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gwenswoons's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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
Just finished this and wept (not for the first time while reading it). I have physical copies of both this and Family Lore (which is next-ish on my TBR, esp now ❤️), but I downloaded The Poet X on audio on a whim a week ago - read by the author herself, so gorgeously it stops the heart. I’ve been listening on the way to and from my quartet rehearsals this week, and kept often having to turn it back a minute to just hear the words one more time, sometimes two - every single line, word, moment is so precious and so unlike anything I have ever read. I cannot tell you how much you need to read this book. Every word is a miracle.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Homophobia
joynayakate's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual harassment
Minor: Homophobia, Physical abuse, and Religious bigotry
micaelacccc's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
This hit so hard for me, it was so beautiful, such an important book that everyone should read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Sexism, Sexual harassment, Child abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Body shaming, and Bullying
Minor: Pedophilia
jessiecat's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Body shaming, Sexual harassment, and Physical abuse
quechl's review against another edition
3.75
A good book that wasnt to my taste.
this is a pretty well-written book. it develops a well-written story about a teenage girl struggling with family, religion, body dysphoria, and more. it was objectively good. it just wasnt for me, something i knew going into it (modern/contemporary books dont tend to be my cup of tea, but i was trying to branch out a bit), and i will admit, the final chapters really hooked me in, but it otherwise wasnt to my taste. the characters are well written, but frankly, i dont find very many of them likable. X is fine, and that's the only perspective you see, but the other characters (her mother in particular) are... something. well written, but REALLY not all that likable. Her mother genuinely made me so angry; and while that's definitely a sign of good storytelling, i don't think i was meant to be as genuinely upset at her as i was. i did not expect her to be as downright emotionally abusive as she was, intentionally or not. abuse is abuse, and the ending really upset me, especially how easy to forgive X was.
this is a pretty well-written book. it develops a well-written story about a teenage girl struggling with family, religion, body dysphoria, and more. it was objectively good. it just wasnt for me, something i knew going into it (modern/contemporary books dont tend to be my cup of tea, but i was trying to branch out a bit), and i will admit, the final chapters really hooked me in, but it otherwise wasnt to my taste. the characters are well written, but frankly, i dont find very many of them likable. X is fine, and that's the only perspective you see, but the other characters (her mother in particular) are... something. well written, but REALLY not all that likable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Body shaming and Dysphoria
Minor: Sexual content
rebeccafarren's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, and Religious bigotry
beldaran1224's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
sad
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
4.75
I highly recommend the audiobook, as the narrator (also the author) does an exceptional job at giving voice to Xiomara. It a coming-of-age story that will move you over and over, and for adults, will remind us of what it means to be a teen just figuring things out. It isn't an easy story - Xiomara goes through a lot.
The only reason this isn't 5 stars is the ending isa bit too neatly wrapped up, with abusers doing about-faces and all wounds healing.
Content warnings:vivid portrayals of parental abuse; frequent portrayals of sexual harassment of minors (catcalls, groping, etc.); religious trauma with Catholicism as the religion depicted; heavy depictions of misogyny, particularly related to sex, bodies and menstruation. All of these are interrogated & narratively condemned.
The only reason this isn't 5 stars is the ending is
Content warnings:
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Homophobia
Minor: Outing
kindredspirit7's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This book is absolute perfection. The audiobook is impeccable. I don’t live in New York. I’m a white middle class young woman from the Appalachian mountains. But there was something so relatable in the way x related with Christianity and the way she experiences her first love. Her relationship with her mother. It all spoke to the 16 year old girl in me who was grappling with love and sex and who she was all while surrounded by a family that was pious and knowing she was different. The writing is beautiful. The story is heartwarming and heartbreaking. I laughed, I cried, I felt angry for X. If I could make it everyone read this book I would.
Content Warnings
Minor: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Bullying, Cursing, Alcohol, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, and Body shaming
joey_schafer's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Sexual harassment, and Child abuse
saucy_bookdragon's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-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
5.0
ca·thar·sis
/kəˈTHärsəs/
noun:
the process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions.
Catharsis is what I felt reading this.
This gripped me, I picked it up on a whim from the library looking for something short and couldn't put it down, enraptured by the beautiful writing and compelling characters. I finished the book at one in the morning, laid down in my bed, and cried for ten minutes or so.
The Poet X is written gorgeously and empathetically. I took a lot of pictures of pages because of how much I loved each poem and how some of them resonated so deeply with me. It never gets so loss in its metaphor and prose to forget the plot, balancing the two and enhancing both. It is a coming of age story about a girl who is fighting for agency in a household where she has none, mainly through her art. It's amazingly complex with each character having multiple layers, even the less savory ones. All while dealing with heavy topics such as religion, abuse, and misogyny with empathy and making the story both empowering and realistic.
And the book is overflowing with a love for writing. It being the main way that our protagonist, Xiomara, finds her agency. This love is weaved into the poetry itself of the book, illuminating the power of prose.
TWs: parental abuse justified with Catholicism and including physical violence, groping and sexual harassment, misogyny, homophobia, blasphemy.
/kəˈTHärsəs/
noun:
the process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions.
Catharsis is what I felt reading this.
This gripped me, I picked it up on a whim from the library looking for something short and couldn't put it down, enraptured by the beautiful writing and compelling characters. I finished the book at one in the morning, laid down in my bed, and cried for ten minutes or so.
The Poet X is written gorgeously and empathetically. I took a lot of pictures of pages because of how much I loved each poem and how some of them resonated so deeply with me. It never gets so loss in its metaphor and prose to forget the plot, balancing the two and enhancing both. It is a coming of age story about a girl who is fighting for agency in a household where she has none, mainly through her art. It's amazingly complex with each character having multiple layers, even the less savory ones. All while dealing with heavy topics such as religion, abuse, and misogyny with empathy and making the story both empowering and realistic.
And the book is overflowing with a love for writing. It being the main way that our protagonist, Xiomara, finds her agency. This love is weaved into the poetry itself of the book, illuminating the power of prose.
TWs: parental abuse justified with Catholicism and including physical violence, groping and sexual harassment, misogyny, homophobia, blasphemy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Homophobia