“I've forced my skin as thick as I am.”

There is a grittiness to books written in verse that constantly surprises me. Their ability to look right into the depths of your soul and pull forth all the secret thoughts you never thought would see the light of day - it’s breathtaking.

And The Poet X? No exception.

“And isn't that what a poem is? A lantern glowing in the dark.”

It follows Xiomara, a fat Dominican teen, whose trying to come to terms with her faith and sexuality. It was harsh, raw, powerful. Acevedo writing was so fluid and compelling. I was drawn into this story from the very first page and unable to put it down. Its thematic exploration - of female sexuality, body positivity, faith, rape culture, family - was flawlessly woven into a solid plot with a cast of characters that felt grounded and real. Xiomara had a voice that was fierce and ferocious without ever sacrificing her moments of fragility and uncertainty. All of the relationships - the familial, the romantic, even the teacher-student - was explored with depth and genuine understanding. There were so many little moments that made me smile, so many more that made me cry.

I know for sure that this is not a story I’ll be forgetting any time soon.

➸ Trigger warnings for

slut shaming, body shaming, sexism, homomisia, sexual harassment, sexual assault, child abuse, absent parent, recreational drug use, bullying, cheating, and religion used to justify abuse

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▷ Xiomara (mc) is Dominican & fat; Xavier (sc) is Domincan & gay; Cardid (sc) is Dominican; Amarn (li) is Trinidadian.

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