Young Adult Fiction: The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

Initially, I had no plans to write about The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo, even though I had read it. It is not because I do not think it is a good book, or that I did not enjoy it. I actually enjoyed reading it a great deal and think it is fantastic. Mostly, I just do not do well with poetry, whether it be reading it, writing it, or talking about it. But then the book received the National Book Award for Young People's Literature, and I knew I had to give it space on this blog.

The Situation: Xiomara (See-oh-MAH-ruh) is used to communicating with her fists. She would rather communicate with her words in the shape of her poems, but she refuses to share any of them with anyone, not even her brother, whom she only refers to as "Twin." Ever since puberty hit and her body decided to expand in all different angles, Xiomara has been the focus of a lot of unwanted attention, both at her school and around her neighborhood at home, in Harlem. If it is not the girls and women whispering behind her back, it is the boys and men staring at her and saying words they would be ashamed to say to their mother. And as if in an attempt to make sure those words never result in anything, Xiomara's Mami attempts to keep her daughter focused on church. But the young girl is really not sure she wants to focus on what the well-meaning Father Sean has to say. She wants to focus on poetry. And also boys.

The Problem: When a boy at school named Aman starts to talk to Xiomara about more than their science projects, Xiomara knows she can never let her mother know. But seeing a boy behind her mother's back is almost a team effort. Twin has to hide what he knows and cover for her, while Xiomara's best friend, Caridad, also finds herself lying to her best friend's family, something she hates doing. If that was not enough deception, one of Xiomara's teachers begins to encourage her to join the school's poetry club. Knowing that it conflicts with her confirmation class with Father Sean, Xiomara faces the choice of ditching something she is not that into, and diving into what she has always wanted to do, all at the risk of angering her mother and facing a wrath she has learned to fear. Feeling unheard but always seen, Xiomara must find a way to use her voice, and share her words with more than just the pages of her journal.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a young adult novel that is written almost completely in verse. Each chapter, if you want to call them that, is a poem, with a title and everything. Occasionally, instead of a poem, there is an essay Xiomara as written for an English class assignment, usually answering a personal question about her life. Ultimately, the point is that this is how Xiomara communicates; this is how she makes herself understood; and this is what she wants to do. The main problem is the person who can arguably be considered the villain of the book. Xiomara's mother has one single focus through the majority of the story, and this is to have her daughter confirmed in the Catholic church. She cares very little for what her daughter wants, and has already decided on the path she wants Xiomara to take. The Poet X touches on the common fear, among both teens and adults, of not being heard and understood, something that both Xiomara and Twin must deal with, along with the fear of not being accepted as they are. And the saddest thing is quite possibly that this fear is a reality for many, even when inside their own homes.

My Verdict: I have never had many of Xiomara's problems. For one, I have been blessed (cursed?) with a mother who has had me pegged since the day I was born. She has always understood me and heard me, even when I did not want her to. I also never had to communicate with my fist, not to say I have never wanted to. What I do understand is the pain of not being heard, maybe not at home, but in other places. And that is a feeling that Acevedo translates well on the page, through Xiomara's words, through Xiomara's poems. And around the middle of the book, the intensity gets to the point that the reader can feel the poor girl's frustration, and fear. The problem cannot be solved by simply opening her mouth. My hope would be that this book gives hope and inspiration to anyone struggling to find their voice, and then make that voice heard.

Favorite Moment: When Xiomara takes down a boy who grabbed her butt.

Favorite Character: Xiomara's best friend Caridad is a grounding force holding her friend together. Twin often serves the same purpose, but Caridad has the advantage of seeing everything as an outsider. And despite them being almost opposites in how they think and act, Caridad is always there for Xiomara, no matter what has happened.

Recommended Reading: As I said, poetry is not my strong suit. But I did also enjoy Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds. Also told in verse, the story follows a young boy down the elevator as he contemplates taking revenge on the man he believes killed his brother.