![The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo – A book review]()
review, Romance, YA |
How religious are you and how interested were in God as a teen? Our experiences may vary and sometimes our family gets a huge say in these things. There are things that we all have in common and then there are some gaps. The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo talks a lot about religion and faith in these lines. Let us get on to my review, shall we?
About the book
Book Name: The Poet X
Author: Elizabeth Acevedo
Characters: Xiomara and Xavier Batista, Caridad, Aman, Isabelle
Genre: Fiction – Romance, YA, Contemporary
Setting: Harlem, New York, The United States of America
The plot
With an emotionally distant and a super religious mother, Xiomara Batista, a young teen, feels all alone in her questioning life, religion, on being a woman and her changing body. And boys.
Her Twin brother, who is a closeted queer, seem to know what their parents want and doesn’t have any problem in just doing that. Even if he has to hide things from them. Of course, he doesn’t get picked at by their mother or have so many restrictions as Xio because he was a guy.
Her best friend Caridad, is what Xio’s parents want her to be like. Soft, religious and obedient. But sadly, Xio was born ready to be a fighter, a protector and a spitfire.
Honestly all Xio wants is to be a normal teenager. Wear sexy clothes, meet boys, have a boyfriend, and to be kissed, all of which are forbidden by her religious, controlling and guilt tripping mother.
And Xio has questions. And doesn’t have anyone to help her figure them out. No one except her notebook that she has filled her poetry. Another thing she has to hide from her mother.
What happens when Xio finally finds someone or something where she could just be? Why would her questioning be so frowned upon by the religion. Read The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo to know more.
My initial thoughts
Xio is a Dominican, twin, catholic, thick girl and a poet and the author makes sure that she stays true to all the identities – from what I hear. Even if I am not a part of those representations, I could still relate to her and her thought process.
As someone from a “religious but not super religious” family, where guilt tripping, blind faith, sexism and casteism are encouraged, I felt connected to Xio so much that I even forgot that we are not talking about the same religion. I suppose most religions have a lot in common.
Acevedo’s writing, especially the poetry, was so raw and vulnerable that I had to often take my eyes off the book and collect my thoughts, which rarely happens.
If you had not realized it by now, I loved Xio. I wish I were this brave and fierce as a teen myself. And that I was as body positive as she was and I hate that she had to undergo the catcalls, groping, ogling, leering and then be guilt tripped by her mother.
Things that worked for me
- I loved Acevedo’s writing. LOVED.
- Xio’s questions about religion and women are so spot on, that she may have picked them from own teen dairy.
- I love the way the author built real, relatable characters. Xavier, Aman and even Caridad and of course, Xio.
Things that didn’t work for me
I wish I got to know more about Caridad, Xavier and even Aman, for that matter.
Bottom-line
The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo is a contemporary romance that focuses very less on romance. Written in a verse format The Poet X doesn’t shy away from intense themes like religion, women in religion, puberty, body positivism, and parental control. Good recommendation, even if you are not into Young Adult books.
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![The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo – A book review]()
review, Romance |
What kinda books pull you out of a reading slump? A while ago, I read The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren when I was in a kinda slump and believe me, it worked. So let us get on with the review of The Unhoneymooners, shall we?
About the book
Book Name: The Unhoneymooners
Author: Christina Lauren
Genre: Fiction – Romance
Characters: Olive and Ami Torres, Ethan Thomas
Setting: Minnesota, Maui, Hawaii, The USA
The plot
When her identical twin Ami, her husband and her entire party gets food poisoning, Olive is given a chance to use her all expenses paid honeymoon package. It sounds great except for the fact that she would have to share it with Ethan, her nemesis and brother of the groom.
To complicate matters, Olive bumps into her future ex boss and Ethan’s ex and they decide to pretend to be the married couple. They stop pretending after a while, but do they ever get back together after their unhoneymoon ends? Read The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren to know what happens next.
My initial thoughts
The Unhoneymooners is my first book by the duo Christina Lauren and I should say I am sold. If their other books are any similar, I would definitely read them. I loved the hilarious writing, especially in the first half. I liked the protagonists, even though I felt Ethan was not really developed deep enough.
And maybe it had to do with the entire plot being written only from Olive’s POV. That is different from the usual ‘enemies to lovers’ trope writing style, where we usually see the feelings of both the protagonists. But again, that is not a big negative on my radar.
Things that worked for me
- I love the deeper parts beyond the romance and the fluff (which I enjoyed too).
