Piecing Me Together by Renèe Watson is a realistic fiction novel about the main character Jade and her story of friendship and longings. Jade is interested in art as she makes pieces out of anything she can find, like fabrics, and creates it into a masterpiece. She doesn’t live in the best part of town but is invited to come to a private school through tuition. She looks forward to their Study Abroad program which she hopes to get into. Upon her acceptance to the private school, she has to leave her best friend Lee Lee, who stays a good friend throughout the whole book. She meets a girl named Sam who sits in the same bus as her everyday, and she soon figures out Sam has many similarities. When Jade gets accepted into the Women to Women program, which is about leadership and mentorship, she feels saddened and even more heartbroken when she hears Sam was chosen for the Study Abroad Program.
This book shows a series of problems she faces with her friends and especially her mentor, Maxine, who seems to ignore her for her boyfriend. Will she solve these problems or hide under their shadows? I loved this book and especially how the problems Jade faced are real life problems a lot of teens face. Through breakups and friendships, this book really is made for teenagers to read. It also introduced the problem of being controlled and oppressed in many situations where Jade felt helpless. The cover was eye catching as it revealed something that Jade would make as an art piece. The different fabrics really gave a depth to the meaning of the cover, which you figure out as you read the book.
Overall, I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars because of its amazing contents and awesome plot.