The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

I bought this book because my 12yo had homework to draw a scene from one of the poems in this book, but had come home without the text!

So I bought the book.

My initial impression was that it's not really suitable for Yr7s (11 & 12yos).  DD1 does know all about sex etc - we're upfront about answering any questions either girl may have - but I still felt she's a bit young for this book.  That said, as I continued reading I felt better about the book.

The blurb says:

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.

The book is raw and blunt.  It is written through the eyes of teenager Xiomara as she learns how to be true to herself.  She questions her faith and her family, and is full of mixed emotions about school, boys and every day life.

I read the book in 2 days, and yes, I will allow my daughter to read it should she want to.  It is thought-provoking and gets to the core of what it feels like to be a teenage girl, misunderstood by those around you, battling desires and rules as you go through adolescence and try to make it in life.