- The family/friendship bonding was well written.
- The writing is hilarious and witty and is perfect for a fun read.
Things that didn’t work for me
- I expected a little more groveling in the end. She forgave them too quickly, in my opinion.
- I wish we had a bit more about Ethan than his facial expressions.
Bottom-line
It is a perfect book to pick out of a slump or brighten your dull afternoon, which are incidentally what happened to me.
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Drama, review |
With the hype created by the new show, I had to read Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste NG, even though practically everyone around me has read and reviewed it. And I was low-key expecting me another over-hyped chick flick and boy, was I wrong! Read my review of Little Fires Everywhere to know more.
About the book
Book Name: Little Fires Everywhere
Author: Celeste Ng
Genre: Fiction – Drama
Characters: Mia and Pearl Warren, Elena, Izzy, Moody, Lexie and Trip Richardson, Bebe, Linda and Mark McCullough
Setting: Shaker Heights, Ohio, The USA
Plot Summary
Shaker heights is one of those perfect small towns, that is tight knit and followed every rule to the T. The residents of this meticulously planned community give great importance to the appearance and uniformity – they all paint their doors in particular colors, the lawns are perfectly manicured, the garbage cans are hidden behind the house etc.
The Richardson family is a model family to this Utopia. Mr Richardson, a well to do lawyer, Mrs Elena Richardson, a reporter who writes ‘wholesome’ articles and their four children (two boys and two girls) paint a pretty picture.
Their perfect lives go for a toss when a non conformist family – a single mother and her shy daughter enter their neighbourhood. Mrs Richardson takes in Mia Warren (an artist) and her daughter Pearl into her rented apartment to help them out – a gesture of benevolence. In a few months, the members of both the families get entwined with each other due to various reasons.
Meanwhile, an old family friend of the Richardsons adopts a Chinese-American baby and a battle custody ensues. How do the Warrens and Richardsons get caught in the custody web? Do they come out of it as one single piece forms the rest of the story in Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng.
Book review
First of, WOW. I loved the book so much that I am writing the review of Little Fires Everywhere as soon as I finished reading it. This has not happened in a long time. Nor have I written such a big plot summary, in terms of word count in a while. So there is my verdict – WOW. Now let us dig in deeper shall we?
On the surface, Little Fires Everywhere is filled with stereotypes.
A control freak suburban mom, a distant workaholic dad, non conformist artist, a popular jock, spoilt rich popular girl, moody and outcast teen, and a nerd – there is one of every single fictional cliche. But what I loved is how Ng has spun these cliched characters into deep, multi layered characters.
A friend of mine asked whom I thought the baby should end up with, when I was reading the book. I didn’t have an answer then, or now, because that is how the world is. There is no complete black or white. Every character is flawed in Little Fires Everywhere and I loved them all the same.
For my personally, the most interesting character was Mrs Richardson, or Elena. She is one of the most complex characters I have read in a long time now. She made me question my choices and I am sure everyone feels related to her at some point.
If I had to nitpick, I am not sure if I like being told incessantly to root for a single character, Mia. Yes, she is ‘the empathetic and enlightened’ one. And I think she got off too easily when compared to her counterpart, given her history.
Things that worked for me
- Little Fires Everywhere deals with many intense themes like motherhood, identity, conformism and adoption.
- I liked the plot and the moral questioning that it posed.
- Deep, multi layered characters that stay with you long after you have finished reading are something to look forward to.
Things that didn’t work for me
- I felt the scales tipped too easily when it came to Mia.
Bottom-line
Little Fires Everywhere is an exquisitely written family drama with a bit of suspense. Read the book before you watch the series.
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Drama, review |
I picked Mrs. Everything without any idea what the general theme was about and I was pleasantly surprised that it was a historical fiction, a genre I rarely read. Let us see how it turned out for me in my book review, shall we?
About the book
Book Name: Mrs. Everything
Author: Jennifer Weiner
Genre: Fiction – Historical, Drama
Characters: Sarah, Bethie and Jo Kaufman, Harold, Dave, Shelley
Setting: Detroit, Michigan, The United States of America
The plot
Mrs. Everything follows the story of two sisters, Jo and Bethie Kaufman, right from their childhood when they move into Detroit in the 1950s. Jo, the elder one, is quite tomboyish and feels uncomfortable in skirts and frills who Bethie bonds with their mother through the pretty, girlie things.
