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A review by pagesofplatypus
The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
emotional
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
There's a reason why they're called poetry slams. It's been a while since a book has slammed me so hard with so many different emotions.
Written in verse, readers step right into Xiomara's mind and heart. Every emotion, her anger, her passion, her fear, her intrepidness, her hurt, her yearning for the feeling of being truly seen is felt profoundly.
Xio's relationship with her mother had me sobbing. It's as rough as the first draft of poem. Layered and complex as generational trauma, religious trauma, and everything else that makes mother-daughter relationships so damn complicated whirls in a hurricane throughout the story.
I like how as much is The Poet X is about Xiomara finding herself, it's also about how others shape us, how we think of ourselves, and what pieces of ourselves we're willing to sacrifice and bury. And, most importantly, The Poet X is about words. How they free us, give us power, and give us belonging.
Written in verse, readers step right into Xiomara's mind and heart. Every emotion, her anger, her passion, her fear, her intrepidness, her hurt, her yearning for the feeling of being truly seen is felt profoundly.
Xio's relationship with her mother had me sobbing. It's as rough as the first draft of poem. Layered and complex as generational trauma, religious trauma, and everything else that makes mother-daughter relationships so damn complicated whirls in a hurricane throughout the story.
I like how as much is The Poet X is about Xiomara finding herself, it's also about how others shape us, how we think of ourselves, and what pieces of ourselves we're willing to sacrifice and bury. And, most importantly, The Poet X is about words. How they free us, give us power, and give us belonging.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Child abuse, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Fire/Fire injury and Sexual harassment