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���🾶‍♀️📓�� "Xiomara may be remembered as a lot of things: a student, a miracle, a protective sister, a misunderstood daughter, but most importantly, she should be remembered as always working to become the warrior she wanted to be." ❤️📝���

I loved how honest, raw & beautiful this book was. Elizabeth Acevedo gave voice to so many youth through Xiomara. I was her in my youth and this book took me back to those teen years growing up in NY with strict Hispanic parents. How I wish I had a book like this to remind me that I too was seen and heard during those emotionally wrought, chaotic years.

The story tackled so many important topics - family, love, religion, self-acceptance, sexuality, sexual harassment, friendship and it does so flawlessly in verse that keeps you turning the pages.

The relationships in the book are powerful - Xiomara & her twin Xavier, Xiomara & her mother (this relationship was wrought with emotion!), Xiomara and her father, Xiomara & her friend Caridad, Xiomara & Aman (her first love), Xiomara & her priest, Xiomara and her teacher, Ms. Galiano - all of them were complex and helped shape her.

Xiomara's voice was compelling, vulnerable, empowering and above all passionate. I probably would never have read this book if it hadn't arrived in my Page Habit box. I'm grateful it did because I would have missed out on a treasure! I look forward to seeing more from Elizabeth Acevedo in the future. She writes from the heart, celebrating her culture and giving a positive voice to hispanic/latino girls. This debut novel has certainly made me a fan. Now, I'm off to find some clips of her performing her award winning slam poetry.