34 Pieces of You by Carmen Rodrigues
Author Biography:
Carmen Rodrigues is the author of 34 PIECES OF YOU and NOT ANYTHING. She earned her MFA in creative writing from the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Information retrieved from Amazon.com
Published by: Scholastic Press
ISBN: 1442439068
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Reading Level: Ages 14 and 17
Reader’s Annotation:
Ellie, a wild, energetic teenager, has just committed suicide leaving her friends and family reeling. What drove her to it? As Sarah, Jess, and Jake try to sort out the reasons, a box found underneath Ellie’s bed containing 34 scraps of paper that may provide clues as to her reasons. But even if her reasons are discovered, the devastation brought by her death may never be healed.
Plot Summary:
Ellie, in one form or another, has deeply ingrained herself in the lives of Jake, Jess, and Sarah. In some cases, Ellie introduced them to illegal substances. In others, she represented a major change to what they thought they were attracted to. In others, she was a force of drama that made things interesting - or outright annoying.
All of them are devastated when they learn Ellie has killed herself through an overdose, sending each of them reeling and wondering what they could have done to stop it. Each one of them believes that if that done something different, they could have prevented Ellie from killing herself. Yet most of them only have an inkling into just how damaged Ellie was and how she suffered through her life. As each of them come to terms with her death, the reader receives a scrap of paper from a box Ellie kept hidden underneath her bed. Each scrap provides a clue as to the difficulties Ellie suffered through and what drove her over the edge.
Critical Evaluation:
34 Pieces of You is told through the alternating viewpoints of Jake, Jess, and Sarah. At times, these viewpoints can become confusing as they are not linear – sometimes Jake may talk about his experiences with Ellie before she died, and then several chapters later talk about what happened after her death. These constant shifts of characters and timelines can become confusing at first, though a reader can become used to it after awhile. Besides that, the book is written clearly and simply – very little of the dialogue used exceeds the difficulty of middle school text, but the content is extremely mature. Characters frequently curse, abuse drugs, and have sex. The book also deals with grieving, and how each character suffers and eventually moves on. Though the content is certainly mature, none of it is used in a way simply for the heck of it and all of it is central to the narrative.
Rodrigues has written a book that engages readers with the three main characters as they struggle with not only Ellie’s death, but also who they are and what they are becoming.
Curriculum Ties:
Challenge Issues:
Defensive Maneuvers:
Book Talk Ideas:
How can somebody's experiences in the past influence who they become in the future?
Why This Book?
34 Pieces of You explores suicide, guilt, and coping in a believable and honest fashion. Each of the characters are damaged, and each truly feel like they could have made enough of a difference to stop Ellie and perhaps make her a happier person. Yet the ultimate message of the book is that while we may feel these ways, and while we may desire an answer for why someone may take his or her own life, there may have been nothing we can do nor any way we could discover the reasoning behind the action. Despite the dark tone, 34 Pieces could be used to help teens understand these facts and perhaps help them move on with their lives.
Carmen Rodrigues is the author of 34 PIECES OF YOU and NOT ANYTHING. She earned her MFA in creative writing from the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Information retrieved from Amazon.com
Published by: Scholastic Press
ISBN: 1442439068
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Reading Level: Ages 14 and 17
Reader’s Annotation:
Ellie, a wild, energetic teenager, has just committed suicide leaving her friends and family reeling. What drove her to it? As Sarah, Jess, and Jake try to sort out the reasons, a box found underneath Ellie’s bed containing 34 scraps of paper that may provide clues as to her reasons. But even if her reasons are discovered, the devastation brought by her death may never be healed.
Plot Summary:
Ellie, in one form or another, has deeply ingrained herself in the lives of Jake, Jess, and Sarah. In some cases, Ellie introduced them to illegal substances. In others, she represented a major change to what they thought they were attracted to. In others, she was a force of drama that made things interesting - or outright annoying.
All of them are devastated when they learn Ellie has killed herself through an overdose, sending each of them reeling and wondering what they could have done to stop it. Each one of them believes that if that done something different, they could have prevented Ellie from killing herself. Yet most of them only have an inkling into just how damaged Ellie was and how she suffered through her life. As each of them come to terms with her death, the reader receives a scrap of paper from a box Ellie kept hidden underneath her bed. Each scrap provides a clue as to the difficulties Ellie suffered through and what drove her over the edge.
Critical Evaluation:
34 Pieces of You is told through the alternating viewpoints of Jake, Jess, and Sarah. At times, these viewpoints can become confusing as they are not linear – sometimes Jake may talk about his experiences with Ellie before she died, and then several chapters later talk about what happened after her death. These constant shifts of characters and timelines can become confusing at first, though a reader can become used to it after awhile. Besides that, the book is written clearly and simply – very little of the dialogue used exceeds the difficulty of middle school text, but the content is extremely mature. Characters frequently curse, abuse drugs, and have sex. The book also deals with grieving, and how each character suffers and eventually moves on. Though the content is certainly mature, none of it is used in a way simply for the heck of it and all of it is central to the narrative.
Rodrigues has written a book that engages readers with the three main characters as they struggle with not only Ellie’s death, but also who they are and what they are becoming.
Curriculum Ties:
- Self-mutilation
- Suicide
- Coping
- Homosexuality
Challenge Issues:
- Homosexuality
- Substance abuse
Defensive Maneuvers:
- Have the library's collection policy on hand and memorized. Even though you may have it committed to memory, being able to show specific provisions as proof with strengthen your position.
- Be familiar with the book. Having great knowledge of it will prove you understand the content and the way the challenged matters interact with each other.
- Cite any awards the book may have. Though the patron may disagree with the book, showing that it is well known and seen as having great literary merit will strengthen your defense.
- Have a few reviews ready from respected sources such as Amazon or VOYA. At the very least, you can prove you understand the material and reviews will corroborate that.
- Have a strong idea WHY that item is in the library. Explain its merits, who the intended audience is, and so on.
- State your library's commitment to providing intellectual freedom as written in the Library Bill of Rights.
- Stay calm. Getting defensive or hot under the collar will only weaken your position.
- And finally, be open to discussion and LISTEN. Even if you do not agree with the patron, their concerns are still legitimate and you should show that you are engaged with them. Listening to their concerns may be enough to take the edge off.
Book Talk Ideas:
How can somebody's experiences in the past influence who they become in the future?
Why This Book?
34 Pieces of You explores suicide, guilt, and coping in a believable and honest fashion. Each of the characters are damaged, and each truly feel like they could have made enough of a difference to stop Ellie and perhaps make her a happier person. Yet the ultimate message of the book is that while we may feel these ways, and while we may desire an answer for why someone may take his or her own life, there may have been nothing we can do nor any way we could discover the reasoning behind the action. Despite the dark tone, 34 Pieces could be used to help teens understand these facts and perhaps help them move on with their lives.