The Poet X

by Elizabeth Acevedo

[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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