I’m not sure how I feel about this one still. I liked it while I was reading it but I found it very forgettable. I did really like the characters and the story line.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

The story was beautifully written and I loved the poetry. Edger, the main character, is Gay and his Dad doesn't know and his Mom struggles to accept it. The poetry was heartfelt.

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A very sweet and nice book about a Mexican- American boy who struggling to tell his undocumented parents he is gay. His macho apa coming back home after a time away is hard for Edgar. We see the tentions of a kid trying to be accepted by his family and friends. On top of that he suddenly see his crush on many occasions on his streets and start wondering maybe it can be more. The synopsis giving us direction for a romance between the two but in this book it's more of a subplot and we can only see the start of a beautiful relation between them. The main storyline is about the relationship with his family and the communication they have.
Written in verse and poems, each chapters and moments are lyrically beautiful and deep making the story go fast yet we slowly enjoy each words.

With a stories Q&A with the author, I know that there will be a sequel, set in Mexico, wich I can't wait to have finally a contemporary gay fiction set in Mexico, but I hope it won't be because the family has been deported, and that Edgar will miss the opportunity to be with Alex.

Only Pieces by Edd Tello is a unique and beautiful book that I want to read over again because I feel like it contains multitudes more than I expected. It's written in prose and flows in a fluid way that draws you into the story and into Edgar's life and family naturally. The representation in the book is nice to see with a Mexican American main character who is also gay. Edgar's family doesn't support him and the struggle and pain of that , along with living in America with all of its bias and prejudice, is portrayed in a simple but impactful way through Edd Tello's poetic words.

I think “Only Pieces” is a great title for a novel in verse, because every chapter indeed becomes a little piece of a puzzle, a piece in the bigger scheme of the story. In the course of the novel, we see our protagonist Edgar come to terms with being gay in a family that is both very machista and religious. We also witness him having his first crush on a boy, and trying to do something about it.

What I enjoyed the most was how easily the flow went, especially for a first time author. I loved how it reminded me of spoken word poetry, of certain elements stronger and more visible than others. Certain poems more personal, and vulnerable.

I really recommend this if you’re a fan of “Fifteen Hundred Miles from the Sun” or “Clap when you land” !

Only Pieces is a novel written in verse, and it tells the story of Edgar, a Mexican-American teenager who is trying to bridge the gap between who he is and who his family wants him to be. He is trying to tell his parents things about himself - that he is gay, that he wants to study literature, all while knowing they won't approve in the slightest. His Apá is a "macho man" and when he comes home after being away because of work, Edgar has to hide even more, he has to at least pretend he wants to be what his dad expects his son to be. All while, he worries about unpaid bills, the immigration deporting his parents, and is dealing with his crush on a popular boy, Alex.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. It was short and to the point, but the format and the writing really made the story feel tangible and the characters seem real. If you're interested in the book, and/or enjoy books written in verse, I would highly recommend this one!

Only Pieces by Edd Tello is a short piece of queer novel-in-verse, but it was an endearing piece and I love Edgar (the mc) so much!

I can't get over how fast I finished this one. It's literally so short, and yet the narrator's voice is so realistic for me, even though the writing is actually very simple and so easy to read.

This novel-in-verse follows a gay boy named Edgar as he goes through coming out, and meeting another boy, who he has a huge crush on, and being friends with him unexpectedly.

I'm giving this one a 3.5 stars over 5 stars. I do like it, but for a novel-in-verse the writing was too simplistic for me, almost as if the narrator (sometimes) feels like a middle grade character rather than a young adult. That's all, basically. Nothing else.

I love queer-latinx representation! It makes me feel so seen and heard.

I also love how this more focuses on the family aspect and how being queer affects the family dynamic.

The way this book is written is so personal and heartfelt. It feels as if I am reading a diary that I shouldn't be reading because it is so emotional and real.

Edgar is a young man from a traditional Mexican-American family. His Amá tells him not to share the truth about his sexuality with his father, who has only recently returned home. "Only Pieces" is told beautifully in verse through Edgar's perspective, interspersed with poems the character has written. Edgar's experiences and internal struggles will resonate with many teens. "Only Pieces" is a quick read that also manages to tug on your heart strings.

An honest, poignant YA story about finding love and exception. Authentic as it is powerful and moving.

Thank you to Netgalley and West 44 Books for providing me with an ARC of this book. And of course thank you to the author for writing such a beautiful piece of work.

It’s my first time reading this type of work, as it is a novel written in verse, and is visually very appealing and engaging.

I thought that maybe telling a whole story in verse wouldn’t be the best way, as there could be feelings lost in the lack of narration of the events, but oh boy I was so wrong. Feelings are there, and the poems written by the author can transmit so many things at once. I ended up loving it.

Our main character throughout this journey is Edgar, a Mexican-American gay boy who is living with his parents. The story includes triggering topics such as homophobia, mention of racism and bullying. Struggles are present in Edgar’s life and the way he expresses how he feels is very relatable. While I was reading this story, I only wanted Edgar to feel happy and relieved, it seemed like he was in constant tension every page you read. However, the ending has a very positive view of his life and the decisions he has to take.

A very tough but real story which many young people still have to go through every day. I want to thank the author again for portraying a reality in such a beautiful but raw way. It is so very needed, I hope many people (both young people who are experiencing it and parents/adults who can help them) end up reading this work and loving it as much as I did. <3

This was a very well-written, engaging work. It's extremely accessible but hits some deep themes such as identity, sexual orientation, immigration and culture. There are people that need this book now!

Rounding up to five stars. Wow. This was a delightful surprise - I didn't really know what I was getting into. So much is packed into so few words. It was an immersive read that really effectively depicted the tension that comes with living in poverty (with the added challenge of being undocumented) and the angst of being a teenager (with the added challenge of being queer.) The impact the author created with small and simple formatting changes was remarkable. I look forward to reading more from this author.

"Only Pieces" is such a well written story made into poetry. It was a beautiful story and I loved it.

The book is written in poetry form and follows Edgar who is secretly gay. The only people who know is his amà and his best friend. He also has a huge crush on his classmate Alex. After an unexpected meeting with Alex after he left his dad's apartment, Alex and Edgar starts to hang out more and slowly become friends. I really liked the characters, and the story was really nice even though it was very short.

I would definately recommend this book! It was so well written and brings up the struggle lgbtqia+ people sometimes have to face. I loved this book and highly recommend it!

I thought this book was super interesting! I found it super easy to connect with the characters! I thought the whole book was very inspirational. I had never read a book written in verse before and I really enjoyed it!

This was an interesting read because it's written in verse. And even though it tells a story very quickly, it does so in a really wonderful way.

Do I love text heavy, angst-filled stories? Yup! And even though I can absolutely picture this story written in short verse as a very angsty YA novel, I adored it as it is.

I just want to hug Edgar and every single child that is in similar shoes.

This book was provided by Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and West 44 Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Only Pieces by Edd Tello is a novel in verse that follows Edgar, who wishes for his Mexican-American family to accept his sexuality so he can start living his life aloud. There's hardly anything more that I could say about the plot without spoiling the whole book since not much happens in it.

I do wonder if this story would have benefited from being told in a different format, at times it felt as though the writing was unpolished and flimsy so the messaging and themes got lost in the lack of flow of the book. I am sure that the author had so many themes to explore but the novel was so short and told in a voice that felt so immature and not self-aware at all, that it was almost cartoonish.

While I am well aware that this is a novel intended for younger audiences, perhaps a more in depth exploration of toxic masculinity and latinidad that didn't fall into such stereotypes would have been well received. However, I can appreciate the potential in the clear style of Tello's poetry and will definitely be on the lookout for future—hopefully more thoroughly edited—works of them.

This was lovely! I don't normally read things written in verse, but the story stilled flowed nicely. The story centers on Edgar, and mainly focuses on his relationship with his parents. Edgar is gay and wants to tell his father, but his parents have traditional views on the LGBTQ+ community which causes a barrier between them. On top of this, his parents are undocumented immigrants, which means they have trouble getting by as it is extremely difficult for them to find jobs. Edgar also has a supportive best friend named Alison and a crush on a popular boy at school named Alex. While nothing in Only Pieces was something I've never seen before, the story still moved me and it was a quick read for me as I wanted to see what happened next with Edgar. I think many people could relate to Edgar's story. I reccommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and West 44 Books for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, West 44 Books, and Edd Tello for the opportunity to read Only Pieces in exchange for an honest review.

Only Pieces is a Hi/Lo (high interest, low readability) novel written in verse and follows Edgar, a gay Mexican-American high school boy. Being Mexican-American, his family is very tied to their culture, and part of that culture is heterosexual marriage. While Edgar's mom knows he likes boys, she always pushes him to keep his secret hidden, because they both know dad won't receive that information well.

Edgar has one friend and one friend only he can trust with his secret. Or so he thinks, but when he gets picked on by one of the most popular guys in school, he has his doubts. He happens to have a crush on one of his (part-time) neighbors, though he isn't quite sure how to go about hanging out with him.

This novel is about self-identity as well as learning how to navigate the social aspects that come with being gay. Edgar has to learn how to talk to his family and friends about who he is, and he has to learn how to find the courage to share who he is with other people, such as possible love interests.

This is an extremely fast and engaging read. I love books in verse, and this is one of the more intriguing ones out there. It has so much culture and diversity in such few words, a craft worthy of praise. An excellent book for any teen reader, lover of poetry, LGBTQ or Mexican-American experience interest, or someone who just wants to read a quick, but meaningful, story.