Francina Simone explains it beautifully. Bookbox subscriptions aren't in my budget (boy, if they were, I would be so dangerous), but I was so intrigued based upon what I learned from the video that I immediately put a hold on this book at my local library. Now that I've read it, Piecing Me Together has soared to the top of my "books to buy when I have money" wishlist. Because of my small budget, I have to be very choosy about the books I purchase, but, guys? This one will be so worth it! The cover is not only beautiful and unique, but it holds great meaning for the story.

I loved so many things about this book: how empathetic the characters of Jade and her mother are, how much their neighborhood reminded me of the one where I lived as a young girl, how wonderfully Watson conveyed Jade's twin passions for collaging (hence, the amazing cover) and Spanish, and how well she illustrated the need for intersectional feminism. The way Piecing Me Together showed that a mother/daughter relationship can indeed be loving and functional even in a household where the mom is working multiple jobs and money is tight really spoke to me. Despite dealing with several major social issues that are supremely au courant today, covering everything from police brutality and racism, to catcalling and body image issues to self consciousness about not having extra cash to spend and erasure of minorities from history to the fact that people are always trying to tell poor people what they need, like it requires money to be able to speak for yourself. ...and that is not even a complete list! Piecing Me Together falls gently upon readers, as if Jade, a fiercely intelligent and passionate 11th grader is talking to them while walking home from the corner convenience store, sharing a bag of hot chicken wings, and never comes across as preachy or too on-the-nose. Jade is a principled girl with realistic reactions to the world around her and honesty that is refreshingly humorous. She feels like a friend. I rooted for her from the start.

It would've been easy for Watson to identify a list of challenges or things that were lacking in Jade's life at the beginning of the book and wave her magic wand to grant them all without Jade having to put in the work, but Watson was above falling into that trap. Though Jade does get some of what she wants, she has to overcome interior and exterior obstacles to attain her goals, at times, taking risky gambles in the process. This just made me respect the author and the protagonist all the more. I love that Jade wants to be nobody's cause, that she wants to help people instead of having others always assume she needs the help. I also really appreciate that Watson gave Jade the artistic focus of collaging (as opposed to anything else) because it speaks to Jade's resourcefulness and doesn't present a character whose family can barely afford groceries as someone who magically has access to expensive art supplies. (I always hate it when books do that, and YA is so guilty of it in particular.)  

I recently reviewed The Education of Margot Sanchez here, and had many issues with that book, which I enumerated within my review. There are several parallels between it and Piecing Me Together, and what kept striking me as I read this book (in addition to the fact that I was repeatedly bowled over by just how good it was--seriously... so good) was that both books tried to do the same things, but only one succeeded.

I can't recommend this book enough. I know it is one I will be reading again and again.