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Aug 19, 2020AlishaH_KCMO rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Trigger Warnings: Sexism/Misogyny, Slut-Shaming, Abuse (both physical and emotional), Sexual Assault/Harassment, Homophobia The Poet X follows Xiomara as she discovers pieces of herself. Religion also plays a key role in this novel as Xiomara battles with figuring out what she believes in. I felt all the emotions while reading about Xiomara. It grasped at my heart and squeezed, it made me make my own fists, ready to fight; it was powerful. I can see why it won all the awards it has received. I was a little iffy about reading this book, but only because I don't read poetry - I can count on one hand how many poetry books I've read. But, I'm glad I read it because I feel like this is a book everyone should read. Reading verses with Xiomara's mother was challenging. Her mother loved her religion more than she loved her children and was so outwardly cruel to her daughter because of how she was growing. Xiomara obviously had no control over how fast or large her body developed. She wanted Xiomara to be the Nun she couldn't be. She was also so demanding of her but not her brother, especially when it came to how she acts and how she helps out around the house. The way she disciplined her was heartbreaking. Xiomara is a voice for so many youth and Elizabeth Acevedo had written this amazingly. This books deals with family, first love, religion, self-acceptance, sexuality, sexual harassment, and friendship. It's a quick read that's written beautifully. I would highly recommend this book to anyone (even those that don't read poetry).