The Poet X

by Elizabeth Acevedo

Xiomara Batista feels unheard and unable to hide in her Harlem neighborhood. Ever since her body grew into curves, she has learned to let her fists and her fierceness do the talking.

• ISBN10: 0062662821
• ISBN13: 9780062662828
• Publish Date: 6 March 2018
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Imprint: Collins
• Format: eBook
• Pages: 384
• Language: English

Reviews

[Leigha]

Xiomara Batista learns to speak her truth through verse in this powerful coming-of-age story.

Where was this book when I was growing up? X’s struggle with religion, with her family’s expectations for herself, and with her own struggles of identity resonated with me big time. It is excellent at creating discourse around tough topics without loosing the heart of the character or the momentum of the story. I cried and cheered when X goes to get Father Sean to help mediate conversation between herself and her family. I loved the ending – it’s not picture perfect or clear cut, but it’s full of hope and healing.

This is a book for listening, not reading. The author herself narrates the story, and her passion for the subject is inspiring. It’s a short listen too, clocking in at 3 hours and 32 minutes – perfect for getting in one additional book before the new year. Her second book, With the Fire on High, is on my TBR list.

tl;dr A quick, impassioned exploration of love, faith, and the spirit of self in this lyrically and moving coming-of-age story.

[Pigpen.Reads]

Love the way this is written. I felt the characters emotions through it. I had a jaw dropping moment that had me shaking my head in shock. This is one of those stories that has an impact on you. Makes you realize some of the things you take for granted. That may just be my takeaway, but hot damn, this was a great read!

[mrs_mander_reads]

Loved this book - especially since the author narrated the audio.

[writehollydavis]

Wow!! This book was a poetry slam within a story and I Ioved every moment! X's voice is so strong and raw and real. Simply a masterpiece!

[maggiefan]

Surprisingly, I actually liked it.
But I would enjoy it MUCH MUCH more if it was prose. I don't know, I just don't see the point of poetry without a rhyme. Sorry.

[moraa]

Enjoyed every minute of it. A wonderful book that everyone should read.

[Beth C.]

This book deserves EVERY accolade it has gotten. And for me, audio was the way to go. The author knew the cadences and rhythms and it drew me in even more.

Even as an adult, I relate to this story. In my case, it's on a couple of different levels. First - I have that girl who has a body already, while many of her peers don't. She's strong, and muscular, and yes - she has a butt. She spends hours in the gym each week, working on her chosen sport - but her strength doesn't necessarily remove the feeling of "other" she can feel at times. And...I was a kid who grew up with a challenging relationship with her mother. I often felt like there was NOTHING I could say or do that would be *right* enough. There always felt like there was a "...but if..." to everything I did. I rarely felt truly loved or SEEN, and almost never really felt HEARD for who I was and who I wanted to be. So much of my life growing up felt like my mom's reaction to her own youth. From BOTH those perspectives, Acevedo *nailed* it. The feelings that have no where to go, the frustration at not feeling heard, for feeling like you're just an extension of your mom instead of who you want to be. And the empowerment that girls can feel when given the freedom to fly in the way that they choose...

I have worked very hard as a mother - harder than I like to admit sometimes - to be that mom who is firm, but always loving. Who supports, rather than restricts. Rules there are, but sometimes, those rules are made to be bent - occasionally, even broken. I wanted to be the mother I often felt like I never had. And The Poet X reconfirms that desire, from both the young me who never had it, and the older me, who is watching her own strong, beautiful daughter try to forge her own path.

[inlibrisveritas]

Absolutely wonderful. Full review to come.

[Amber (The Literary Phoenix)]

I never, ever reach for novels written in prose, but this one drew me in.

The Poet X tells the story of Xiomara, whose body betrays her at every turn. Her mother has raised her to be a good Catholic girl, but she struggles with the religion and her desire to find her own beliefs and place while being terrified of going to Hell and her mother's wrath. It's a complicated story to tell - on top of the religious conversation, Xiomara is a first generation American on her mother's side, she's a teenager trying to find her own, and she's a twin born to older parents. She's scared and passionate and alone and trapped and lost. Her brother Xavier could have his own book in prose as well - he's a story on the sidelines you wish you could see more.

And it's a beautifully written book.

Because Xiomara finds solace and strength in poetry, it makes so much sense that this book is written in prose. Beyond that, the poetry is simply beautiful. A lot of these poems stand on their own and like any good poem... there's bound to be one or two that reaches out and wraps its fingers around your heart. I really enjoyed the poetry, which surprised me. I'm very particular about my poetry. I'll fall in love with one poem and hate the rest. I didn't with this book - it flowed together spectacularly and was very gripping.

I'd recommend this to ANYONE interested in YA Contemporary and anyone who likes novels in prose.

[Sam@WLABB]

I know a lot of people are not huge fans of verse fiction, but I really enjoy it. Combine evocative poetry with a great story and an incredible heroine, and you would have The Poet X.

•Pro: Xiomara's was always being made to feel ashamed and "less than", but she was so much "more than". I had no idea where she got it from, but this girl dug deep within herself for the strength she showed. She had little to no support, yet she was able to keep her head on straight and rise to the occasion.

•Pro: Acevedo takes on a lot of issues pertaining to abuse, sexism, rape culture, body shaming, cultural norms, and religion among others, which she approached honestly and thoughtfully.

•Pro: The romance was quite sweet. It had its ups and downs, but eventually, Aman won me over.

•Pro: My emotions! My emotions! I was happy, sad, mad, glad. I wanted to do a happy dance, punch the wall, and cry a river. So many feels.

•Con: I developed an early distaste for Xiomara's family. They were harsh, judgmental, emotionally unavailable, hypocritical, abusive, and stifling.

•Pro: BUT, they grew a little during the story, and the changes were positive.

•Pro: Xiomara felt like she had no voice, and was waging her war with her fists instead. It was incredible to watch her transform, and see her utilize poetry as a way to explore her emotions and express herself.

•Pro: Thank goodness there were some characters in this book, who were team Xio. I especially loved Ms. Galiano and Father Sean. Ms. Galiano was a source of encouragement and fostered Xiomara's love for poetry, while Father Sean listened to her and offered advice.

•Pro: I really liked the ending. I felt like I saw the direction that many of these characters were moving it, and it was all positive, which always makes me happy.

Overall: An emotional and beautiful story of one girl's struggle to find her voice, which was set free via her poetry.

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