Xiomara’s relationship with her older parents is difficult, as they don’t seem to understand her, nor do they trust her judgment. At school and on the street, Xiomara is both a quiet presence and a highly conspicuous one her womanly figure means she is noticed, but Xiomara wants to be known for her creative abilities-for her dreams and her intellect, not for her curves. Their church is both a sanctuary and a jail for Xiomara, and she questions the teachings of the church with her characteristic incisive thoughtfulness.

Mami lives and breathes by her Catholic faith, and she has high expectations for Xiomara, expectations that are vastly different from the ones that Xiomara has for herself.Īgainst the urban backdrop of present-day Harlem, Xiomara, her twin brother, Xavier, and their friend, Caridad, grow up among drug-dealers and teenagers having babies well before they are ready to be parents. As Xiomara experiments with independence, she observes that her need to separate from her parents is particularly challenging for her mother. She struggles with her developing body and its effect on other people, experiencing at the same time what it feels like to fall in love. Xiomara begins to doubt the religious teachings of her childhood as she matures into a curious and bright young woman. Though this novel-in-verse takes place over only a few months during Xiomara’s sophomore year in high school, Xiomara goes through many significant experiences, all of which are documented in her poetry.

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo