LoveReading4Kids Says
LoveReading4Kids Says
Winner for the CILIP Carnegie Medal 2019 | Highly Commended in the UKLA Book Awards 2019 | Winner of the 2018 National Book Award
Xiomara Batista is a Harlem teenager whose parents moved to the US from the Dominican Republic. She has plenty of thoughts, plenty to say, but she’s been rendered voiceless by her domineering mother, by religion, and by the boys and men who objectify her body. She gets “all this attention from guys/but it’s like a sancocho of emotions… partly flattered they think I’m attractive, partly scared they’re only interested in my ass and boobs”. Such is the experience of many young women, but for Xiomara this is exacerbated by racism and her judgmental religious community, and powerfully expressed in her inimitable narrative voice.
Talking of which, through the sexual insults, and despite her mother’s meting of cruel punishments, Xiomara does find her voice. She keeps a secret notebook of poems, and dreams of joining a slam poetry club. And she finds love too, with Trinidad-born Aman, a compassionate young man with family heartache of his own. Xiomara’s descriptions of their burgeoning relationship are stunning, evoking first love and passion in all its visceral beauty. Somehow, Xiomara pulls herself free from a mire of obstacles. She stands tall, she burns bright - a wondrously authentic character who finds her own faith through writing poetry. Highly recommended for fans of Nicola Yoon, Angie Thomas and Sarah Crossan, this is a dazzlingly affecting feat.
Joanne Owen
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About
The Poet X Synopsis
Xiomara has always kept her words to herself. When it comes to standing her ground in her Harlem neighbourhood, she lets her fists and her fierceness do the talking. But X has secrets - her feelings for a boy in her bio class, and the notebook full of poems that she keeps under her bed. And a slam poetry club that will pull those secrets into the spotlight. Because in spite of a world that might not want to hear her, Xiomara refuses to stay silent. A novel about finding your voice and standing up for what you believe in, no matter how hard it is to say. Brave, bold and beautifully written - dealing with issues of race, feminism and faith - this is perfect for fans of Orangeboy, Nicola Yoon's Everything Everything and Zoella Book Club choice Moxie.
The Poet X - a stunning New York Times bestseller with a powerful and unforgettable YA voice. Perfect for fans of Tomi Adeyemi's The Children of Blood and Bone, Angie Thomas's The Hate U Give and Sarah Crossan's One.
About This Edition
| ISBN: |
9781405291460 |
| Publication date: |
1st May 2018 |
| Author: |
Elizabeth Acevedo |
| Publisher: |
Electric Monkey an imprint of Egmont UK Ltd |
| Format: |
Paperback |
| Pagination: |
361 pages |
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Press Reviews
Elizabeth Acevedo Press Reviews
'I fell in love at slam poetry. This one will stay with you a long time.' - Angie Thomas, bestselling author of The Hate U Give
'This was the type of book where I'll just do 50 pages turned into finishing it in 2 reads. I felt very emotional, not just because the story and the words themselves were so beautiful but because I knew it was going to make so many teens who felt like no one cares about them or listens to them feel seen.' - Tomi Adeyemi, bestselling author of The Children of Blood and Bone
'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
'A story that will slam the power of poetry and love back into your heart.' - Laurie Halse Anderson, author of Speak and Chains
'Acevedo breathes words instead of air' - Lisa Heathfield, author of award-winning Paper Butterflies
`Powerful, finely crafted verse . . . Readers will yearn to finish this verse novel in a single sitting, but its echoes will remain with them much longer' Guardian
Author
About Elizabeth Acevedo
Elizabeth Acevedo is the New York Times bestselling and 2019 Carnegie Medal winning author of THE POET X. She is also the winner of the 2018 National Book Award for Young People's Literature, The Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Fiction, the Boston Globe-Hornbook Award Prize for Best Children's Fiction and the Pura Belpré Award for a work that best affirms the Latinx cultural experience.
A few spoken work performances and a TED talk can be found here.
Follow her on Instagram.
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