The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo HarperTeen, 2018 The Poet X is the beautifully written debut novel from slam poet Elizabeth Acevedo. Written in verse, the story follows Xiomara, the daughter of Dominican immigrants growing up in Harlem. Her father is in her life, but emotionally absent, her twin brother is a genius, and her extremely religious mother expects Xiomara to be pious, faithful, and fully devoted to God. Xiomara just wants to be heard and be who she is, but she struggles to express herself to those around her. Xiomara records her thoughts in a leather bound journal, writing poems to describe how she feels, who she desires to be, and what’s really in her heart. She is fierce and sharp with her words, which comes from the necessity of protecting herself from the advances of men of all ages. Xiomara describes herself as curvy, with a bubble butt, and as an “Amazon.” Her features attract the unwanted advances of many men throughout the story, which is a timely and relevant topic to discuss. She wants desperately to find a boy, falling for the sensitive, soulful Aman, her lab partner in biology class. As she struggles to speak for herself, her English teacher invites her to join the school’s slam poetry club. Reluctant at first, through the encouragement of her brother and friends, she eventually realizes the power of her own words. This book is incredibly timely. The topics and themes are ones that most readers will easily relate to. I appreciate that the author didn’t shy away from discussing what the unwanted sexual advances of men felt like for Xiomara. The issues her family faced are relatable, as well, and the story ultimately ends on a positive note with all characters finding their way forward together. My favorite part of this book is Xiomara herself, especially as The Poet X, her stage name. I loved her fierceness, how protective she was of her friends and brother, and I especially loved how much her character grew. X became even stronger through slam poetry and realized how powerful her thoughts and words could be to herself and others. I was so impressed by this novel and the beauty of the poems, characters, and themes within. There is some mild language and sexual themes, so I would recommend this book for high school and up. I cannot wait to see what else Acevedo has in store for us in the future!
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The Cruel Prince by Holly Black Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2018 “You have only seen the least of what I can do.” The Cruel Prince is a beautiful introduction to Holly Black’s new series, “The Folk of the Air.” The story centers around Jude, who at seven years old, is brought to live in Faerie when her parents are murdered. That’s already a heavy load to start a story with, right?! Jude and her sisters grow up among the faeries, pixies, goblins, and magic, but this is not your normal fairy tale. This epic book is dark, enthralling, and sometimes, down-right dirty. Jude desperately wants to belong in faerie and dreams of becoming a knight in the High King’s court. As the time approaches to declare herself, the High King decides to abdicate the throne and pass the crown on. This is only the beginning of an incredible, brutal saga that tests each character’s loyalty and just how far they will go to gain power over the faerie kingdom. The world-building that takes place in this story is incredible! Faerie is both beautiful and magical, while dark and cunning. Black provides such detailed accounts of everything in faerie, including the different castles, characters, and even the flora and fauna. The reader really is transported to their world, and you can even sense the lines where the mortal and immortal world blur together. The characters are probably my favorite aspect of this book. Each one is so well-developed and enigmatic. My friend (who also read the book) and I decided that each character is neither black or white, they are all shades of gray. Each one has some good and some bad mixed in. Of course, some are worse than others, but there are a few characters you want so desperately to believe are good and loyal. But, no matter how you dice it, they all carry around dark and light. I loved this, especially when one minute you loathed a character, and the next couldn’t believe the kindness that came from them. Jude, the main character, is a strong young woman who, when faced with incredible adversity, develops into a cunning warrior. She is brutal yet honest, and dark yet hopeful. Her perspective and narration makes the story so engaging, and as a reader, you are constantly pulling for her to “win.” The Cruel Prince, with its view of the dark side of faerie, has some very brutal moments. When the action begins, it does not stop! There is lots of deception, betrayal, and blood, and it all hits at moments when you least expect it. There were several times I had to close the book to process what had just happened, in a good way, of course. This is a fantastic book that I would highly recommend to students 8th grade and up (due to violence, some language, and some sexual innuendo/references). It’s a dark look into the world of faerie, packed with action, intrigue, and mystery. I cannot wait for the next addition to this series, The Wicked King, which is set to be published in January 2019. |
AuthorMy name is Mrs. Scott and I'm a secondary Media Resource Specialist (librarian) in Texas. This blog was created as part of my graduate coursework at Texas Woman's University. All reviews and opinions are my own.
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