Amidst the already compelling journey of Xiomara, who virtually fights for space to wrestle with her identities, frustrations, and responsibilities, Acevedo relates to us in a powerful way. The author guides us through a deeper allegory about what it means for a warrior to engage in various battles. The most fascinating is the battle to embrace hope when opportunities arise and to believe in the power of our own words. Readers experience the perfect marriage of poetry’s honesty and youth’s honesty. The novel is, overall, an ode to the burning desire to define ourselves outside of everything that tries to define us.
guest post by Samuel Vega