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The Only Way
In the Gutter, there are only two ways for a girl to earn a living—among the trash or on her back. When Hart decides that's not good enough for her, she takes on the high stakes world of no-holds-barred fighting. There's just one women aren't allowed in the ring.
Hair cut short and dressed in her father's old clothes, Hart ventures into the Alley and the world of arena fighting. There she meets Ruby, the daughter of the Arena owner and a brilliant fighter in her own right. When she offers Hart the chance for friendship, Hart cannot resist.
But Ruby thinks Hart is a man, and as she and Ruby grow closer, it gets harder and harder to maintain the façade...
Hair cut short and dressed in her father's old clothes, Hart ventures into the Alley and the world of arena fighting. There she meets Ruby, the daughter of the Arena owner and a brilliant fighter in her own right. When she offers Hart the chance for friendship, Hart cannot resist.
But Ruby thinks Hart is a man, and as she and Ruby grow closer, it gets harder and harder to maintain the façade...
232 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 18, 2014
7 people are currently reading
335 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
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May 14, 2014I really enjoyed this - I should have been doing other stuff, so I planned to only read a couple chapters, but that didn't happen. Read it in one go. Despite the darkness of the setting and the violence of the fights, I think this would be a really good lesbian YA read. There's no graphic sex and the coming-of-age part is more nerve-wracking than the fights.
January 13, 2016
This? This is how you tell a story. THIS is how you get readers to care.
Everything in this book is so, so perfect. UGH.
Here we aren’t told the characters are poor – you are given the stench of where they live and how the chemical burn of their work clings to their clothes. You are shown what a starving baby looks like. You feel their struggles. You feel their desperation. Every action Hart made was sold expertly.
So yeah, I got into this pretty fast. And it held my attention tightly. It's so easy to sympathize with Hart during every twist and turn. I really adored her. I also adored her adoration for Ruby. Their connection felt genuine and the banter was way too much fun. Entertaining.
Hell, everything here was entertaining. If I had to sum it up, that would be the perfect word.
Soooo... can I just -like- preorder everything the author decides to publish from this day forward? K thanks.
Everything in this book is so, so perfect. UGH.
Here we aren’t told the characters are poor – you are given the stench of where they live and how the chemical burn of their work clings to their clothes. You are shown what a starving baby looks like. You feel their struggles. You feel their desperation. Every action Hart made was sold expertly.
So yeah, I got into this pretty fast. And it held my attention tightly. It's so easy to sympathize with Hart during every twist and turn. I really adored her. I also adored her adoration for Ruby. Their connection felt genuine and the banter was way too much fun. Entertaining.
Hell, everything here was entertaining. If I had to sum it up, that would be the perfect word.
Soooo... can I just -like- preorder everything the author decides to publish from this day forward? K thanks.
March 24, 2014
This review was originally posted:http://francesandlynne.wordpress.com/...
“People were cheering for you back there, every time you landed a punch on that guy. And do you know why? Because he was so much bigger than you. People love an underdog. Especially if that underdog can win.”
Leo from The Only Way by Jamie Sullivan
I love stories where the female character has to pretend to be a male to try and achieve something. Yet so often I am disappointed at the end, because she returns to being really girly when she falls in love. When I stumbled across The Only Way by Jamie Sullivan, the book description sounded too good to be true. Not only would the main character be passing as a man, she would have a female love interest. I was cautiously excited when I was granted access to an e-galley of the book.
The story is set in a world that is divided by wealth. Those on the lowest rung live in the Gutter, just above them is the Alley, and at the top of the world is the City. Hart and her family live in the Gutter and they struggle to make ends meet. Her father, Duncan, is a fighter, earning the family’s keep by winning in bare-knuckled fights sanctioned by those of wealth to supposedly keep criminality at bay. However, everything changes when there is a knock at their door letting them know her father did not survive his fight. With three younger siblings and her mother to support, there are not many options for Hart, not since the factories stopped hiring, and she refuses to sell her body as many other girls do. In desperation, Hart (with her mother’s help) cuts her hair, binds her breasts, and sets off to fight. Luckily, she catches the eye of Leo, an arena owner who wants to train up some fighters, and he has decided Hart is the one. Hart begins to train with Leo and his daughter Ruby. Ruby is tough and a good fighter, and slowly Hart learns enough to start winning. How long can this last before someone figures out she isn’t who they believe, especially as she and Ruby grow closer?
