Lillian is Poet X

Children of Blood and Bone vs.  Poet X
LOHS

Last round was beyond easy to vote.   A remake of Arnold movie vs. Far From the Tree.  Too easy.  But this round was altogether different.

We had two new authors, both with such voice and compelling stories to tell.  Tomi Adeyemi even commented on Elizabeth Acevedo's book saying that the book will touch so many lives and make people who feel hidden away, feel seen.  This is what made us vote for Poet X.

Children of Blood and Bone was such an adventure.  We all loved reading it...maybe a zombie pick?  We were able to get into the head of each character because of how Adeyemi set up each character's story separately.  So we could get to know each character and understanding their motivations before plunging them into chaos where their paths would intersect.  This book has all the qualities you want from a YA fantasy.  It has your villain, heroes and heroines.  The alternating perspectives is a risky move, but Adeyemi pulls it off.  Nothing negative to say here.

Poet X is just different.  Yes, there have been stories before about coming of age. But X's voice is unlike anyone we’ve heard before.   She is compelling.  What she spoke of resonates.   She reminded us of what it's like to be a young woman in a world crowded with complicated rules.  This poem is just heartbreaking.  There is no cliche ending here.