Pieces of Me

I found this to be a very poignant and sensitive look at those awkward teenage years where children at the threshold of adulthood have such a hard time loving themselves, let alone their entourage. Mirabelle has gone through some particularly difficult moments with a needy mother and absent father: she resists forging an identity caught as she is by her negative perceptions. The themes are quite banal, but I liked the half-tones and the use of imagery to convey complicated emotions: from Mira's drawings to the Birdman who reaches out to her and her blind counsellor that heals her, each element is carefully weighed to present a soft but profound picture of a young girl.
Many of the images may seem trite to an adult, but I think would show more speak strongly to an adolescent. An altogether precious gem of a book - not to be flashed about, but to be treasured. show less

A well written and translated work about a 15-year-old girl, Mira, her loneliness, and her journey out of it. The emotions, which are well conveyed through the writing, are sharp, primitive, and honest. Best of all it is an intelligent young adult novel that’s short and thought-provoking.

Definitely a work that stays with you after you've read it.

I wobbled between 3 and 4 and settled on 4 since it was a translation and I could see this being beautiful in the original French. As such the writing had a distant feeling too it but was still very moving. It was a very short book and filled with lots of teen angst but it also had some very mature moments of self-awareness and a quiet strength. I liked it how about that. I liked that it was short too.

[The most compelling aspect was] probably the lonely factor. i couldn't get into the beginning, it was too feel-sorry-for-me kind of a thing. AHS/KR