Title: Pieces of MeAdd to Goodreads
Author: Amber Kizer
Publisher: Random House
Pub. Date: February 11, 2014
Genre: Young Adult
Rec. Age Level: 12+
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It isn’t until Jessica Chai dies that she truly learns what it means to live. Jessica spent the majority of her short life invisible to her parents
and peers. It isn’t until the final days of her life that anything remotely
notable happens to Jessica, when her long, beautiful hair is hacked off by a
posse of mean girls in the short span between classes. Jessica’s hair, a shield
to hide behind and an integral part of her identity is suddenly gone, leaving
her with unexpected, but not completely unwelcome clean slate. But, before
Jessica can unveil her reinvention to her peers she’s in a fatal car accident. She
doesn’t see a tunnel of light calling away from her old life, she doesn’t
simply blink out of existence, she simply stays, as invisible as before. When
her parents decide to donate her organs, giving four teens a second chance, Jessica
is angry; she knows her mother is manipulating Jessica’s legacy for their own
gain. She lingers somewhere between life and death, following the daily lives
of the four recipients. Time soothes Jessica’s bitterness about her life and
untimely death; what she first considers a betrayal by her parents, becomes the
very act that gives Jessica life and allows Jessica, finally, to be seen. Amber
Kizer’s PIECES OF ME is a raw, inspiring story of life after death and the
enduring legacy of a girl whose untimely death grants the gift of life.
PIECES OF ME is a departure from what I’ve come to expect
from Amber Kizer, but it carried the intensity and directness that I’ve come to
associate with her writing. Kizer doesn’t do fluffy, she does real. I was so
affected by the topic of organ donation that, immediately after I finished
PIECES OF ME, I went online and registered to be an organ donor.
The four recipients Jessica follows are so much more than
their illness or medical issue. They face complicated home lives, financial
hardships, and bullying. But, at the same time, they experience first love,
connection, spirituality, freedom, happiness, and best of all, the chance at a
future.
The only aspects of the novel that I felt off to me were the
romantic elements. Maybe it was that I wasn’t expecting any romance or simply
that I was focused on other plot lines, but I found the romance distracting.
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Pieces of Me Blog Tour
2/4:
Peace Love Books
2/5:
A Patchwork of Books
2/7:
Once Upon a Twilight
2/10:
Bookish
2/11:
The Hiding Spot
2/13:
Paranormal Angel
2/15:
Live to Read
2/17:
Jean Book Nerd
2/18:
Confessions of a Readaholic
Yes, I'm an organ donor.
ReplyDeleteI am an organ donor, I really hope that it can help someone if I pass away and they are still viable :)
ReplyDeleteMissie @ A Flurry of Ponderings
None!? How is that possible!? haha. Well, now you have plenty to read (as if you didn't have a huge list already, right?). :)
ReplyDeleteThe idea of this book is so interesting. I feel like the idea has been out there, but it is always just one organ. The concept of the soul splitting to follow all parts intrigues me. I am an organ and tissue donor. I figure I won't need them when I'm dead.
ReplyDeleteI think organ donation is the way to go. Great concept for a story though. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteOh yes, I LOVED The DUFF. And Fangirl made me swoon quite a few times too. Levi <3
ReplyDeleteI think The DUFF is totally overlooked!
ReplyDeleteI was reading this post a few week ago when I was looking for a new book to read and I choose "Anna and the French Kiss". I just finish it and I'm speechless. It's perfect. And it's made me want to return to Paris like right now ahah. "Fangirl" is also one of my favorite. It was the first time that I could really identify myself to a character (and the Cath/Levi relationship was amazing)
ReplyDeleteAhhhhh I am so happy that you loved ANNA, Melissa! Okay, now you have to go pick up LOLA AND THE BOY NEXT DOOR!! And I think the third book, ISLA AND THE HAPPILY EVER AFTER (??) comes out this year! I love hearing about people falling for St.Clair and Anna... I know that it's like a super popular book now and most people adore it, but I still get excited!
ReplyDeleteI also really identified with Cath! We definitely have difference, but the way that she interacts with people and how she felt about college at she arrived were so similar to me/my experiences!
I will order LOLA AND THE BOY NEXT DOOR really really soon (I can't find it anywhere in my city).
ReplyDelete