Piecing Me Together by Renée Watson

Synopsis: Jade believes she must get out of her neighborhood if she’s ever going to succeed. Her mother says she has to take every opportunity. She has. She accepted a scholarship to a mostly-white private school and even Saturday morning test prep opportunities. But some opportunities feel more demeaning than helpful. Like an invitation to join Women to Women, a mentorship program for “at-risk” girls. Except really, it’s for black girls. From “bad” neighborhoods.

But Jade doesn’t need support. And just because her mentor is black doesn’t mean she understands Jade. And maybe there are some things Jade could show these successful women about the real world and finding ways to make a real difference.

Friendships, race, privilege, identity—this compelling and thoughtful story explores the issues young women face.
Review: Piecing Me Together was one of those books I heard a lot of good things about, but I was still surprised at how much I loved it. Jade was an incredible character and I enjoyed seeing her work towards her goals. She never let anything get in her way and I think that's admirable. She was also incredibly aware of how people treated her. I know that's a common thing for African-American people to by hyper aware of how things are said and done differently around them. I'm not black, so I don't know if there is a certain age they start to notice, but I liked seeing Jade's perspective as she navigates these moments.

This book is a great example of how the summary is only a small part of what the entire story is about. While Jade does get into a mentorship program and she has to work out her feelings about the program, Piecing Me Together is really about the other relationships in Jade's life as well. We get to experience how she interacts with her mother, her friends, her teachers, and other characters. We see how these people and relationships are what helps Jade become who she is.

Beautiful story with a lot to take away from it.

5 howls