Book Review: "Poet X"

It’s been a while since I sat down and read a book in a few days. Something in this book that was different, that hit different. “POET X” by Elizabeth Acevedo (THE GOAT) is nothing short of incredible.

Before I get into the amazing book It’s important I express my admiration for Elizabeth. Her words, the way she voices her life experiences is something I admire so much. I can only hope to one day be half the writer she is. She makes me feel heard, seen. I’ve watched videos of her reading poetry and oh my. The chills. Her voice so raw, so powerful. She says words and gives them power. She makes them sound real, prolific. Elizabeth Acevedo is a girl that just like me and many others, grew up looking for someone like “us” in literature. She looked for someone to represent the culture we grew up in. The crazy fights a girl with thick thighs has to experience.

Not finding this she took it upon herself to represent us, and oh am I thankful. In the “Poet X”, Xio the main character speaks about her truth as a young latina girl in the craziness of harlem. In her main poems she tells about the fights with dirty hombres who wouldn’t let her be. Tells us about her constant fight with a religious mother and a father who is there but isn’t present.

Her relationships with her twin brother and how together they battled society. I wish I could go into details but I do not want to ruin the book for you. During Xio’s journey she meets a boy, the boy. The boy who makes her have butterflies and who makes her want to write endless poems about. Her best friend Caridad is constantly by her side. Showing how important strong friendships are in the midst of finding yourself.

I finished this book in two days. For the first time in my life my commute was exciting. It made me go into a world where I was so engaged and excited for the next poem. Yes poem, as if Elizabeth wasn’t so great already. She managed to write a book in poems. POEMS!! A novel so great cohesively with tons of poems so powerful alone.

In the midst of dropping her second Novel, “With The Fire On High” I want to make sure everyone around me knows how amazing her work is. I can’t wait to pick up her second book and I really hope you pick up her first and continue with ‘WTFOH”.

To Liz: Thank you for voicing so much rawness in your writing. For teaching me that anything is possible.

Xoxo P$.