Awesome Book Review: The Poet X

Looking at the title of the post, is it the book review that's awesome or the book? In this case, it's the book. Okay, in all cases, it's always the book!
National Book Award for Young People's Literature and Printz Award Winner

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

From the publisher:

A young girl in Harlem discovers slam poetry as a way to understand her mother’s religion and her own relationship to the world. Debut novel of renowned slam poet Elizabeth Acevedo.

Xiomara Batista feels unheard and unable to hide in her Harlem neighborhood. Ever since her body grew into curves, she has learned to let her fists and her fierceness do the talking.

But Xiomara has plenty she wants to say, and she pours all her frustration and passion onto the pages of a leather notebook, reciting the words to herself like prayers—especially after she catches feelings for a boy in her bio class named Aman, who her family can never know about. With Mami’s determination to force her daughter to obey the laws of the church, Xiomara understands that her thoughts are best kept to herself.

So when she is invited to join her school’s slam poetry club, she doesn’t know how she could ever attend without her mami finding out, much less speak her words out loud. But still, she can’t stop thinking about performing her poems.

Because in the face of a world that may not want to hear her, Xiomara refuses to be silent.

I. LOVED. THIS. BOOK.

It’s perfect.

Listening to the author read it is pure pleasure. I’m guessing the impact is stronger than reading it – although, it won the Printz – so it won’t matter how you devour the story. It’s so real and raw and nails all the emotions as if she’s mining my life for her book. It’s just that good.

I almost want to call them lyrics, but the poems are strong and beautiful and mesmerizing. Not once was I pulled out of the story, and the whole time I was enthralled.

Just before the climax, I had to stop because I knew what was going to happen and I couldn’t face it. So I asked my friend who had already read it, and she confirmed my fears, and once I accepted and processed the inevitable, I was able to continue on. (I don’t want to say what it is in case you haven’t read it yet. And if you haven’t read it yet, run, don’t walk, and let it fill you up, like a good story does.)

I think Elizabeth Acevedo should take this show on the road. It would be such a privilege to see her perform this like a one-woman play. Listening to it feels like I’m watching a performance; alive and inspiring. 

It would be great to quote some passages, but where to begin, which ones to choose, it's impossible. Enjoy the ride, the language, the characters, the truth.

Book Blurbs

Right on time! As long as the last day of the month is the deadline. I'm posting some short book blurbs. I don't want to call them true reviews since they are short and basically what I thought about the books. One middle grade and three young adult. I really must write the blurbs closer to when I read the books! But if it's anything like my writing exercises getting done on time, well, this will just have to do. 

Baby Mouse – Tales from the Locker: Lights, Camera, Middle School! by Jennifer L. Holm  (Author), Matthew Holm (Illustrator)

I read the earlier Baby Mouse books and enjoyed them so much. This is a logical step and highlights many middle school problems: friends, fitting in, the dreaded cafeteria seating dilemma, younger siblings and trying to succeed. It’s an easy read and very accessible to lower middle grade readers. The ending felt abrupt to me; it suited the story but I wanted more. That’s a good thing because there will be future books in this new series!

No Good Deed by Goldy Moldavsky

The main character, Gregor, is a geek going to a save-the-world type of camp with all the other nerdy do-gooders. But it soon becomes a cutthroat situation when a coveted position is presented as a prize. At first, Gregor annoyed me and I wasn’t sure I’d stick with the book. With the intro of the antagonist celebrity girl he doesn’t care for, Ashley, their interactions really propelled the story.

One hilarious aspect is the fact that everyone is called by their “cause” instead of a name. Gregor is called Children because he wants to Feed the Children. A few are called by their names, but only the few (still geeky) cool kids.

I ended up being carried along and enjoying the weird relationship that develops between Gregor and Ashley – each defeating the labels attached to them. Maybe they can all end up seeing each other past their causes. 

 
It’s a fun, different, odd twist on the ever popular summer camp story.

Blood Rose Rebellion by Rosalyn Eves

This is a period piece with magic and European society. It might have taken me a little bit of time to get into this world, but once I was in, I was hooked. It was fun to be in this environment of gypsies, balls and gowns, and magic spells. Throw in the one person who can break magical spells and you have a nice twist with plenty of plot, character and love interest. I know I’ll be reading book 2.

Scythe by Neal Shusterman

What I liked about this book was all the twists. The writer didn’t feel constricted to take one storyline all the way through – it was okay to mix it up and change it and that made it fun and interesting. I liked the main characters, Citra and Rowan, and their sponsors, Scythe Faraday and Scythe Curie. I did have a hard time reading the mass killing/gleaning scenes because they were too real. There is a really good antagonist in Scythe Goddard.

I found it hard to believe this could be a series until I was further in and along for the ride.

Very interesting concept and well written and plotted. A thoroughly engaging and strange read. The cover captivates with its two faces – the two main characters manipulated against the other. Felt a bit like The Hunger Games type of cleverness.