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The Poet X

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The Poet X

By: Elizabeth Acevedo
Narrated by: Elizabeth Acevedo
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About this listen

WINNER OF THE THE CILIP CARNEGIE MEDAL 2019
SHORTLISTED FOR THE WATERSTONES CHILDREN'S BOOK PRIZE 2019
THE WINNER OF THE 2018 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD
THE WINNER OF THE MICHAEL L.PRINTZ AWARD
THE WINNER OF THE PURA BELPRÉ AWARD
THE WINNER OF THE BOSTON GLOBE-HORNBOOK AWARD

THE POET X – THE WINNER OF THE CILIP CARNEGIE MEDAL. 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.

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.

“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

ELIZABETH ACEVEDO was born and raised in New York City and her poetry is infused with Dominican bolero and her beloved city’s tough grit. The Poet X is her debut novel and a National Book Award winner. With over twelve years of performance experience, Acevedo has been a featured performer on BET and Mun2, as well as delivered several TED Talks. She has performed internationally and her poetry has been featured in Cosmopolitan, The Huffington Post and Teen Vogue. Acevedo is a National Slam Champion, Beltway Grand Slam Champion, and the 2016 Women of the World Poetry Slam representative for Washington, D.C, where she lives and works.

©2019 Elizabeth Acevedo (P)2019 HarperCollins Publishers
Depression & Mental Health Difficult Situations Emotions & Feelings Literature & Fiction Multicultural

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Critic reviews

"I fell in love at slam poetry. This one will stay with you a long time." (Angie Thomas, best-selling author of The Hate U Give)

"This was the type of book where 'I'll just do 50 pages' turned into finishing it in two 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, best-selling author of The Children of Blood and Bone)

"Crackles with energy and snaps with authenticity and voice." (Justina Ireland, author of Dread Nation)

All stars
Most relevant
This is a powerful story. I cried, I laughed out loud, which is not always a good thing when you are still at work. But the story just hits you on that tender spot.

Powerful.

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A thoroughly enjoyable short book, the poetry delivery styles made it incredibly engaging. It took my back to being a teen myself, also.

Thoroughly enjoyable

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The story told in the first person point of view- Xiomara Batista. This is my first reading in verse, did not regret it though.
In this book, you can see how traditional ideas get tied up in culture and family norms pushes you to seek validation, respect and forgiveness from others and not being able to fit into tge expectations that have been put upon you.

The blending of languages is extremely fascinating, the story incorporates Spanish in a natural narrative... I loved it

It takes a lot of nerves to break free and question so many thing: God, Adam and Eve, love, Sex....

The story is about discovering your own agency and finding your voice. I would recommend to purchase the audio version, the author is a Dominican Slammer and reading this novel while listening to her narrating the story of X is another level of enjoyment

Discover your own agency and find your own voice

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I loved the poetry and the journey the main character took through the book. I would have liked a bit more from the ending though.

Great poetry

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I absolutely love this audio book. I relived experiences of my teens while listening and could feel every word.
I wish I kept writing.

Amazing!

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