The Poet X is a complex book, just like its characters. Xiomara is a young Afro-Latina girl that just wants to discover herself, her space and take a step back because her life thus far has been people telling her what she should do, what she should believe, what she should wear, how she should behave and that she's never enough. She’s not good enough, she’s not soft enough, she’s too sluttly, she’s too prude. It’s always this clash between the Xiomara people want her to be, especially who her mom wants her to be, and the Xiomara she wants to be, the one she’s still discovering. A girl that is the daughter of Dominican parents but who is not only Dominican, she is American too but she feels she isn't allowed to act American.

The verses in The Poet X give us a glimpse into Xiomara’s mind and feelings, beautifully written poems that fill your heart and break it at the same time. Poems that wake up a hurricane inside of you but also give calm. It’s a book that deals with so many important topics like machismo, what it is like to grow up in a catholic household, sexuality and consent.

Although Xiomara is the protagonist, it also feels like anyone could be her. Through the poems you can see every girl trying to find her voice and trying to find her place in the world. Xiomara's story became one of my favorites of all time, not only because of how amazingly written it is but also because I was Xiomara once. It’s a story that gives me all the feels but also a story that I wish I had when I was younger because it is like a letter from a friend telling you: “I see you.”