The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

    The Poet X is a novel by Elizabeth Acevedo about 15-year-old Xiomara, a Dominican American girl about to start 10th grade. She is tall and curvy and her mom blames her for the attention she gets from the men on her street. She lives with her mom, dad, and her brother Xavier. Her mom is catholic and insists that Xiomara and Xavier are also raised catholic. However, Xiomara questions the faith and whether the bible should be read metaphorically or literally. She and her mom's relationship is sort of rocky because she is starting to mature and her mom wants her to stay pure. She finds English class fun and her teacher Ms. Galiano encourages her to join the poetry club at their school. Her writing is mostly deep and about family secrets. She also gets into a relationship with her lab partner Aman and she discovers Xavier has a boyfriend. Xiomara eventually gets caught with Aman and it causes problems between her and her mom. Since she is no longer in conformation, she spends her time writing poems over winter break. Xiomara eventually signs up for a poetry slam and her parents attend. This causes her to finally feel somewhat supported by her parents. 

    I really enjoyed reading this book for many reasons. One of those reasons is its compelling plot and interesting storyline. The themes of conflict because of religion are relatable for many people and the process of Xiomara finding herself is also relatable. This book is different from the other books I have reviewed for my blogs. A lot of the books I reviewed were about racial justice issues. While this book is more of a coming-of-age style book. This made it more interesting to read because it was a nice subject change and a refreshing read. The book is written in poetry and each page is a different poem that tells the story. I like this style of writing because it's a refreshing style of writing. It is also easier to read due to the format. 

    In general, this was one of my favorite books I reviewed for my blog posts. It discussed real issues but was also a nice coming-of-age novel that I enjoyed reading. If I were to recommend this book to anyone, I would recommend it to people who find coming-of-age books interesting. I would also recommend this book to people who have experienced conflict with their parents because they're maturing and starting to explore more. This book would also be good for people who like to read novels that are written in poetry style because it can be a good change from reading regular prose. 

- Chizara