Gabriela Luna’s favorite book is “The Poet X” because it features people of color that she can relate to. 

“I like Poet X because I can relate to the [main] character and it’s nice that the story is from a [person of color] author,” said Luna, a freshman nursing major. “I feel like there’s not much recognition for people of color in the writing space.”

The book, written by Elizabeth Acevedo, follows a young girl named Xiomara trying to forge a place for herself in the world through slam poetry. The book delves into Xiomara’s personal issues with religion and familial struggles. 

Luna is particularly moved by a pivotal conflict in the story.

“Xiomara went on a date with a classmate and her mother found out,” she said. “Since her mother is very religious, she was upset. There was some physical abuse and just a lot of arguing. She slapped [Xiomara] and made her kneel on a bed of rice and pray.”

Luna said that she loves the book because she empathizes with and understands Xiomara. She explained that it was easy for her to relate to Xiomara.

“I haven’t really been able to find another … protagonist that reminded me of myself the way this one does,” she said. “The main character worded things for me that I had trouble wording. While my circumstances were different, they were similar enough that I could relate to her and apply her perspective to mine.”

Acevedo’s book has won many awards, including the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, the Carnegie medal, the Michael L. Printz Award and the Walter Award. 

While Luna has not experienced exactly what Xiomara does in the book, she said the writing moved her. 

“Nothing like that has happened to me personally,” she said. “But [the writing] … put me in that space. The author wrote the book in a way that was very immersive. I could put myself in the perspective of the main character and feel her pain.”