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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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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