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.
