The Poet X

National Book Award Winner and New York Times Bestseller

Some voices demand to be heard. Xiomara Batista’s is one of them.

In this blazing novel-in-verse, an Afro-Latina teen navigates the complicated terrain between who her family expects her to be and who she knows herself to be. Living in Harlem, Xiomara has learned to let her fists speak when words fail her—but inside, she’s overflowing with poetry, passion, and questions her strict religious mother would never approve of. Her leather notebook becomes her sanctuary, filled with verses she recites like prayers, especially after she meets Aman, a boy who sees her in ways no one else does.

When Xiomara discovers her school’s slam poetry club, she faces an impossible choice: continue hiding her true self or risk everything to let her words fly free. What follows is a powerful story about finding your voice in a world that tries to silence it.

Elizabeth Acevedo’s stunning debut crackles with authenticity and raw emotion. Written in verse that pulses with rhythm and heart, The Poet X captures the universal struggle of growing up while celebrating the specific beauty of Dominican-American culture. This is a story about family, faith, first love, and the courage it takes to speak your truth.

Perfect for fans of Jacqueline Woodson, Jason Reynolds, and anyone who’s ever felt invisible, this National Book Award-winning novel reminds us that our stories—and our voices—matter.

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