5/5 stars.

I cried on the last page.

This was so amazing.

I’ve always loved poetry, but reading stories in verse is so different from poems that have no correlations to each other.

I loved the feelings this gave me, the writing, the plot, as well as the characters.

You don’t always get to read stories about gay teens that are just trying to get through life, but when you do, oh my they are amazing.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this arc.

I thought this was a wonderul novel written in verse about Edgar as he struggles wether or not to come out to his father as gay. We navigate his thoughts abou9t that, his family, his crush etc and I thought it was wonderful. The poems Edgar writes are also beautiful and really made the story that more powerful.

Thank you to NetGalley, Edd Tello and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book, in exchange for an honest review!

A beautifully written poetry book based on two immigrant parents and how they are not accepting their son's sexuality. I loved how it was written in a way as though I was reading diary extracts.

This is a lovely little novel with a verse writing style, that is completely engrossing and emotional. There are some serious Elizabeth Acevado vibes with the books format and collection of poems. I adore books that are written in verse, especially those tackling such difficult topics, this novel especially follows MC Edgar, as he is trying to find the right time to tell his father that he is gay, whilst also trying to write poems and navigate high school, as well as his first crush.

I really love the inclusion of Edgar’s own poems in the novel and my personal favourite is “The Moon and The Sun” I liked the way that this poem was a take on a legend story he was told growing up and loved the relation the poem had to his own life.

The authors ability to show Edgar’s emotions through the verses and poems are phenomenal, with particular lines that really give you an insight into his feelings, such as “the same way Ama pretends I’m not gay” they really pull at the readers heartstrings, and make you love the MC more. Plus, it also shows the stereotypes that the LGBTQ+ community still face, as his mother refuses to acknowledge his sexuality and even goes as far as demanding he does not tell his father.

My only negative with this book is the ending, for me personally it ended abruptly, and I would have liked to read more of Edgar and find out just exactly what happened with his family “Spoiler”

Trigger Warnings: Being ousted and homophobia

Only Pieces is a beautiful and immersive book in verse that tells the story and internal battle of Edgar, a gay Mexican-American teenager who is trying to find himself and his place in life, while balancing his own internal anger, anxiety, and longing. Every word in this book is important and implants itself in the reader's heart. Only Pieces is an incredibly appropriate title for this book, as we see Edgar trying to fit different pieces of his life together- his writing, his Mexican heritage, his queerness, his poverty, and being a normal teenager.

Only Pieces was an incredible book that will absolutely stay with me. We get a real feel for Edgar's thoughts and feelings through poems written by him along with the masterful verse. Not only that, but we meet his best friend Allison and his crush Alex, both of whom have a real presence through the story, along with Edgar's parents who we see dealing with the crushing weight of poverty and the very real fear of deportation.

Edgar's tone is both naive and mature, hurt and hopeful, at the same time. We see Edgar dealing with problems that are far above his age and getting excited about his very first possible date. In this way, Edgar feels so real as a high school student dealing with many intersecting identities. The story ends in a place of hope, where I can imagine a future for Edgar where he finds the joy and light he deserves.

I loved how this book was written in verse and showed/ explained the struggles Edgar felt trying to be himself Whilst dealing with his surroundings and trying to figure out how to navigate his life.

'Only Pieces' is a beautiful coming-of-age novel written in verse, telling the story of teen Edgar, who is out to his mother but not to his father, at her encouragement. With both parents undocumented, Edgar struggles with the anxiety of never being able to release the tension simmering in his household, combined with the secret he carries about his sexuality. But meeting Alex might provide a breath of fresh air and hope for the future.

Tender yet grounded firmly in daily realism, the novel is an immersive experience of life as a teenager holding too much to carry alone. The clarity of the prose in 'Only Pieces' allows for an immediate dive into Edgar's psychological experience and his swirling emotional life. Each word carefully chosen, Edd Tello weaves a heartfelt tale of self-acceptance and finding your own strength. Although I found the ending a little abrupt for my personal tastes, I would highly recommend this read to anyone looking for a touching novel in verse, or fans of 'A Million Quiet Revolutions' or 'Ari and Dante'. I look forward to reading more by this author!

I am grateful to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of 'Only Pieces'. These opinions are based on my own experience of the book as an individual reader.