The Poet X

by Elizabeth Acevedo

[Joséphine]

Ratings:
February 20, 2019 — 5 stars
February 28, 2018 — 4 stars

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February 22, 2019

Do yourself a favour and pick up the audiobook. Seriously. I enjoyed reading The Poet X in print last year but the audiobook? That's a whole nother level, I tell you. I was near tears listening to Elizabeth narrate her own book. She poured so much emotion into the verses, which brought Xiomara very nearly to life. It's no wonder I ended up loving The Poet X a great deal more than before.

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March 16, 2018

My full book review is up on Word Revel.

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February 28, 2018

Initial thoughts: The Poet X is the kind of book that shows teens that they're not alone, which is so important. Xiomara's experiences are of someone trying to find herself, trying to understand her beliefs and figuring out how to lead her life, all while these seem to be at odds with her parents' expectations.

Since this is a novel in verse, the focus is almost exclusively on Xiomara, her thoughts and her perspective. That lends a lot of depth to her and allows readers to better understand her through the vignettes of her life. I'm someone who prefers to see the larger picture as well, so for me, there were parts I felt were missing. That, however, stems from the format, not the storytelling. All in all, I enjoyed The Poet X and related to the strict upbringing that the main character is going through.

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Note: I received an advanced reading copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.