I received this book in exchange for an honest review - for a full review check out my YouTube or Goodreads account

Feel like this book had a really important message shining through about the line between standing out and blending in, race inequalities and needing to work harder to achieve the same outcomes as others.

watson has such an incredible voice, and that definitely solidified itself for me once i finished reading this book. i enjoyed everything it had to offer, especially the tough topics that were laid out and explored

Piecing Me Together, follows Jade a black scholarship student at a predominantly white school in Portland, who has been chosen for a mentorship programme for black girls.
I'll be honest, I struggled to get into this book to begin with but kept pushing on as I'd heard such positive things and I really wanted to enjoy it. Jades character was super complex and it was very interesting to see how she held true to herself through her different scenarios. This brought, another new understanding and view point of the highly complex nature of growing up black especially whilst navigating in a white privileged space.

Piecing Me Together by Renee Watson felt personal to me. I too was a POC girl growing up poor in Oregon and I loved this story about a girl working her ass off to succeed. There was a lot to say here about privilege and mentorship and racism and art. It felt like a really powerful and important book to have read and I hope it gains a wide readership.

Unfortunately, I have not been able to read and review this book.

After losing and replacing my broken Kindle and getting a new phone I was unable to download the title again for review as it was no longer available on Netgalley.

I’m really sorry about this and hope that it won’t affect you allowing me to read and review your titles in the future.

Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity.
Natalie.

Love love loved this book and it is one that I will for sure re-readin the future. I really enjoyed reading this and would recommend it to everyone!

(Please ignore the star rating - I hate star ratings)

Title: Piecing Me Together

Author: Renée Watson

Genre: Young Adult (with New Adult crossover appeal,) Contemporary Fiction

A Few Starting Notes:

I received a free digital review copy of this book via NetGalley. This is a fair and honest review.

This is where I once again point out that I’m a) Welsh and b) White. 

So my perspective of Black American life is obviously limited.

This book is like the forgotten sister of The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas – it covers a lot of the same ground, and was released in the US in 2017 (2018 here in the good ol’ UK.)

But it’s also a very different book to THUG, and is in no way a lesser take on the topics it handles.

This book is also Black American #OwnVoices.

The Premise:

Jade lives and grew up in a poor neighbourhood, where most of her neighbours are also Black people, and feels kinda out of place in her prestigious (and predominantly White) private school.

When she’s passed over for an opportunity she’s earned, and, seemingly instead of this opportunity, given a place on a scheme for under-privileged Black girls, Woman to Woman, she’s understandably pi**ed.

Add in a confusing friendship with a White girl who doesn’t seem to get the challenges Jade faces because of her race, and local police brutality against Black teenagers, and Jade’s really starting to feel out of place… well, everywhere.

The Best Bits:

This book is amazing.

The characters are so strong – both in the sense of their vividness, and generally as people.

Jade herself is complex and relatable.

Her frustrations as she battles to find her place in the world, and battles against the discrimination she faces, shines through the writing in a way that makes you honestly feel for her (and also wanna slap a few people on her behalf.)

But that doesn’t mean that the side-characters are one-dimensional – they’re not.

All of them seem to have a sense of being their own person, with their own motivations.

And, what is maybe unusual for YA, we also get complex adult characters, including Jade’s mentor on the Woman to Woman programme, Maxine.

Maxine is, in so many ways, just as lost as Jade – she just doesn’t think that she is.

The interactions between Jade and Maxine provide not only a medium for both characters to learn and grow as people, but also opportunity for the author to explore other themes.

Maxine’s family is considerably better-off, financially, than Jade’s, and that brings in a tonne of tricksy questions about the intersections and divisions of race and poverty and/or social class.

Elements of this book also reminded me a lot of Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera – a New Adult novel that deals with intersectional identities, and coming to terms with how the world sees you.

Piecing Me Together weaves these strands together with awesome skill and maturity, while still not losing a tone that (in my humble, admittedly non-teenage, opinion,) is still bang-on for its YA audience.

Not So Great Bits:

This book isn’t for fans of quick, action-packed, plots. This is character-driven.

That’s obviously not a bad thing in and of itself, but a lot of people don’t get on with books which are more character-driven, and I get that.

