Elizabeth Acevedo uniquely captures the life of a young girl in a story told through poetry making up the characters diary. Xiomara and her twin brother were born into the Christian church because their mother once wanted to be a nun. Since the twins were born they were seen as miracles to their parents who were thought to be unable to conceive. This prompted their mother to have them devote their lives to God for the blessing of their seemingly impossible existence. However, Xiomara didn’t want to be like everyone else who blindly leaped into their devotion without a second thought or glance to anything else. She began to do the one unspoken rule of her faith; she asked questions. When she couldn’t get any answers, she wanted to rebel and break free. Xiomara began to find her freedom and rebellion through her poetry, much to her mother’s disdain.

“The Poet X” was beautifully constructed, definitely a page turner. The characters are unlike any other and every moment is completely unpredictable. This book takes you through all the emotions. You feel rage with Xiomara, her joy, her fear and share in her sorrow. This book also deals with many issues such as homosexuality, repression, sexism, and the life of multicultural families. Some parts were in Spanish depending on who Xiomara was speaking to, but to someone who doesn’t speak Spanish it is still very easy to follow.

Watching Xiomara discover herself was a unique adventure, the author never told you who Xiomara was. She let you discover her along with the character herself, it made the journey more personal and realistic. It was as if you could really see the world through Xiomara’s eyes and made you really understand why she did what she did and thought so differently from everyone around her.

This book brought tears to my eyes with Xiomara’s determination and passion, I absolutely recommend it. There was never a dull or predictable moment, I would even re-read it willingly. 10/10