361 pages
English language
Published Sept. 6, 2018
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.
It's a story about poetry and family and friends and love and a lot of hard stuff happens and there's oppression and harassment and abuse, but it's a super beautiful story imo.
I completely surprised myself by giving this four stars. I'm NOT one for poetry. It is not my jam, it is nowhere near my wheelhouse. Opening the cover, I immediately decided I wasn't going to like this book, told as a collection of poems by the main character, Xiomara. As it went, I admitted the story behind the poems was actually fantastic. I figured I would give this three stars. As it went on, I found myself more and more enthralled with Xiomara and rooting for her as I'd root for the final girl in a horror story/movie. I think that's what won me over. Xiomara and her life as a Black & Latina woman growing up in Harlem to a strictly religious mother and uncaring father. By the end, I was completely in Xiomara's corner and pulling for her in the Slam Poetry competition. I still don't like poetry …
I completely surprised myself by giving this four stars. I'm NOT one for poetry. It is not my jam, it is nowhere near my wheelhouse. Opening the cover, I immediately decided I wasn't going to like this book, told as a collection of poems by the main character, Xiomara. As it went, I admitted the story behind the poems was actually fantastic. I figured I would give this three stars. As it went on, I found myself more and more enthralled with Xiomara and rooting for her as I'd root for the final girl in a horror story/movie. I think that's what won me over. Xiomara and her life as a Black & Latina woman growing up in Harlem to a strictly religious mother and uncaring father. By the end, I was completely in Xiomara's corner and pulling for her in the Slam Poetry competition. I still don't like poetry at all, but I love X.
