The Gallery of Unfinished Girls

The Gallery of Unfinished Girls

Authors

Lauren Karcz

Publisher

HarperTeen

Publication Year

2017

ISBN

9780062467775

Pages

340 pages

Genre

realism

Format

novel

Item Type

Fiction

Annotation

Mercedes Moreno is an artist. At least, she thinks she could be, even though she hasn't been able to paint anything worthwhile in the past year. Her lack of inspiration might be because her abuela is in a coma. Or the fact that Mercedes is in love with her best friend, Victoria, but is too afraid to admit her true feelings. Despite Mercedes's creative block, art starts to show up in unexpected ways. A piano appears on her front lawn one morning, and a mysterious new neighbor invites Mercedes to paint with her at the Red Mangrove Estate. At the Estate, Mercedes can create in ways she hasn't ever before. But Mercedes can't take anything out of the Estate, including her new-found clarity. Mercedes can't live both lives forever, and ultimately she must choose between this perfect world of art and truth and a much messier reality.

Grade Level

9-12

Lexile Measure

HL780L

Diversity Topics

Family Relationships; LGBTQ (Gender and Sexuality); Divorce; Family member death; Bisexuality; ill grandparent; lesbian; bisexual teenager; divorced parents

Main Character

female teenager

Race/Ethnicities

Hispanic; Puerto Rican

Awards

Rainbow List, 2019 Young Adult Fiction
Cybils Awards, 2017, Nominee, Young Adult Fiction

Keywords

artist; love; painting; unrequited love; loss

Diversity Impact

indirect

The Gallery of Unfinished Girls

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