The Poet X in Around the World in 80 Books

Sep 04, 2018 Nadine in NY Jones rated it liked it

Shelves: audio, young-adult, nyc, poetry, wouldnt-normally-read, r2018-in-2018, coming-of-age

Recommended for fans of Brown Girl Dreaming and The House on Mango Street

This didn't work for me as poetry and it didn't work for me as a novel, especially in the beginning when it was mostly about feelings. Once a little bit of plot got started, it worked a lot better for me. I'd like to read more from this author, in prose form, with maybe some more plot. I am usually not a fan of "coming of age" stories, either, which was working against me here.

Acevedo does a wonderful job reading her text. ...more

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Feb 21, 2023 Sera rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, own, literary-fiction, plays-short-stories-etc

My daughter asked me to read this book since she had read it in school. The book is written in a poetry format and features a teenage, Afro-Dominican girl who is trying to balance her Catholic upbringing with her feelings of first love. Acevedo's captures the challenge of teens trying to reconcile their need for independence and authenticity with the expectations that her parents and society place on them. As a parent, this book reminded me of all of the similar issues that my child is currently ...more

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Mar 18, 2018 Ra rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: scribd

This is a short book about the life of an American Dominican teenager, and her development into a promising poet. It is written in short poetic journal entries over the period of a few month of her life.

The narrative is unique in its form and the story pull you with it. I could relate very much to Xiomara's strict upbringing, her mother's overblown piety that translated into forced attendance of catholic church confirmation lessons. Mother's piety also imposed limitations on Xiomara's emotional ...more

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Jan 26, 2019 Katie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: female-author, listened-to

Xiomara Batista is the teenage daughter of Dominican immigrants living in Harlem. She is struggling to deal with her mom's expectation of her, the attention she receives because of her changing body, and how to find her voice. She starts writing and discovers that through poetry she can express things she can never say aloud.

I highly, highly recommend the audio version of this book. It is read by the author, who is a well known slam poet. Her voice brings such authenticity to Xiomara's characte ...more

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Mar 31, 2019 Julie rated it it was amazing

Amazing, moving, lyrical, thought provoking. so worth the accolades this book has received and more!

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May 02, 2022 superawesomekt rated it liked it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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May 29, 2019 Nikki Morse rated it it was amazing

Shelves: young-adult

Evocative of the 2 other young adult books of similar style (Brown Girl Dreaming and Inside Out and Back Again) although also very different - and not quite as impactful. But still, the connection to and exploration of slam poetry, the struggle over religion, culture, parenting, first love, body, and self-worth were powerful. I wish it hadn’t been all tied up with a bow in the end, it was so abrupt and dramatic as to not ring true. It took away from the overall power of the book. Overall, absorb ...more

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