(If you do decide to take the plunge though, it is an awesome book.)

It’s also not a fast read – I think maybe because there’s so much hard subject matter and layers here, that you have some stuff to think about!

With it being a YA and everything, the fact that it is quite a slow read (I’m a fast reader and it took me a while,) is probably worth noting.

Also, maybe not one for when you’re tired and looking for something light!

Content Warnings:

This book does deal with some difficult topics, so be careful dearest nerdlets!

- racism
- systemic racism
- police brutality against black teenagers
- poverty
- elitism
- body-shaming
- low self-esteem/self-worth
- body image issues
- victim-blaming and gaslighting

The Verdict:

This is one of those eye-opening books that everyone should read if they get the chance. 

It’s also far too underrated – let’s change that, shall we? 😉

Thank you for the review copy. I loved this book SO much. I haven't read anything by Renée Watson before but I'm going to check out he other books now. Such a thought provoking read and I will definitely read it again.

This book was incredible, easily the best thing I’ve read this year. I could not recommend it enough, it’s incredible how much of an emotional punch was packed in such a short book. Can’t wait for Watson’s next book!

An moving and powerful read that deals with a lot of important issues such as class and racism and therefore I would recommend that everyone picks it up. I'd especially recommend it for fans of The Hate U Give, who may be looking for more books dealing with similar themes and issues. The only issue I had with the book is that it's very short and could have perhaps been expanded a little in order to give a little more space to some of the ideas.

I had heard so many good things about this book, and I kept seeing it on the buy one get one half price section of Waterstones. So when I saw it on Netgalley, I instantly requested it and luckily, I was sent it! As soon as I had downloaded it, I started reading it straight away and it took me three hours to read - in one sitting.

Jade believes she must get out of her poor neighborhood if she's ever going to succeed. Her mother tells her to take advantage of every opportunity that comes her way. And Jade has: every day she rides the bus away from her friends and to the private school where she feels like an outsider, but where she has plenty of opportunities. But some opportunities she doesn't really welcome, like an invitation to join Women to Women, a mentorship program for "at-risk" girls.

Just because her mentor is black and graduated from the same high school doesn't mean she understands where Jade is coming from. She's tired of being singled out as someone who needs help, someone people want to fix. Jade wants to speak, to create, to express her joys and sorrows, her pain and her hope. Maybe there are some things she could show other women about understanding the world and finding ways to be real, to make a difference.

This is 100% a 5 out of 5 star book. Everything was just absolutely perfect apart from one small thing: the beginning was quite slow. However, after the first few chapters, we become really involved in Jade's life and the struggles that she has to go through on a daily basis: it was the story of a black teen girl, who's also an artist and also just trying to find her place in the world and be proud of who she is. It's about her LIFE.

One of the things that I loved about this book was that Jade was an artist who specialised in creating gorgeous collages. Her goal in life was to travel the world, and in order to do this, her plan was to get a scholarship. She is offered a place in the Women to Women group - much to her chagrin - but she learns to enjoy the group and really make it her own. 

Some other things that I loved about this book was that there WAS NO ROMANCE, which was brilliant. I think that's real important to show that you don't NEED to be involved in a romantic relationship to be successful. Instead, there are views of family and friendship, and it was just really, really nice to see a coming of age story without any love interest. There was also some epic mother and daughter relationship scenes where her Mom was helpful, and then not helpful, and the whole relationship could be frustrating. But hey, who said getting along with parents was supposed to be easy?





I don't know what's worse. Being mistreated because of the colour of your skin, your size, or having to prove that it really happened.

- Renée Watson, Piecing Me Together





I also loved Jade's character development and how she learnt to speak up for herself and talk to the Women to Women group about what SHE wanted to learn. Watson also conveyed the fear of society that Jade had to go through every day because she was black, and I really do hope that other black teens read this story and take on the message that they do not belong in the background and their voice really does matter! Another great matter of representation in this book was that Jade describes herself as thick, showing a body-positive character who is comfortable in her own skin. 

Watson does an amazing job of creating a character who stands up for herself, who decides not to give up on what she wants in life and who also has great f/f friendships who love and support each other. This book is very much character driven and the developments in which every single character goes through.

