Winner of the National Book Award for Young Peoples Literature, the Michael L. Printz Award, andthe Pura Belpr Award!

Fans of Jacqueline Woodson, Meg Medina, and Jason Reynolds will fall hard for this astonishingNew York Times-bestsellingnovel-in-verse by an award-winning slam poet, about an Afro-Latina heroine who tells her story with blazing words and powerful truth.

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 prayersespecially after she catches feelings for a boy in her bio class named Aman, who her family can never know about.

With Mamis 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 schools slam poetry club, she doesnt know how she could ever attend without her mami finding out. But she still cant stop thinking about performing her poems.

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

Crackles with energy and snaps with authenticity and voice. Justina Ireland, author of Dread Nation

An incredibly potent debut. Jason Reynolds, author of the National Book Award Finalist Ghost

Acevedo has amplified the voices of girls en el barrio who are equal parts goddess, saint, warrior, and hero. Ibi Zoboi, author of American Street