Elizabeth Acevedo's The Poet X, published in 2018, starts off the list of critiques with its magnetic themes of unrestricted self-expression and identity discovery. Find more below:

Title: The Poet X

Author: Elizabeth Acevedo

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Copyright Date: 2018

Reading Level: ATOS 5.2

Interest Level (Age): 12-18

_____________________________________

Synopsis: 

Born and raised in Harlem, Xiomara Batista is anything but the prim and proper lady that her religious mami wants her to be. In developing both her religious criticism and an interest in boys, the soon-to-be 16 year old turns to her familiar poetic outlet to vent and make sense of her world. Though delighting in her written verse, Xiomara hides her true thoughts and feelings out of fear of the unrelenting storm that is her mami’s anger. Even worse, despite all her efforts to balance a social life and her religious obligations, Xiomara faces familial strife over her “rebellious” nature in and out of church. Left with her turbulent feelings and a newfound dream, Xiomara braves the familial onslaught of disappointment and anger in favor of joining her school’s slam poetry club. And boy, was she glad she did.

Personal Reaction:

I firmly believe that Elizabeth Acevedo’s The Poet X (2018) was a dazzling account of the day-to-day thoughts and feelings of a teenage girl scrounging her way through life’s many challenges. Throughout the narrative, I found myself sympathizing with Xiomara when she details her discomfort with how society perceives her and her body. The source of this sympathy is rooted in my own personal experience of sexualization as a youth, which was difficult to navigate both emotionally and rationally. Without proper knowledge or an outlet, it’s difficult to understand how both your body and mind will change. I felt that same confusion as I grew throughout middle-school and most of high-school. So, it was weirdly endearing to see that same confusion modeled in a relatable and realistic teenager.

Xiomara’s familial life is definitely one to improve on, and I felt gut wrenched when Xiomara’s mother abused her throughout the book. Knowing what I know now, abuse can come in more forms than just physical violence. The way that Xiomara endures her mother’s relentless comments on her body, her faith, as well as her physical abuse later on in the book, was truly inspiring and brought me near to tears. I wondered why “parents” commit acts like these against their children, especially when it is unwarranted or overzealous. I feel like the abuse sections were a necessary part of the conversation that Acevedo was trying to have with her audience. I also think that poetically expressing adolescent abuse is necessary because it softens the introduction of something commonly heinous.

Despite the heart wrenching moments, I felt that the ending was realistic due to the inclusion of a mediator for Xiomara and her mother. I too have had to have a mediator for my mother and I to not butt heads and fight over our differences, so the inclusion of this at the very end was touching and reassuring. It made me think about how so many young-adult fiction books rely on unbelievable acts to get a message across. It also made me glad that Acevedo didn’t follow in the footsteps of so many authors before her. Overall, I felt unbelievably inspired by Xiomara’s perseverance and determination to enact her dreams in the end. I was left with a sense of invigoration and felt that I too needed to find my voice in the darkness

Awards Won: 

Pura Belpré Award, Michael L. Printz Award, 2019 Walter Award, National Book Award, Globe–Horn Book Award, Carnegie Medal Award

Award Worthiness: 

Acevedo’s astounding work is definitely worth its weight in gold medals for youth literature! Not only does The Poet X (2018) represent controversial topics through verse narrative, it does so artfully and with the grace expected of a young-adult voice. The beautiful metaphors for pain and pleasure of all kinds stimulate the mind to look beyond Xiomara’s narrative and into the real world. The fact that it can instill this insightful perspective on the audience in an approachable, realistic way is what makes this story apt to receive awards.

Recommendation:

I highly recommend that young-adults and adults alike read through this masterpiece of fiction due to its excellent ability to bridge the gap on controversial issues like generational trauma and self-realization. To be more specific, I highly recommend that young-adults around the ages of 12 to 18 read this book; And adults of any age should give it a read as well. Due to the subject content, younger children may not be suited to understand the depth of the issues mentioned (i.e. child sexualization and domestic abuse.) However, young-adults around the ages mentioned are more likely to find themselves relating to Xiomara on a personal level due to her interests and everyday experiences. I also recommend that adults of any age read through this book as a way to understand what drives young-adults to conform, to rebel, and to dream. 

Due in large part to the artful representation of narrative events as poetic doublets, haikus, and free verse, the quality of the text is well-orchestrated. Plot points were not left unresolved, and each shift in setting was purposeful and held deeper meaning. Not only are these facts true, the stylistic choice of having the narrative be told in first person programmed a connection between the protagonist and the audience. These essential elements worked together to bring forth the underlying theme that embracing who you are is always worth the trouble. In conclusion, the value of this book lies in its ability to address controversial topics like sexualization and abuse in this poetic, approachable way. 

Possible Discussion Topics: 

1) Do young-adults need more informative resources available to learn about sexual experiences?

2) Is there a cultural stigma against youth literary artistry? If so, what can adults do to stimulate youth-based creativity?