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The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo - Review

Thursday, January 10, 2019


Where did I get it? I bought it on Amazon in April 2018 when it was just 99p, and kept meaning to get around to reading it. I finally did! 

What's it about? It's a novel told in poems, like Sarah Crossan's books. Xiomara lives in Harlem with her parents and her twin. Her family is from the Dominican Republic and her parents are strict. X constantly feels like she's too much for everything, her body, her family, her life. She's not allowed to date, but she's developing feelings for a boy in her biology class. She writes poetry that she keeps to herself, but a teacher at school encourages her to join the slam poetry club. X is risking a lot but she can't help it, and along the way she writes some gorgeous poetry about it. 

What age range is it for? 13+ probably

Are any main characters LGBTQ+? Yep but I'm not spoiling anything! I thought this was a fantastic element to the book, though. 

Are any main characters people of colour? Obviously. I liked how X wrote about her family background and about her home in Harlem. 

Are any main characters disabled either mentally or physically? I don't think so? 

Is there any sex stuff? No 

Are drugs mentioned or used? Not as I recall? 

Is there any talk of death? Yes, a little 

Are there swear words? Gosh I think like two. 

What criticisms do I have? None, it's gorgeous. I loved X, I thought she was such a fantastic main character, I would like to be her friend! I liked her family and the sometimes difficult relationships she had with her parents and her twin, and I liked the boy X liked (whose name escapes me now, sorry)

Would I recommend the book? One hundred percent 

Why did I choose to read it at this point in life? I needed something easy on my Kindle because I was away, and this fitted the bill perfectly. 

What other books is it like? It deserves its comparisons with Sarah Crossan's novels in verse, but it also reminded me a lot of The Hate U Give. 

How many stars? Five out of five. I can't wait to see what Elizabeth writes next!

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