Goodreads Review: Mirabelle's art teacher tells her she has talent, but what good is it doing her? Almost fifteen and friendless, Mira is plagued by dark thoughts. Her body seems to be changing daily. Her mother is domineering and half-crazy and her father — well, he's her ex-father, mostly out of Mira's life and awkward when he's around. Then she meets free-spirited, confident Catherine, a knockout who makes the boys' jaws drop. Not only is Catherine good at art like Mira, she also knows about kissing boys. Mira has never kissed anyone and doesn't understand the hungry way boys are beginning to look at her. Now that Mira's finally found someone she can talk to, her dark thoughts are vanishing. But as her friend encourages her to come out of her shell, Mira finds that her new-found confidence can still be shattered in an instant. Only after Mira faces a betrayal and a tragedy can she begin to put the fragmented pieces of herself together.
My Review: Did you know that Pieces of Me was initially published in Canada in French under the title La Liberte? Connais pas ... and it won the Governor General's Literary Award?
Me neither. Did you know that Pieces of Me was initially published in Canada in French under the title La Liberte? Connais pas ... and it won the Governor General's Literary Award?
Me neither. I don't normally come across books written in another language first, but I definitely will be looking for foreign books in the future. Mirabelle has such a unique outlook on life and her words are poetic. Hailing from a small town with a half-crazy mom (portrayed perfectly) and a father who left when she was young, Mira is figuring out who she is and gathering the pieces of herself.
Through heartwarming experiences, like having Cath as a friend and expressing herself through her art, we see Mira's world through her intelligent, yet lonely eyes. I loved reading this book. It was as if I could feel Mira's loneliness and desperation for a friend filling me up like a balloon.
She eventually overcomes her loneliness and comes to grip with her life after she goes to therapy and tells her secrets to a blind woman whom she helped on her first day. Each action by Mira is clear, and yet there's subtle undertones that create depth to her life and meaning.
Her relationship with the 'birdman' is interesting. He's her art teacher, and she views him as more than a teacher, but as a potential serious love interest, which I thought was a bit bizarre. Don't get me wrong, there's plenty of stories out there that have the teacher/student relationship so that aspect is believable, but I guess it was a bit weird for me to read through it.
There were a small few loose ends that I would've liked to have been tied up, but in reality it's all good. Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. The imagery was beautiful and the characters were unique.
Rating: 4/5
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