Poet X, The

Fifteen-year-old Xiomara lives in Harlam with her strict immigrant parents, but she begins to question her family and church’s expectations and beliefs as she matures physically and emotionally. She feels herself silenced and restricted, but finds her voice in a romantic relationship with a classmate and with the help of her English teacher who encourages Xiomara to share her poems through the poetry club and a slam poetry event. This novel in free verse deals with issues of religion, first love, rebellion, marginalization, puberty, sexual identity, and relationships with parents, siblings, and friends, and is suitable for a literature circle or independent novel, or as part of a poetry unit.