Review of The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

Winner of the 2019 Pura Belpré Award, The Poet X is an incredible novel about a Xiomara, a teenaged slam poet who writes to try to make sense of her world. From her mother’s intense devotion to the Catholic faith (which Xiomara questions) to her body (which attracts unwanted attention) to growing up as a first-generation American, this award-winning novel in verse deals with intense themes but is still inherently relatable.

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Image of The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo; Moreno, G. (2018). [Cover image of The Poet X.] Retrieved from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/elizabeth-acevedo/the-poet-x/

Evaluation

Xiomara is the protagonist of The Poet X, and Acevedo does an excellent job of developing her character and making her relatable. Xiomara is a teenager who is just trying to find her voice, and to figure out who she is and where she fits in her world. From the very first pages, we know that she is big-boned and taller than her father; she says, “the boys …called me a whale in middle school” (Acevedo, 2018, p. 5). Her body attracts the attention of men and boys, but also makes her mother sick with worry that she’ll not be a “good girl,” causing Xiomara to struggle with her body image. She believes that all her parents wanted was a quiet, devout daughter, but “they got combat boots and a mouth silent / until it’s sharp as an island machete” (Acevedo, 2018, p. 8). Xiomara is not what her parents imagined in a daughter; she is not small, quiet, and obedient like her friend Caridad. She is big, expressive, smart, and curious. She questions her mother’s faith rather than believing it blindly. She fights for her brother when he can’t stand up for himself. And as her body grows and develops, she experiences her first crush. Throughout the novel, Xiomara is an understandable, fully relatable character who faces very normal adolescent concerns.

The Poet X is a novel in verse, and you cannot read the novel (or listen to the audio version) without hearing the musicality in the language. Elizabeth Acevedo is a slam poet, and throughout the novel, the words have a musical quality to them. Xiomara herself is a budding poet who wants nothing more than to join the Spoken Word Poetry Club, led by her teacher Ms. Galiano. When she realizes the club meets at the same time as confirmation class, Xiomara writes, “Not a chance Mami’s gonna let me out of that. / Not a chance I want anyone hearing my work. / Something in my chest flutters like a bird / whose wings are being gripped still / by the firmest fingers” (Acevedo, 2018, p. 68). Between the repetition of “not a chance” followed by the simile of her heart fluttering like a captured bird, we understand both Xiomara’s desire to join the club and her fear of someone hearing her words. Throughout the novel, Xiomara focuses on trying to figure out who she is and where she fits into the world: “Even with my Amazon frame, / I feel too small for all that’s inside me. / I want to break myself open / like an egg smacked hard against an edge” (Acevedo, 2018, p. 34). The words flow smoothly and let us see Xiomara’s struggle to express her frustrations, worries and concerns.

The novel also has some unexpected insights, for both Xiomara and the reader. As her priest, Father Sean, says, “Not every fight can be fought with gloves, Xiomara” (Acevedo, 2018, p. 125). Father Sean is a former boxer, and Xiomara fights with her fists. As the novel progresses, Xiomara comes to realize that her words are even more powerful; “they’re the only thing I can fight back with” (Acevedo, 2018, p. 305). Xiomara also listens to music, connecting very strongly with the lyrics, saying “and even that young I learned music can become a bridge / between you and a total stranger” (Acevedo, 2018, p. 83). Xiomara uses music as an escape, hearing the lyrics and knowing that someone out there understands what she’s going through. When she writes about her feelings and struggles with her mother, school, and organized religion, Xiomara finds her own voice.

Response

As I read The Poet X, I was struck by how much I could relate to Xiomara while fully recognizing that her experience as a teenager is completely different from what my experience was like. The Poet X is a coming-of-age story; Xiomara is trying to figure out who she is. Her mother and father expect her to be a proper Catholic girl; her teacher asks why she doesn’t consider herself a poet; and her boyfriend doesn’t understand why Xiomara can’t spend time with him. This idea of figuring out who you are is something all teenagers struggle with. On the flip side, Xiomara’s experiences growing up as a Dominican-American in Harlem in 2018 could not be farther from my teenage years as a middle-class Anglo girl in small-town California in the 1980s. I never had to deal with religious fanaticism and I had very liberal parents, but I still can relate to Xiomara’s struggles to find herself. I found myself completely taken in by Acevedo’s writing; near the end of the book, I was repeatedly horrified by how Xiomara’s mother treated her. This kind of novel is so important in our world today; it provides a “window” for people like me to see and understand a different way of life, while providing a “mirror” for people of color, first-generation Americans, and others who might see themselves reflected in Xiomara. Finally, I think The Poet X is an incredibly brilliant work of art; it begs to be listened to. I was blown away by the writing and found it deserving of the numerous awards it has won.

Conclusion

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo is an incredibly powerful and moving novel in verse about young Xiomara and her search for her identity. The strong character development makes Xiomara seem like someone you actually know, and Acevedo writes with music in her language, bringing the story to life in the most beautiful way. Finally, Acevedo’s unexpected insights help the reader better understand Xiomara and her struggles. I absolutely adored The Poet X; it was one of the best books I’ve read in 2019. I highly recommend it for students aged 14 and up. It will pair especially well with On the Come Up by Angie Thomas. 5 stars.

Citations

Acevedo, E. (2018). The Poet X. New York, NY: HarperTeen.

Moreno, G. (2018). [Cover image of The Poet X]. Retrieved from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/elizabeth-acevedo/the-poet-x/

Thomas, A. (2019). On the come up. New York, NY: Balzer + Bray.