Winner of the National Book Award for Young People's Literature, the Michael L. Printz Award, and the Pura Belpr Award

Fans of Jacqueline Woodson, Meg Medina, and Jason Reynolds will fall hard for this astonishing New York Times-bestselling novel-in-verse by an award-winning slam poet, about an Afro-Latina heroine who tells her story with blazing words and powerful truth.

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. But she still 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.

"Crackles with energy and snaps with authenticity and voice." --Justina Ireland, author of Dread Nation

"An incredibly potent debut." --Jason Reynolds, author of the National Book Award Finalist Ghost

"Acevedo has amplified the voices of girls en el barrio who are equal parts goddess, saint, warrior, and hero." --Ibi Zoboi, author of American Street

Item Information Item Information

Format: Hardcover
Author: Acevedo, Elizabeth
ISBN: 9780062662804
Condition: Used
Dimensions: 8.20 x 1.30
Number Of Pages: 368
Publication Year: 2018

Customer Reviews

Rating Snapshot

5 ★ 83%

4 ★ 17%

3 ★ 0%

2 ★ 0%

1 ★ 0%

4.8

6 Ratings

0 Recommendations

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Great writing and perspective. A little unhealthy ending.

Christine D. - 4 years 7 months ago

The writing for was beautiful! The character was deep. I loved reading about the realistic ways culture and religion can be helpful and harmful for families. The ending was a bit unrealistic and a little unhealthy. After what happened, I wouldn't expect the mother and daughter to make up as well as they did. The unhealthy part was that it showed the family using the priest as a therapist for their family issues. It was also not healthy to have the teacher tell the girl to go talk to her mom after that episode. Recommending her to a school counselor or psychologist would have been a safer option.
"And isn’t that what a poem is? A lantern glowing in the dark." #SummerReading

Jennifer N. - 5 years 8 months ago

“The unfolding of your words gives light, it gives understanding to the simple.” Psalm 119:130 “And isn’t that what a poem is? A lantern glowing in the dark.” Elizabeth Acevedo’s The Poet X is the story of Xiomara, whose name means battle ready. “Mami wants me to be her proper young lady. Papi wants me to be ignorable and silent. Twin and Calidad want be to be good so I don’t attract attention. God just wants me to behave so I can earn being alive. And what about me? What about Xiomara?” Those around her erect expectations in prose, but her teacher invites her to reframe her life as a poem. “Words give people permission to be their fullest self...Rewriting means the words really mattered in the first place.” As the verses of her story unfold, Xiomara’s bloody knuckles transform into ink stained fingers and her fist fights become poetry slams. She wrestles with her understanding of God as a punishing monster to God as “a thing with ears.” She discovers that “Maybe the only thing that has to make sense about being somebody’s friend is that you help them be their best self on any given day, that you give them a home when they don’t want to be in their own.” And ultimately, Xiomara grows into the significance of her brave name after all. The Poet X deserves all the stars! #SummerReading
Hard-Hitting Novel-In-Verse

Evelyn S. - 5 years 8 months ago

A beautiful novel-in-verse that tackles misogyny, religion, abuse, and taking a stand, all told through slam poetry.
Acevedo's books should be on everyone's shelves! #SummerReading

Sarah U. - 5 years 9 months ago

This was an absolutely beautiful piece of art. I had read several reviews that suggested listening to the audio version since it was performed by the author, Elizabeth Acevedo, herself. I'm so glad I did! It was lovely and raw and painful and beautiful and while my family is neither Dominican nor religious, it was still so relatable. Listening to X going through the growing pains of such an uncomfortable age was like listening to someone narrate the the inner turmoil that I remember from growing and attempting to figure out who I was separately from what everyone wanted me to be at that same age. I love this book and already want to read it again. #SummerReading
Powerful, Poetic Novel

Elise D. - 5 years 9 months ago

The Poet X is an emotional coming-of-age story written in verse. Xiomara’s strict, religious mother has expectations for X that do not align with how she feels or what she experiences. To cope with the pressure of having a mother who condemns her actions and judges her body, Xiomara turns to poetry. There’s a lot to unpack here: friends, family, relationships, religion, body/slut shaming, forgiveness. But Elizabeth Acevedo excellently conveys her characters in a way that you feel Xiomara’s pain and anger. Acevedo allows you to understand Xiomara when no one else does—which is certainly something we all need from time to time. #SummerReading

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The Poet X

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Review Images

Great writing and perspective. A little unhealthy ending.

"And isn’t that what a poem is? A lantern glowing in the dark." #SummerReading

Hard-Hitting Novel-In-Verse

Acevedo's books should be on everyone's shelves! #SummerReading

Powerful, Poetic Novel