February 8, 2026 -
This was a challenging book on several fronts. First, the main character being a convicted sex offender puts the reader in the uncomfortable position of being in the head of a character that would typically be dismissed as evil and not worth considering. The writing throughout rides the line of making us empathize with the kid and keeping us at arms length by reminding us frequently of his status. His life is hard due to the terms of his conviction and we frequently feel the entrapment and hopelessness of the character. The only letdown for me is that the inner monologue of the Kid sometimes feels at odds with the level of intelligence that we are told he has. Not enough to break the involvement, but enough that it makes me wonder if he would really talk to himself that way or if he is acting as a mouthpiece for the author's thoughts.
The Professor character pulls us out of the despair of the Kid's life by giving us a character to try and figure out. His views on truth and compartmentalization are really interesting and color the rest of the book.
Overall, I think the book succeeds most as a conversation starter. Do the people we revile still deserve to be treated like people? What do you do when you have no choices in life? What kind of life drives people to commit these acts? All topics that are worth a good conversation.
February 8, 2026 -
On the surface, this is a coming of age story. Xiomara Batista is a fifteen-year old New Yorker struggling with her parents' expectations, her changing body and the attention it brings, and finding a way to express all of her conflicting feelings.
Xiomara's highly religious mother pushes hard for her to avoid men so Xiomara does not fall in to the same trap she did. Her father is a former womanizer that gave up drinking and running around for his kids. Her twin brother is fighting with the hardships of being closeted in a religious Latin family. Xiomara is also fumbling through her first love and trying to keep peace with her family at the same time. She eventually finds poetry as an outlet and comes alive.
The book is full of the mastery of language and flow of a poet writing a full book. The verse is easy to read, but still powerful and immersive. Acevedo lets us feel all of the conflicts without cheapening any of them by going too far. Xiomara feels the pull of sensuality and rebellion, but doesn't just blindly give in to them.
Well-deserving of the awards it won. Although I am trying to read less young adult fiction this year, this book was worth the addition to this year's list.