"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.