Outstandingly

Bittersweet that the book ended because I had come to love the characters as though they were my friends, too. Take a journey of self discovery with a teen whose life was turned upside down and out of her control. Quirky, perceptive, and philosophical friends help her look hard at her self and her wants. Highly recommend.

what in tarnation

A free Kindle read I didn't expect to like so much. Much better than expected and moving in so many ways from the teen pregnancy and adoption, to the sister story that gets little attention but plays a big piece for me. YA I would definitely recommend.

The end came too quickly and it all resolved too simply.

Also, while enjoyed a lot about this book and am 100% here for the characters and the friendships, I have concerns that aren’t addressed within the pages.

Otoh in a discussion-oriented read, I can see it being a great potential beginning for conversations.

There is a predatory pastor who sexually abuses a young teen. He’s never held accountable and the whole thing is kind of kept a secret.

All of the adults SUCK. They are all unreliable. They aren’t even kind and well-intentioned.

Still 2.5 rounded to 3 because I think ADULTS should read it.

A quirky read, and entertaining enough, though I didn't find myself investing much in the characters.

This one surprised me!

I got this book for free on kindle, and when I first started reading it, I wasn’t very drawn in. I like YA books but this seemed toooo young for me. In the beginning the sentences felt short and stunted, and the character seemed very strange and difficult to relate to....but WOW it builds and builds continuously and suddenly I couldn’t put it down until I read the whole thing. I’m glad I kept going, and after getting into it I understood why it started the way it did. Fabulous book!

"Life is one big pair of Spanx. We squeeze to fit in. And if worn correctly, we can prevent chafing" defines the story of Esther, her sister Hannah, Tom, their "good enough is good enough" step-father, mother Julie and Esther's growing list of new friends, Color, Moss, Jesus and Beth. Each character (major and minor) is hiding some sort of truth. Eventually, the characters mesh and learn hiding truths sooner or later ends up hurting more than admitting it in the beginning.
Esther is a teenage girl good with math, keeping secrets and lying. Her secret is so embarrassing to her family that her step-father has uprooted the family from Ohio to Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. Sprinkled with corny math jokes( Why are obtuse angles so depressed? Because they are never right) complex math problems ( If the whole world is lying, does truth really exist?) and her journey from her past to her present, The Infinite Pieces of Us is not only a coming of age book, but a story of coming to terms with past mistakes, not being defined by them, and reclaiming oneself while repairing relationships.
As the story vacillates from Esther's past to present, the reader discovers all the characters carry some sort of secret. As Esther moves towards healing, several characters use adages " just because something is over doesn't mean someone lets go", and my favorite, "faith and bullshit wear the same clothes. It's impossible to know which is which" to add humor and illustrate their feelings.
Anyone trying to move past hurt will appreciate the many quotes throughout the book; " you can't experience truth without paying the consequence. It is unavoidable. That is why people lie, they lie for love and they lie because in most cases the truth hurts more," "memories are mind manipulations to keep you tethered to something that's no longer there. Free your mind and let it go" "simply being there is the most loving thing a person can do."
Love, sex, family issues, friendship and religion make a YA book relevant to the YA group. However, adults with regret of a relationship or decision may relate more to Esther as she tries to use her memories to reach closure, but learn to accept the "consequences" as sums of the truth.

Wonderful and quirky contemporary fiction for teens about finding your people, finding yourself, and understanding your family.
For fans of FAR FROM THE TREE.

I would probably have enjoyed this more if I didn't live in NM. Apparently the author has never been to NM much less T or C and it drove me nuts. NM is not Arizona! It's not hot here year round. It's a high desert and winters are cold. No one is swimming in December. That being said, I liked the author's style and phrasing and found the book interesting.