I have to say that I did not expect to like this book as much as I did, and honestly I loved it. I read it within a day, and I found it hard to put down. Even better for me was that it was relatively short, which I enjoy (rather than some long drawn out 400 page books where not a whole happens in). Even better was that some of my initial worries for the plot were not only carefully handled, they were excellently done!
The first thing that I absolutely loved was the very dark world that Sullivan was able to create. In her descriptions, I could honestly see the Gutter, and feel how awful it would be to live there. I am not usually one for scene descriptions or heavy world building, but the way that the description was sprinkled in worked for me. It never made me focus on it; instead it just enhanced my mental picture. The world creates the desperation that fuels Hart’s actions, and it brings to mind the same desperation that Katniss has in the Hunger Games books (but is not so present in the movies).
Probably the most compelling part of the story is Hart. Her motivation to do everything for her family while trying to still be herself is something that is easy to relate to. As an older sister myself, I understood her willingness to sacrifice parts of herself to make sure her siblings never had to face what she did. There is such a strong determination in her, and I think that is what all those around her respect about her. She is willing to get hurt and to work very hard to make sure her family is safe. Hart has so much focus on her family that she is still not sure who she is, and often forgets how other people see her. “It was ridiculous that she had felt more like herself when she was lying to everyone around her than she did now, covered in makeup and dressed in these ridiculous clothes.” This could have been aggravating to read, but it worked. Especially as Ruby was such a great foil to Hart.
I loved the relationship between Ruby and Hart. It was very slow and natural, but also refreshing. Ruby is, at first, a mystery to Hart, because she’s very different to Hart. I loved the first real description of Ruby: “This girl didn’t have that desperation about her. Instead, she looked at ease in her setting and her skin-it was something Hart had never felt and couldn’t relate to.” Their relationship really starts with their sparring, and the way Ruby pushes Hart to improve. They really start bonding when Hart treats Ruby as a person, versus how all the other guys treat her at the arena. Hart who has never had time to even think about what she feels, suddenly realizes that she and Ruby have been dating and that she likes Ruby. Obviously, they have to deal with the fact that Hart isn’t a man, and this part was handled well. I have to say, I was cheering for them the whole time!
Probably my other favorite aspect of this book is the fighting. I was afraid the fighting would be pushed aside for the romance and wouldn’t be very realistic. Thankfully, Sullivan handled the fighting really well. Honestly, the fighting and the struggle to survive is the main story, with the romance only there to add to the story (the way I like a story). The fighting is brutal, as bare-knuckled fighting is. It was a little more boxing based than I am used to (I know more about Martial Arts and MMA style fighting), but it worked. Even better for me is that Hart doesn’t win right away, in fact it is a struggle. I love where women fight in books, but often times it is very unrealistic. It is hard to match males between the muscle mass and size differences, but the training that Hart undergoes makes this work. Best of all, Hart still has to face uncertainty in her fighting after she starts winning, a nice change from other stories. So while I went into the story worried about the fighting, it was probably the most refreshing part of the story for me.
As far as things that I didn’t like, there were surprisingly few. Probably my only gripe is that the ending felt a bit rushed. It felt like things just worked out a little too easily, especially after a possible problem to their plans. However, it was a readable ending, and I am okay with it even if it just didn’t have the same weight the rest of the story had.
I really liked this story, and I know that I will re-read it again soon. It is one of the best lesbian novels I have read, even better I think it has appeal to anyone who is a fan of female characters!
Final Verdict: A fast and good read, with a tough girl dressed as a male who gets the girl at the end, and there is excellent fist fighting!
“People were cheering for you back there, every time you landed a punch on that guy. And do you know why? Because he was so much bigger than you. People love an underdog. Especially if that underdog can win.”
