Reviews with content warning for Physical abuse - The Poet X

What an absolutely phenomenal story! Xiomara (X) was such fantastically strong character. She's coming into her own here and being forced to deal with so much. Her relationship with her mother was one that impacted me particularly hard, even though our mothers were nothing alike.

This was a beautiful story, and I'm looking forward to reading more by Elizabeth Acevedo in the future!

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lokenstein's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad tense

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This book was extremely tough. I was expecting a powerful book about slam and finding your voice, and in a way it was that, but it was so, so dark with all the parental abuse and control that it got me extremely depressed in a time where I wasn’t feeling great to start with, so I wouldn’t recommend it to everybody.

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lennie_reads's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

'and isn't that what a poem is? A lantern glowing in the dark.'

This book is so powerful and heartbreaking.

It kind of feels like Pride's refection; set in New York, Black Latinx MC, Latinx community & poetry but where Pride is full of loving families and a celebration of religion & culture, this book displays all the constraints that family, religion and culture can force on people, especially women and the LGBTQIA Community.

Honestly this book just made me so mad on X's behalf, and I know that's the point but my god! I just wanted to shield her from at least some of the awfulness. Even Twin could've done so much more. And yes, we're all going through our own things and yes they're only teens (I'm not saying I was a perfect sibling because I wasn't and I'm still not - you've gotta keep trying all the time) but surely the kids would form a more united front against their mother's rules?? Idk.

I loved the book and the ending but it just left me so frustrated and sad and angry at the injustice and unfairness, that's the only reason I haven't given it 5 stars.

Can someone give Xiomara a f*cking hug already?! 😭

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risseandshine's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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laprismaluna's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

cw: CATHOLIC GUILTTTTTTTT, misogyny/slut-shaming, abuse, that usual latinx heritage trauma (though now that I type this i realize not everyone sees that internal family toxicity of "home things are private and they stay in the house no matter how warped and twisted it is")

Would absolutely recommend the audiobook bc she narrates this, and OH what a time it was, feeling my heart tear apart at the seams at 3 am; this is told in verse, told beautifully, unwrapping a story about faith and finding your voice & truth when it is trampled at every possibility. When your world revolves around your heart & the very few you share it with, the world can shatter at any time. You can only protect your heart from so much--past family, past the church, past your own fears.

This is for the type of person who looks at love in poetry and searches for what tethers all those words together; for the person who hears faith and sees it from a distance, unable to hold it without burning from every habit imposed upon them. For the poet who holds their heart close, too close maybe, and every fire is a form of release

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rainbowshelves's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective tense fast-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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