88 pages • 2 hours read
All the Broken Pieces
A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Book Brief
240
Novel • Fiction
United States • 1970s
2009
Middle grade
10-14 years
HL680L
Super Short Summary
All the Broken Pieces by Ann E. Burg follows Matt Pin, a Vietnamese American boy adopted by an American family after escaping war-torn Vietnam. Matt navigates traumatic memories, racial bullying, and cultural identity challenges while finding solace in piano and baseball. Through support from his adoptive family and war veterans, Matt begins to heal and hope for reconnection with his birth family. The book features themes of war, trauma, and ableism.
Emotional
Contemplative
Melancholic
Hopeful
Heartwarming
Reviews & Readership
7,618 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Review Roundup
Ann E. Burg's All the Broken Pieces is lauded for its poignant portrayal of a Vietnamese adoptee's struggle with his past, enriched by evocative verse. Critics appreciate its accessible language and emotional depth, but some find the narrative's resolution overly simplistic. Overall, it's celebrated for its heartfelt exploration of identity and healing.
Who Should Read All the Broken Pieces?
A reader who would enjoy All the Broken Pieces by Ann E. Burg is likely a middle or high school student interested in historical fiction and emotional, character-driven stories. Fans of The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen and Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai will find similar themes of resilience and identity.
7,618 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
240
Novel • Fiction
United States • 1970s
2009
Middle grade
10-14 years
HL680L
Continue your reading experience
Subscribe now to unlock the rest of this Study Guide plus our full library, which features expert-written summaries and analyses of 8,000+ additional titles.