Leo from The Only Way by Jamie Sullivan
I love stories where the female character has to pretend to be a male to try and achieve something. Yet so often I am disappointed at the end, because she returns to being really girly when she falls in love. When I stumbled across The Only Way by Jamie Sullivan, the book description sounded too good to be true. Not only would the main character be passing as a man, she would have a female love interest. I was cautiously excited when I was granted access to an e-galley of the book.
The story is set in a world that is divided by wealth. Those on the lowest rung live in the Gutter, just above them is the Alley, and at the top of the world is the City. Hart and her family live in the Gutter and they struggle to make ends meet. Her father, Duncan, is a fighter, earning the family’s keep by winning in bare-knuckled fights sanctioned by those of wealth to supposedly keep criminality at bay. However, everything changes when there is a knock at their door letting them know her father did not survive his fight. With three younger siblings and her mother to support, there are not many options for Hart, not since the factories stopped hiring, and she refuses to sell her body as many other girls do. In desperation, Hart (with her mother’s help) cuts her hair, binds her breasts, and sets off to fight. Luckily, she catches the eye of Leo, an arena owner who wants to train up some fighters, and he has decided Hart is the one. Hart begins to train with Leo and his daughter Ruby. Ruby is tough and a good fighter, and slowly Hart learns enough to start winning. How long can this last before someone figures out she isn’t who they believe, especially as she and Ruby grow closer?
I have to say that I did not expect to like this book as much as I did, and honestly I loved it. I read it within a day, and I found it hard to put down. Even better for me was that it was relatively short, which I enjoy (rather than some long drawn out 400 page books where not a whole happens in). Even better was that some of my initial worries for the plot were not only carefully handled, they were excellently done!
The first thing that I absolutely loved was the very dark world that Sullivan was able to create. In her descriptions, I could honestly see the Gutter, and feel how awful it would be to live there. I am not usually one for scene descriptions or heavy world building, but the way that the description was sprinkled in worked for me. It never made me focus on it; instead it just enhanced my mental picture. The world creates the desperation that fuels Hart’s actions, and it brings to mind the same desperation that Katniss has in the Hunger Games books (but is not so present in the movies).
Probably the most compelling part of the story is Hart. Her motivation to do everything for her family while trying to still be herself is something that is easy to relate to. As an older sister myself, I understood her willingness to sacrifice parts of herself to make sure her siblings never had to face what she did. There is such a strong determination in her, and I think that is what all those around her respect about her. She is willing to get hurt and to work very hard to make sure her family is safe. Hart has so much focus on her family that she is still not sure who she is, and often forgets how other people see her. “It was ridiculous that she had felt more like herself when she was lying to everyone around her than she did now, covered in makeup and dressed in these ridiculous clothes.” This could have been aggravating to read, but it worked. Especially as Ruby was such a great foil to Hart.
I loved the relationship between Ruby and Hart. It was very slow and natural, but also refreshing. Ruby is, at first, a mystery to Hart, because she’s very different to Hart. I loved the first real description of Ruby: “This girl didn’t have that desperation about her. Instead, she looked at ease in her setting and her skin-it was something Hart had never felt and couldn’t relate to.” Their relationship really starts with their sparring, and the way Ruby pushes Hart to improve. They really start bonding when Hart treats Ruby as a person, versus how all the other guys treat her at the arena. Hart who has never had time to even think about what she feels, suddenly realizes that she and Ruby have been dating and that she likes Ruby. Obviously, they have to deal with the fact that Hart isn’t a man, and this part was handled well. I have to say, I was cheering for them the whole time!
Probably my other favorite aspect of this book is the fighting. I was afraid the fighting would be pushed aside for the romance and wouldn’t be very realistic. Thankfully, Sullivan handled the fighting really well. Honestly, the fighting and the struggle to survive is the main story, with the romance only there to add to the story (the way I like a story). The fighting is brutal, as bare-knuckled fighting is. It was a little more boxing based than I am used to (I know more about Martial Arts and MMA style fighting), but it worked. Even better for me is that Hart doesn’t win right away, in fact it is a struggle. I love where women fight in books, but often times it is very unrealistic. It is hard to match males between the muscle mass and size differences, but the training that Hart undergoes makes this work. Best of all, Hart still has to face uncertainty in her fighting after she starts winning, a nice change from other stories. So while I went into the story worried about the fighting, it was probably the most refreshing part of the story for me.