If you haven't guessed already, I absolutely loved this book and urge everyone to read it!

Disclaimer: this book was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

I was drawn to this story because it is about a girl who is dedicated to working on her future and is not side-tracked or inspired by a love interest, so that was a major plus because unfortunately it’s so rare in YA. Seriously there was no love interest, not even a mention! Anyways — Jade lives in a poor neighbourhood in very White Portland and believes the only way she can succeed in life is to get out. She’s super smart and talented, and tries everything. When she’s put into a program for “at risk” girls to be paired with a mentor, she’s hesitant, because she doesn’t feel understood. I liked the idea of this story, and I’m glad I read it, but I found that it took a long time to get anywhere and that the writing was quite choppy and not flushed out enough. I barely knew anything about Jade’s mentor, who becomes a big character, and I always felt like I had missed something. I do think that this story will be a comforting read for young women of colour for Jade’s strength and determination.

This book was beautiful and had so much to say. In one way it was about a Black girl trying to get through life with a mother who works so hard and can barely afford to keep the family fed. On the other hand, it was also a book about a private school girl who finds it hard to assert herself and ask for what she wants out of life. And about how to make people listen to her when she does. It's about racism. It's about opportunities. It's about Spanish and poverty and being Black. It's about so much more than anyone could put into a small synopsis.

I loved the bits of Spanish at the start of each chapter and how much that Jade was into languages. They made such an interesting point about how giving a girl a trip to the opera when she's passionate about the Spanish language and making collages, isn't much of an opportunity when they could send her on a trip to a Spanish speaking country or help furthering her art. Giving her opportunities for an actual career and life rather than just viewing her as an underprivileged Black girl who needs charity.

At it's heart though, it's about Jade learning to speak up for herself. Learning what opportunities are worth pursuing and when she has to speak up and say "this isn't useful for me, this is what I want" and getting the people around her to listen.

This book really has something for everyone. It's an incite into what it's like to be a Black girl, what it's like to be a teenager and what it's like to live in poverty while also giving out advice and life lessons that is useful for everyone to know. Definitely one of the best books I've read this year.

While the cover did not stand out to me, I am really happy that I read the blurb and requested a copy of thus from the publisher and NetGalley (thank you!).

I found this book to be highly relevant and important for young people in the modern world in discussing race, equality and issues of tolerance and identity. While it is slow paced, it is the pacing of the day to day insights that help to make a well developed story, which explores characters and relationships in detail.

Yes, there are some similarities to Angie Thomas The Hate U Give but I found the topic to be a really interesting one and was glad to read a novel which continues the discussion of society and treatment of others. Will recommend!

When I saw this book, I have to admit that the cover and title alone didn't immediately grab me and honestly, I probably would have skimmed past it if I hadn't noticed the words John Green wrote about it on the front. I've long been a fan of his work, so I figured if he was recommending it, then it was worth a deeper look.
I'm so glad that it caught my eye because as soon as I read the synopsis that I was clicking on the request button.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. Whilst I did have a few issues with the characters and wanting a little more depth and development to them. On the whole, it was a great book.
It deals with a lot of really important issues in a sensitive and very real way. Delving into the emotions of situations and how different people see things in different ways.
While, as I mentioned, I did want a little more character development. Jade was a realistic, likable main character who kept me interested in the book.
I'm so glad I requested this one that almost got away.

Thank-you to NetGalley for, once again, providing me with food for thought. Not just about race, but a search for the self that will strike a chord with anyone who's ever felt uncertain about who they are and what they have to offer.

The writing is captivating. It's such a short book but it feels longer in a good way. Although I wouldn't of been against it being longer.
The characters transformation all felt very meaningful. They all seemed to learn things from Jade once she really found her voice and confidence to speak up for what she wants and feels.

Piecing Me Together really illustrates the frustration of people not seeing things from your perspective. The friendship between Jade and Sam was so complex and normally you seen this frustration played out through strangers, but for it to be a best friend that kept themselves ignorant was really something else. This book had moments of real power. It was inspirational and thought-provoking, one I would one hundred per cent recommend for those desperate for something more after 'The Hate You Give' and 'Love, Hate & Other Filters'.