Leigh Quigley

Award-winning slam poet—and author of THE POET X—Elizabeth Acevedo takes us through first day of school anxieties in this look at a poem inside her stunning debut novel.

Subscribe to Epic Reads! - goo.gl/2vD4rM

In the face of a world that may not want to hear her, Xiomara refuses to be silent.

Xiomara Batista feels unheard and unable to hide in her Harlem neighborhood. Ever since her body grew into curves, she has learned to let her fists and her fierceness do the talking.

But Xiomara has plenty she wants to say, and she pours all her frustration and passion onto the pages of a leather notebook, reciting the words to herself like prayers—especially after she catches feelings for a boy in her bio class named Aman, who her family can never know about.

With Mami’s determination to force her daughter to obey the laws of the church, Xiomara understands that her thoughts are best kept to herself. So when she is invited to join her school’s slam poetry club, she doesn’t know how she could ever attend without her mami finding out. But she still can’t stop thinking about performing her poems.

Find THE POET X: shar.es/1N7HWq

Sign up for FIRST5 and receive a daily e-mail newsletter that gives you something to read. Delivered to your inbox each weekday! - goo.gl/EgXtSe

LET’S GET BOOK NERDY!

Website: www.epicreads.com

Tumblr: epicreads.tumblr.com

Twitter: twitter.com/EpicReads

Instagram: instagram.com/epicreads

Facebook: facebook.com/epicreads

Google+: plus.google.com/+EpicReads

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/epicreads

#EpicReads is brought to you by HarperCollins Publishers.