Piecing Me Together

Watson, R. (2017). Piecing Me Together. Bloomsbury USA.

ISBN: 978-1681191058

Plot Summary:

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.

-Amazon

Analysis:

Renée Watson perfectly captures the voice of our young African American character, Jade. She is an artist, but her mother will remind you she is also a scholar. Her tone is acutely teenaged, at times childish and innocent and in the turn of a page astoundingly mature. The story includes themes of poverty, race, and relationships. Jade lives in a poor area of Portland, but she is able to attend a private school across town on scholarship. This opportunity divides her from her friends and as the story evolves she feels like she lives in two worlds but doesn’t feel at home in either. The word ‘opportunity’ plays a role in the narrative. Jade has been given many, but she is starting to see these as ways that others are trying to ‘fix’ her. She walks a careful line with gratitude on one hand and defensiveness on the other. One such opportunity happens when her school asks her to be part of a mentorship program for young black female students called Woman to Woman. She is paired with a mentor who seems to be learning right alongside Jade about being true to who she is. This book has themes of inter-racial friendship, poverty, brief police brutality, and other racially significant elements. Jade carries herself with dignity and you see her character develop as she gains confidence in who she is. This is a thoughtful read that gives you hope for the future.

Book Reviews:

"This unique and thought-provoking title offers a nuanced meditation on race, privilege, and intersectionality." 

- starred review, School Library Journal

"A balancing act between class, race, and social dynamics, with Watson constantly undercutting stereotypes and showing no fear in portraying virtues along with vices. The book’s defiance of a single-issue lens will surely inspire discussion and consideration." 

- Booklist

Connections:

This novel is a good springboard for discussion about our American culture and how we can support and understand one another better.

Awards:

NPR’s Best Books of 2017

A 2017 New York Public Library Best Teen Book of the Year

Chicago Public Library’s Best Books of 2017

A School Library Journal Best Book of 2017

Kirkus Reviews’ Best Teen Books of 2017

2018 Josette Frank Award Winner

This review was created as an assignment for SHSU LSSL 5361.