Gabi, a Girl in Pieces

Gabi is the narrator and protagonist of the novel. She narrates through her diary, dating each entry with the month and date but no specific year. She is 17 years old when the diary begins and turns 18 halfway through the story in January.

Gabi describes herself as “short, plump, long straight hair, and super-light skinned” (14). She relies on food for comfort and is aware of her weight and figure. When Cindy tries to tell Gabi that she’s “maybe a little chubby” (46) but not fat, Gabi thinks, “That’s pretty much what they say all the time, but it’s hard for me to believe when my own mother is constantly pointing out that I need to lose weight” (47). Part of Gabi’s coming of age is coming to accept her body unconditionally, which she expresses near the end of the story through her zine project.

Gabi is Mexican American, but her lighter skin leads to people always thinking that she’s White. This bothers Gabi not because she doesn’t like White people, but because people question her Mexican ethnicity and make racist comments around her, such as referring to her as a Ghost, Casper, or Whitey (35).

Gabi’s development as a writer parallels her