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pchopd's review against another edition
5.0
I want to listen to the audiobook of this, as I feel this voice was meant to be heard. A beautiful telling, and another wonderful read from Momela
Many lines that caught my breath, like:
“It’s not one thing that makes me wonder about the capital G.O.D.
About a holy trinity that don’t include the mother…”
Many lines that caught my breath, like:
“It’s not one thing that makes me wonder about the capital G.O.D.
About a holy trinity that don’t include the mother…”
sullivc5's review against another edition
emotional
medium-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
bookishtiff1's review against another edition
4.0
This was so different from everything I’ve read before. It was beautiful. It was very easy to follow and I loved everything about it. The poetry flowed beautifully and effortlessly. The story told was powerful and moving. I would 100% recommend this book. It is hard hitting but it is also a good quick read.
stephaniesteen73's review against another edition
5.0
Fantastic on audio, read by the author. Her writing is so lyrical and beautiful, yet tackles some difficult issues. Xiomara is a great character!
elizabethfisher's review against another edition
5.0
This story, told through poetry, is a beautiful and real portrait of life for a teenager in a world that looks down on young women, especially those who are Black or POC. Xiomara deals with a lot of challenges over the course of the book, including a strict, religious mother who, in trying to protect her daughter from the evils of the world, mostly succeeds in stifling her. Xiomara also experiences constant sexual harassment from her classmates and from just about every direction. I felt as if I was experiencing the world as Xiomara even though I am far from being a 15 year old Dominican girl.
If poetry isn't your usual go to or if you think that a novel should be written in prose, I encourage you to give this book a chance--you may be surprised. And if you still don't connect with it, you at least got to experience a bit of this great story. The poetry is accessible and powerful but not snooty--it's a spoken word style, Acevedo's specialty. I would imagine that a lot of young women who don't find themselves in many books will identify with this story very strongly. And for those who don't share a similar history with Xiomara, I think this book will give you a powerful glimpse at what those experiences are really like. (Anyone who says catcalling should just be taken as a compliment should read this and you will see just how painful and damaging those kinds of comments are.)
If poetry isn't your usual go to or if you think that a novel should be written in prose, I encourage you to give this book a chance--you may be surprised. And if you still don't connect with it, you at least got to experience a bit of this great story. The poetry is accessible and powerful but not snooty--it's a spoken word style, Acevedo's specialty. I would imagine that a lot of young women who don't find themselves in many books will identify with this story very strongly. And for those who don't share a similar history with Xiomara, I think this book will give you a powerful glimpse at what those experiences are really like. (Anyone who says catcalling should just be taken as a compliment should read this and you will see just how painful and damaging those kinds of comments are.)
clowdywings's review against another edition
3.0
3.75 -
I normally don’t enjoy books that are in poems. It’s hard for me to get into because poets like to use enters in strange ways. I don’t know how but I somehow got really into this book.
The best parts about this book is the raw emotions and the brutal honesty. It was hard to read in some spots because of the content. Xiomara’s mother for most of the book does not treat her kindly. I also didn’t like some of Xiomara’s choices although I understand where she’s coming from.
The ending was really good, though, and made up for a lot of things.
I normally don’t enjoy books that are in poems. It’s hard for me to get into because poets like to use enters in strange ways. I don’t know how but I somehow got really into this book.
The best parts about this book is the raw emotions and the brutal honesty. It was hard to read in some spots because of the content. Xiomara’s mother for most of the book does not treat her kindly. I also didn’t like some of Xiomara’s choices although I understand where she’s coming from.
The ending was really good, though, and made up for a lot of things.
brisingr's review against another edition
5.0
as good as i expected, and the kind of book that i think every teenager would love to read. made my inner teen self so understood and seen, truly a treasure of a book.
stygianfox's review
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? It's complicated
5.0
jocelyn_gillaspie's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
vdiviesti's review against another edition
5.0
This book is beautifully written. I see my younger self in X. She went through a lot of the same things I did. Her poems were her way of processing her trauma, and her trauma was written in a way that the reader can understand and feel.