Jo grows up edgy, socially aware/woke and outspoken while Bethie loves being the mother’s pet, pliable and the center of attention. Over the years, we see them grow into their rebellious teens alongside the political and societal changes in the USA.
As more matured adults, their roles reverse. Jo gets into the more traditional mother/wife role and Bethie becomes the free spirit and joins a woman only commune. What does it take for these sisters, and the world, to stick together despite all their flaws forms the rest of Mrs. Everything.
My initial thoughts
Mrs. Everything is pretty predictable and the plot by itself has been told countless times. The lives of Jo and Bethie can be yours, mine or any other woman – it is about the roles we play to keep the world running. It is relatable and has happened to each of us, in pieces at the least, and hence “Mrs. Everything”.
I have read a few Jennifer Weiner’s books in my late teens. I remember them being lighthearted (I may be remembering it wrong), so I was surprised Mrs. Everything being so intense with multiple themes like civil rights, women rights and LGBTQA. And she has done a great job with it.
I found Mrs. Everything a bit longer than it could have been. While I loved reading about the sister’s lives, the history part felt longer and repetitive in places.
Things that worked for me
- The plot and the characters felt relatable.
- The author has done a great job handling multiple themes.
Things that didn’t work for me
- Mrs. Everything felt a longer than it could have been.
- The history part felt repetitive in places.
Bottom-line
Mrs. Everything does a perfect job of interweaving the historical facts with the lives of ordinary women, that are so closer to every other woman. If only it were shorter it would be my go to recommend for woman fiction genre, easily.
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review |
What turns a book good to great? I would love reading a predictable story if it has awesome, well developed characters. Is that what happened with Yes no maybe so? I am not hinting anything! Read on to find out more.
About the book
Book Name: Yes no maybe so
Author: Becky Albertalli, Aisha Saeed
Genre: Fiction – Romance
Characters: Jamie and Sophie Goldberg, Maya Rehman, Sara, Gabe.
Setting: Atlanta, Georgia, The United States of America
The plot
Jamie is a shy, awkward teen who wants to do everything in his might to help his favorite congressman win. He has aspirations to be a politician himself one day, if he can survive his toast at his sister’s bat mitzvah. To make things worse, his mom is pushing him to try out door to door canvassing.
Maya is a Pakistani-American Muslim who is not having the best summer. Her parents are splitting up and her best friend is moving away and has been too busy to hang out lately. When her parents offer to buy her a car in return for canvassing for Rossum, she is not thrilled.
By luck and their mothers’ will, Jamie and Maya begin their canvassing with different goals in their mind. But a bill that was passed recently targeting Muslims and anti Semitic against Rossum’s supporters get them both rallied up.
Will the slow burn chemistry between them derail them from their political campaigns? Or is it the opposite? You might have to read Yes no maybe so to know more.
My initial thoughts
Yes no maybe so is a cute YA contemporary romance with a liberal dose of politics. It takes a strong stand on their political leaning towards a particular side. So if you had strong opinions about it or that will stop you from enjoying this YA romance, you might have to watch out.
Even as someone who is not from the USA, I am not totally devoid of any opinions about it and such a law against covering the head would be against personal freedom, something that the USA boasts of quite often.
The one thing that did not sit right with me Maya’s sudden change of opinion towards kissing Jamie, given that she was not allowed to date non Muslim guys or to be physically intimate with a buy before marriage. Sure she was missing him and in love with him, but kissing (or any kinda physical intimacy) was explicitly forbidden. What made her make that leap?
This might sound too weird for others, but “no physical intimacy before marriage” is a real thing with desi families, and I am sure it would have been more strict in a Muslim household. #RepresentationMatters.
I loved Jamie’s cool grandmother and Sophie was a diva. I would love to read a spin off or fan fiction with them as main characters. It has been a while since I loved the sub plots so much.
Things that worked for me
- I loved the fact that the romance takes a back seat (for a tiny bit) for family and politics.
- Jamie was perfect. His awkwardness and mishaps kept me laughing!
- The side characters were extremely well developed and I loved Sophie, especially.
- And Yes no maybe so is based on a true story!
Things that didn’t work for me
- We could have seen a bit more of Maya’s faith and her community.
- Maya changing her belief and value for a white guy, may come off as a “white savior” thing to some.
- And yes, the book takes a political stand. If you don’t like politics mixing with pleasure reading, that might be turn off for you.
Bottom-line
Yes no maybe so is cute and perfect for a summer read, or you know, for just staying in due to the lock down. It has well developed and likeable characters and takes a political stand.
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