As far as things that I didn’t like, there were surprisingly few. Probably my only gripe is that the ending felt a bit rushed. It felt like things just worked out a little too easily, especially after a possible problem to their plans. However, it was a readable ending, and I am okay with it even if it just didn’t have the same weight the rest of the story had.
I really liked this story, and I know that I will re-read it again soon. It is one of the best lesbian novels I have read, even better I think it has appeal to anyone who is a fan of female characters!
Final Verdict: A fast and good read, with a tough girl dressed as a male who gets the girl at the end, and there is excellent fist fighting!
January 5, 2017
I listened to the audio version of this book. I thoroughly enjoyed this tale. Set in an alternate, more stark reality than our own. Where the lines between those that have and have not are clearly delineated by walls and guards with guns. It tells the story of Hart. A teenage girl finding herself responsible for her entire family after her Father is killed in the fighting ring. Her only options being prostitution or sifting through trash on the trash heap. She's never had the luxury of time to even consider what it means that she could care less about boys.
She decides to pass herself as a male so she can enter the fighting ring, where at least she can put food on the table. There she meets Ruby. The romance is slow and sweet. Though the book is more focused on the social commentary and what happens in the ring.
The book is full of rich characters, main and secondary. The plot is interesting and different. The setting one you can easily imagine. I would say it's more of a YA read. However, I found plenty here to enjoy!
She decides to pass herself as a male so she can enter the fighting ring, where at least she can put food on the table. There she meets Ruby. The romance is slow and sweet. Though the book is more focused on the social commentary and what happens in the ring.
The book is full of rich characters, main and secondary. The plot is interesting and different. The setting one you can easily imagine. I would say it's more of a YA read. However, I found plenty here to enjoy!
March 7, 2022
This book has been sitting in my (virtual) bookshelves for a couple of months now and I never came around to reading it until today. The cover just didn't do it for me and I am a visual person so yeah. If you are like me and this cover is not doing it for you, I recommend you to ignore it or cover it up and read this book.
The world really did it for me and most characters seemed to have motivation behind their actions, which we love. But Ruby and Hart were the thing that made me finish this book in a day. First of all: an undercover love story is 100% up my alley. I also think that the way that the author handled the fights really worked well. They mentioned a lot of them without it feeling repetitive and boring and that also explained quite well, how Hart actually got better at fighting. The pacing overall was interesting, as a major plot point was just introduced super late. I don't know how I feel about that yet.
But…I would have loved for the book to be double the size. The ending felt quite abrupt to me like some things weren't really resolved or like nobody really faced consequences for their actions. I found it a bit disappointing that quite a bit of Ruby and Hart's love story seemed to happen off the pages. Not to say that we didn't get some amazing scenes, but it could have felt a lot more realistic and organic if there were more.
In conclusion, this book really put me through many emotions and I would totally read it again. The world is super interesting and the characters are likable but some additional scenes would not have hurt imo.
The world really did it for me and most characters seemed to have motivation behind their actions, which we love. But Ruby and Hart were the thing that made me finish this book in a day. First of all: an undercover love story is 100% up my alley. I also think that the way that the author handled the fights really worked well. They mentioned a lot of them without it feeling repetitive and boring and that also explained quite well, how Hart actually got better at fighting. The pacing overall was interesting, as a major plot point was just introduced super late. I don't know how I feel about that yet.
But…I would have loved for the book to be double the size. The ending felt quite abrupt to me like some things weren't really resolved or like nobody really faced consequences for their actions. I found it a bit disappointing that quite a bit of Ruby and Hart's love story seemed to happen off the pages. Not to say that we didn't get some amazing scenes, but it could have felt a lot more realistic and organic if there were more.
In conclusion, this book really put me through many emotions and I would totally read it again. The world is super interesting and the characters are likable but some additional scenes would not have hurt imo.
