I was really looking forward to this book because I absolutely adored her books This Side of Home and What Momma Left Me. Thankfully I was not let down.
Watson tells a beautiful story about Jade, a teen from the ‘wrong’ neighbourhood who is working incredibly hard to get out of it. She got a scholarship to a mostly-white private school, spends Saturday mornings doing various test preps, and even (reluctantly) joins Women to Women, a mentorship program for “at-risk” girls.
It’s also about art, and using it as a form of self-expression. Jade is a wonderful and passionate artist (collages especially), one of her best friends is an amazing poet, and her mentor’s sister runs an art gallery.
The book was released during Black History Month last year, and was overshadowed by the buzz around Angie Thomas’ book The Hate U Give that was released the month after. Both books talk about what it means to be a black teen in modern America, but do it in different ways. Piecing me together focuses more on the everyday microaggressions that African Americans face and how that can wear a teenager down and affect her life in every way.
It's a wonderful story that taught me a lot. Most importantly it forces you to consider the world from a different view (as good books should do).
Posted by Sas
Catalogue link: Piecing Me Together
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