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Today, Fable and the Verbivore are diving into our April book club pick Elizabeth Acevedo’s exquisite, potent, and soulful coming-of-age story “The Poet X”.

Written in a series of poems that serve as narrative and voice for the main character Xiomara, this story is an exploration of finding a sense of self, the words that are yours, and a space to share them - especially when that's in conflict with those you love most.

In this episode, we talk about a lot of things this novel does so very well. The rhythm and flow of the poems that pull you through the story, the unique structures and forms the author uses to help convey different levels of meaning, and how she uses comparison and contrast to help clearly establish conflicts.

We also dive into several examples of her saturated introductions of supporting characters which help setup the reader with a layered and well-rounded understanding of who they are, their relationship dynamics with Xiomara, and how they view her. This helps to make any shifts that happen in the story feel significant.

If it’s not already obvious, we both devoured and loved this book, and would highly recommend it!

We hope you enjoy this episode! Keep reading, writing, and putting your voice out there!

Into the woods,

Fable & The Verbivore