April 13, 2014
Don't expect any sex scenes, but the book is awesome even without it. It tells of a young, poverty stricken girl, Hart, trying to survive by joining the fighting rigs under the disguise of a boy. The way Sullivan depicts Hart's living conditions and her love for her family is compelling. Seems the author has works across different genres, I look forward to more of her works under lesbian fiction.
June 3, 2023
The story has certain words that rang true, despite the tag, fiction. I did not enjoy the violence at all. What did I expect when I had already known fights are violent?
Other than the violence theme, there is an acute description of lives in poverty, it garnered so much of my empathy, I might just change how I think about other people.
The worst part of the story is that girls who have barely hit their teen are earning money for their poor families using sex. The truth which is not talked about enough.
Ever asked yourself why most poor folks have lots of children?
Other than the violence theme, there is an acute description of lives in poverty, it garnered so much of my empathy, I might just change how I think about other people.
The worst part of the story is that girls who have barely hit their teen are earning money for their poor families using sex. The truth which is not talked about enough.
Ever asked yourself why most poor folks have lots of children?
December 26, 2020
I liked it. I liked the aspect of the vast differences between the socioeconomic class. If someone was living under a rock and read this book they would learn what a struggle is and I appreciated that. I was expecting a little more. I also wish Finn was thought of as well when it came to schooling. Overall it was a good book and I finished it in 2 hours maybe 3 (a single sitting).
February 19, 2021
A re-readable adventure
An action packed queer dystopian novel. I read it ever year. The author paints a vivid picture of classisms in society that transcends the fantastic of literature. If you like boxing, dystopian stories, and queer love give this book a read.
An action packed queer dystopian novel. I read it ever year. The author paints a vivid picture of classisms in society that transcends the fantastic of literature. If you like boxing, dystopian stories, and queer love give this book a read.
December 3, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 1/2 stars. Read this book in about 3 class periods if not counting the time where I put my phone down. Maybe 2 hours? Anyways, it was great. I have no reason to complain about this. It evoked emotion, and the book was sweet. Ruby wasn't what I expected, and I mean that in sort of a good way.
December 4, 2016
LESBIANS !!!!!! great story, great setting loveable characters. loved the socioeconomic dynamics of the story! hart' s struggle to lift her family out of poverty was touching and sincere. I'll always loved romances where one person is disguising their gender, and this book does it well!
February 17, 2024
This was amazing, honestly it deserves like 10 stars, i loved every part of it.
May 16, 2015
I absolutely loved "The Only Way" by Jamie Sullivan!
Jamie flawlessly plonks us straight into a different world to our own where the next meal may not come and the mere fact of living was a fight. Often I am disappointed from novels that describe fights but she did it perfectly with just enough detail so that you could feel the stench of the arena and hear the sounds of the crowd.
I loved both the characters Ruby and Hart and instantly felt drawn to Hart in the beginning, cheering for her wins and crying for her loss.
It was a relatively short book but still left me tingling.
This is the first time I've read anything from Jamie and I am looking forward to more!
Jamie flawlessly plonks us straight into a different world to our own where the next meal may not come and the mere fact of living was a fight. Often I am disappointed from novels that describe fights but she did it perfectly with just enough detail so that you could feel the stench of the arena and hear the sounds of the crowd.
I loved both the characters Ruby and Hart and instantly felt drawn to Hart in the beginning, cheering for her wins and crying for her loss.
It was a relatively short book but still left me tingling.
This is the first time I've read anything from Jamie and I am looking forward to more!
June 19, 2014
Great story. The author did a great job with describing the emotions and scenery of the book. It was very easy to "see" what the author was describing to you. I agree with others that the ending was a little rushed but it wasn't lacking. You definitely wont regret purchasing this read.
June 25, 2019
I really enjoyed this book because of the fact that it didn't focus on Hart's sexuality. It focuses on her struggles to earn money for her family. This is how it's done. I love that the lesbian relationship wasn't purely sexual and it was more sincere than other books.
April 17, 2014
boxy clunky read
January 11, 2015
Very beautiful YA F/F :)
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