Piecing Me Together by Renee Watson
Watson, R. (2017). Piecing me together. Bloomsbury. ISBN 9781681191058
Jade wants nothing more than to escape her small, poor neighborhood. She believes she can do it, and so does her mother, but everyone else? That isn't always the case. Always being presented with "opportunities," Jade is aware that people see her differently than she sees herself, but she wants to be seen for herself, not her skin color. Before she can make a mark on the world, she is determined to have others see her for who she is first.
Sixteen-year-old Jade Butler is a well written character. Being a junior in her private high school, Jade knows what she wants and is determined to get it, just as most students with goals are. All Jade wants is nothing more than to be seen, and heard for who she is, but instead has to deal with all the labels society has placed on her. Labels such as "in need," "overweight," "part of the minority," and so much more frustrate her, and it frustrates her that everyone cannot see Jade for her instead of the labels they choose to see. Like many people, she is unhappy with how people perceive her, and at first, she is unsure how to change that. Throughout the book, though, readers get to see Jade learn to stick up for herself and her beliefs, which leads us to root for Jade through every trial and tribulation she faces. At the end of the book, Jade achieves her goal of proving to herself and us readers that no matter the path ahead of us, with determination and a sound support system, anything is possible and can be achieved.
A big part of Jade's identity is that Jade is African American as we as readers experience microaggressions through her experiences, read as Jade fights to prove stereotypes people have about her wrong, feel for her as she gets unwanted catcalls while also having to deal with the extra pressure of coming from a lower socioeconomic status home. Reading about her experience was disheartening at times. When her own(white) best friend could not believe that Jade was being racially stereotyped at the school, or her teacher unconsciously did not choose Jade to go on a trip to Costa Rica and chose her white classmates to go instead. In reality, Jade's experience in Piecing Me Together is most likely very tame to some of the situations minority groups face in the real world. While Jade was able to have a happy ending, worked on helping her best friend understand what Jade goes through, and was able to speak to her teacher and advocate for herself to go on the trip, not everyone will have the same opportunity. One central theme that was brought up in the book is police brutality against African Americans, and that is something we hear about too frequently in our own news. It was interesting to see how Renee Watson highlighted the differences in culture/race through police brutality by how each race reacted to it. Jade and her friends and family became more cautious and angry at the treatment of African Americans. In contrast, most of her private school friends did not acknowledge the incident because it did not concern them. Many important topics were discussed in the book, and it gave the reader a small look at what many people face daily.
What do readers think of Piecing Me Together? Kirkus Reviews calls it "a timely, nuanced, and unforgettable story about the power or art, community and friendship." If you enjoy reading Piecing Me Together, you may also enjoy Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson. After reading, you too can become an artist and create your own collage (just like Jade) that is inspired and tells the story of your culture!
Awards and Honors for Piecing Me Together:
- NPR Best Books of 2017
- 2017 New York Public Library Best Teen Book of the Year
- Chicago Public Library's Best Books of 2017
- School Library Journal Best Book of 2017
- Kirkus Reviews' Best Teen Books of 2017
- 2018 Josette Frank Award Winner
Piecing me together. Kirkus Reviews. (2016, November 1). https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/renee-watson/piecing-me-together/
Piecing me together. Renée Watson. (n.d.). https://www.reneewatson.net/piecing-me-together
Watson, R. (2017). Piecing me together. Bloomsbury. ISBN 9781681191058
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