By Elizabeth Acevedo
4 Stars
The Poet X, written by Elizabeth Acevedo, is from the perspective of a young girl named Xiomara. She is a high schooler in a conservative family. Her mother believes in the church and the word of god. Xio, however, is unsure of what to believe in. She is growing up and has many questions about life that she feels shameful about due to her religion. Her twin brother tries to be there for her, but her father is off to the side while the mother takes full control. Although the mother is sweet at church, she is hard on her children, and that begins Xio’s journey of poetry. Her twin buys her a notebook to write her ideas into, and she does. The book is in the format of her poems all throughout the read. Some chapters are short, whereas some are a little longer. The author’s writing really got me to imagine myself in her shoes. Although Xio was having a hard time, her personality struck me. I loved the loud personality of Xiomara and how her journey was somewhat realistic. I enjoyed learning about her twin as well, as well as his own struggles. Although they felt alone, they were both there for each other. I would rate it 4 stars because I think it wrapped up quickly at the end, and I feel like there could have been more to the story. I would recommend this book to anyone starting high school or in that general age bracket. It is aimed at a younger audience. Engaging read overall.
Reviewed by Lillian
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