Reviews with content warning for Religious bigotry - Poeta X

I really enjoyed this. I really related to the topics discussed like how you can’t help having boobs and it’s not your felt if men are idiots. Also about not really being sure about your faith and questioning it, I don’t think that’s a topic discussed enough. I do wish we got to see more of her relationships.

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wordswoods's review against another edition

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challenging tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

The story follows a teenage girl with a very strictly religious mother as she tries to navigate herself through fitting her mother's mold with the way she sees herself. Along the way, she (re)discovers (slam) poetry.

I liked this novel, but I wasn't as blown away by it as I've seen other people be. The audio performance is very well done, the story is good, but it didn't really pull me in or move me as much as I thought it would.

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ingrid21's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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_kimb's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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grayswagner's review against another edition

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emotional reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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grace007's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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rhisreadsmp4's review against another edition

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emotional sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

this is a beautiful book and i'd recommend it to anyone looking for a story that follows a girl finding their voice.

i love that this was written in verse and yet, it doesn't feel forced. instead, the poetics of it feel intentional and natural, especially later on. the flow gets more refined, the imagery more vivid and it reflects the way that xiomara finds and then cleans up her voice and makes it powerful for her. her poetry, her voice are strong and they paint such tangible images and it's lovely.

the only thing that keeps me from committing to a full five stars is the conflict resolution at the end.

the situation with twin and cody feels a little forgotten, and the situation between x and her mom is wrapped up a little too neat. i love that her mother ends up being supportive and it shows a beautiful moment between a mother and a daughter who have been at odds for years. however, there's very clearly been a lot of abuse and religious trauma places onto x by her mother and it's a little confusing for a few weeks of talking to their pastor completely solve all of it, especially when acevedo spends the whole time delving into x's internal conflicts regarding her mom and religion. it just feels a little too clean cut, but i still do love that x's mom finds a way to be supportive of her daughter.

ultimately, it's a beautiful book with beautiful storytelling. acevedo is a ridiculously talented author and poet, and i'm very excited to continue reading her work.

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