Poet X vs We Are Okay

We Are Okay by Nina LaCuor

This is a interesting story and a great character study novel.  
This book started off very dark and sad and I had my doubts but as I continued to read
the main character Miran was very believable.
The journey takes you along a girl escaping her problems at home and avoiding going home
during Christmas break.   The problems Miran that was going through would be relatable to a lot
of students, especially ones dealing with depression or loneliness.
We all think this would also be a good Jr. High or High School read due to some mature content.

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

This was everyone’s favorite.  The story was very believable and the character was very relatable.
We would recommend this book for Jr. High and High school.

I got so caught up in the narrative I forgot it was poetry--rather, the format added to the story
rather than retract from it (with other stories told through poetry, this hasn’t been the case for me).
 I also loved the redemptive ending--a family that has to work through a lot but pulls
together to work through it and is brave enough to seek out help. There are many
themes from religious oppression, to struggling to find your voice that will speak to many students.  

I enjoyed the book so much, and I thought of a girl in our school that for the talent show,
who performed spoken word poetry.  I lent her the book after I read it, thinking this might
be a book for her and she left me this note:

Thank you for blessing me with the curse of sleepless nights and zoned out math classes
for the past few days.  X’s words and her story will forever be in my heart and has inspired
me to write more and speak myself more. This book has the capability to change the view
of so many students which makes it a library must.

From a fellow avid reader,

H

Ellerslie votes for POET X