The Poet X - by Elizabeth Acevedo (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

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

"A story that will slam the power of poetry and love back into your heart." --Laurie Halse Anderson, author of Speak and Chains

The Poet X is the 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

Review Quotes

"Acevedo's poetry is skillfully and gorgeously crafted, each verse can be savored on its own, but together they create a portrait of a young poet sure to resonate with readers long after the book's end. Truly a 'lantern glowing in the dark' for aspiring poets everywhere. All YA collections will want to share and treasure this profoundly moving work." - School Library Journal (starred review)

★ "Acevedo's poetry is skillfully and gorgeously crafted, each verse can be savored on its own, but together they create a portrait of a young poet sure to resonate with readers long after the book's end." - School Library Journal (starred review)

"There is an intense emotional arc to this electrifying novel in poems showcasing the emergence of a gifted writer in fictional Xiomara, and in author Acevedo. As Xiomara faces her mother's scorn, questions her faith, and deals with complications of friendship and romance, her journey is heart-wrenching. Her triumph comes in daring and then demanding to be seen as she triumphantly asserts her voice within and beyond her family and claims her identity as a poet." - Cooperative Children's Book Center

"Acevedo has crafted a living, breathing world in Xiomara, and you can tell that from the very first page. Her unique voice, coupled with an engaging story about acceptance, rebellion, and identity in this Dominican-American teen, makes The Poet X a powerful read." - Mark Oshiro for Latinxs in Kid Lit

"In her debut novel-in-verse, poet Elizabeth Acevedo...takes on the universal push-pull of parents and teens with gritty elegance. Readers will relate to X's frustration over her parents' tight reins on her activities and her longing for the mental, emotional and physical space to discover who she is in her world. The Poet X is beautiful and true--a splendid debut." - School Library Journal (starred review)

"The Poet X is beautiful and true--a splendid debut." - School Library Journal (starred review)

★ "Themes as diverse as growing up first-generation American, Latinx culture, sizeism, music, burgeoning sexuality, and the power of the written and spoken word are all explored with nuance. Poignant and real, beautiful and intense." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

★ "In nearly every poem, there is at least one universal truth about adolescence, family, gender, race, religion, or sexuality that will have readers either nodding in grateful acknowledgment or blinking away tears." - Horn Book (starred review)

"The force and intensity behind her words practically pushes them off the page, resulting in a verse novel that is felt as much as it is heard. This is a book from the heart, and for the heart. I wouldn't be surprised if I put my ear to its cover and found it had a heartbeat all its own." - New York Times Book Review

"The force and intensity behind her words practically pushes them off the page, resulting in a verse novel that is felt as much as it is heard. This is a book from the heart, and for the heart." - New York Times Book Review

★ "In her debut novel-in-verse, poet Elizabeth Acevedo...takes on the universal push-pull of parents and teens with gritty elegance. Readers will relate to X's frustration over her parents' tight reins on her activities and her longing for the mental, emotional and physical space to discover who she is in her world. The Poet X is beautiful and true--a splendid debut." - Shelf Awareness (starred review)

★ "The Poet X is beautiful and true--a splendid debut." - Shelf Awareness (starred review)

★ "Debut novelist Acevedo's free verse gives Xiomara's coming-of-age story an undeniable pull, its emotionally charged bluntness reflecting her determination and strength. At its heart, this is a complex and sometimes painful exploration of love in its many forms, with Xiomara's growing love for herself reigning supreme." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"A powerful, heartwarming tale of a girl not afraid to reach out and figure out her place in the world." - Booklist

"This title seamlessly weaves the intricacies of adolescence with the nuances of Dominican culture in New York City. Acevedo plays with language, form, and space in a way that commands attention, pulling readers from one emotional extreme to the next without pause or remorse. Xiomara's complex character--her strict religious home life, her fiery resistance to unwarranted sexual attention, and her curiosity about boys--is developed with care. Readers will applaud Xiomara as she journeys from a place of cautious defensiveness to being confident in the power of her voice." - Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Acevedo plays with language, form, and space in a way that commands attention, pulling readers from one emotional extreme to the next without pause or remorse... Readers will applaud Xiomara as she journeys from a place of cautious defensiveness to being confident in the power of her voice." - Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

★ "Themes as diverse as growing up first-generation American, Latinx culture, sizeism, music, burgeoning sexuality, and the power of the written and spoken word are all explored with nuance. Poignant and real, beautiful and intense, this story of a girl struggling to define herself is as powerful as Xiomara's name: 'one who is ready for war.'" - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Crackles with energy and snaps with authenticity and voice. Every poem in this stunningly addictive and deliciously rhythmic verse novel begs to be read aloud. Xiomara is a protagonist who readers will cheer for at every turn. As X might say, Acevedo's got bars. Don't pass this one by." - Justina Ireland, author of Dread Nation

"I devoured this magnificent work of art. Elizabeth Acevedo gets everything right, bringing the magic of the verse novel to stunning new heights. A glorious achievement. This is a story about what it means to be a writer and how to survive when it feels like the whole world's turned against you. Required reading for everybody alive today." - Daniel José Older, author of the Shadowshaper Cypher series

"A glorious achievement. This is a story about what it means to be a writer and how to survive when it feels like the whole world's turned against you." - Daniel José Older, author of the Shadowshaper Cypher series

"In The Poet X, Acevedo skillfully sculpts powerful, self-contained poems into a masterpiece of a story, and has amplified the voices of girls en el barrio who are equal parts goddess, saint, warrior, and hero." - Ibi Zoboi, author of American Street

"Though vivid with detail about family, love, and culture, The Poet X is more of an exploration of when the poet becomes the poem. Xiomara teeters between verbosity and restraint, shape and form, rewriting and sharing. Most importantly, the poet (and poem) searches for the freedom to stand on her own. Acevedo delivers an incredibly potent debut." - Jason Reynolds, author of National Book Award Finalist Ghost

"Though vivid with detail about family, love, and culture, The Poet X is more of an exploration of when the poet becomes the poem... Acevedo delivers an incredibly potent debut." - Jason Reynolds, author of National Book Award Finalist Ghost

"A story that will slam the power of poetry and love back into your heart." - Laurie Halse Anderson, author of Speak and Chains

"The Poet X crackles with energy and snaps with authenticity and voice. Every poem in this stunningly addictive and deliciously rhythmic verse novel begs to be read aloud. Xiomara is a protagonist who readers will cheer for at every turn. As X might say, Acevedo's got bars. Don't pass this one by." - Justina Ireland, author of Dread Nation