Hello book buddies, Vicci Here,
Sorry for being away for a while, real life got in the way for a spell.
Anyhoo, it hasn’t stopped me from reading some great books, and this one was just stunning!
This book is written all in verse, but it wasn’t the “Roses are red” type of thing, oh no, it is done Slam Poetry style!
Why did i pick it up? – I stumbled across Slam Poetry after reading Colleen Hoover’s Slammed a few years ago, I wanted to see what else was out there so I went to the go-to place, YouTube! While there I discovered so many wonderful video’s, some made me laugh, and some made me cry, while some just made me sit and hold my breath, if you haven’t seen any I would really recommend it, it’s like nothing you’ve ever seen.
The Poet X By: Elizabeth Acevedo Narrated by: Elizabeth Acevedo Length: 3 hrs and 30 mins Publisher: HarperAudio
My Thoughts
I listened to the audiobook, which was OUTSTANDING, the narrator Elizabeth Acevedo is also the author of the book, and her words, her voice, it is just B-E-A-Utiful!
I am going to purchase a copy of the book just to be able to highlight the whole thing!
The story is from the POV of Xiomara Batista (pronounced C O Mara), a pretty young Dominican girl living in Harlem, daughter to a very religious mother who is desperate for her to be confirmed.
Xiomara is a believer, but also questions her religion much to her dismay, she is scared to tell this to her mother.
The only way she feels that she can release her thoughts is to write them down in a notebook that was gifted to her by her brother.
That’s when I feel like a fake.
Because I nod, and clap, and “Amen” and Aleluya,”
all the while feeling like this house his house
is no longer one I want to rent.
She is also a young girl, getting thoughts about boys and sex, normal young girl thoughts, but it also shows the other side of this and the unwanted attention that young girls get.
When I’m told to have faith in the father, the son, in men – and men are the first ones to make me feel so small.
Her teacher introduces her to slam poetry, and it is like a lightbulb has been switched on in her mind, all of her thoughts, and feelings can now make a kind of sense to her when she writes them down and performs them.
She tells me words give people permission to be their fullest self and aren’t these the poems I most needed to hear?
This is an incredibly powerful book, a few times I cried listening to it, and most of the time I was just in awe of the beautiful way she writes.
I would recommend listening to the book, but i would also tell any young girl to read it, it has some brilliant and very powerful messages in it.
I only know that learning to believe in the power of my own words has been the most freeing experience of my life. It has brought me the most light. And isn’t that what a poem is? A lantern glowing in the dark.
🎧🎧 – Narrated by Elizabeth Acevedo the author of the book, her voice is so wonderful, I can not recommend this book highly enough, it is just so stunning!
About the book
Xiomara Batista feels unheard and unable to hide in her Harlem neighborhood. Ever since her body grew into curves, she has learned to let her fists and her fierceness do the talking.
But Xiomara has plenty she wants to say, and she pours all her frustration and passion onto the pages of a leather notebook, reciting the words to herself like prayers – especially after she catches feelings for a boy in her bio class named Aman, whom her family can never know about.
With Mami’s determination to force her daughter to obey the laws of the church, Xiomara understands that her thoughts are best kept to herself. So when she is invited to join her school’s slam poetry club, she doesn’t know how she could ever attend without her mami finding out. But she still can’t stop thinking about performing her poems.
Because in the face of a world that may not want to hear her, Xiomara refuses to be silent.
Lets Connect!
Come and join our Facebook Group
Vicci
Berit Talks Books 