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Fight Like a Girl
The Beauty of the Moment meets Exit, Pursued by a Bear. Award-winning thriller writer Sheena Kamal delivers a kick-ass debut YA novel that will have fans crying out for more.
Love and violence. In some families they're bound up together, dysfunctional and poisonous, passed from generation to generation like eye color or a quirk of smile. Trisha's trying to break the chain, channeling her violent impulses into Muay Thai kickboxing, an unlikely sport for a slightly built girl of Trinidadian descent. Her father comes and goes as he pleases, his presence adding a layer of tension to Toronto's east-end townhouse Trisha and her mom call home, every punch he lands on her mother carving itself indelibly into Trisha's mind. Until the night he wanders out drunk in front of the car Trisha is driving, practicing on her learner's permit, her mother in the passenger seat. Her father is killed, and her mother seems strangely at peace. Lighter, somehow. Trisha doesn't know exactly what happened that night, but she's afraid it's going to happen again. Her mom has a new man in her life and the patterns, they are repeating.
Love and violence. In some families they're bound up together, dysfunctional and poisonous, passed from generation to generation like eye color or a quirk of smile. Trisha's trying to break the chain, channeling her violent impulses into Muay Thai kickboxing, an unlikely sport for a slightly built girl of Trinidadian descent. Her father comes and goes as he pleases, his presence adding a layer of tension to Toronto's east-end townhouse Trisha and her mom call home, every punch he lands on her mother carving itself indelibly into Trisha's mind. Until the night he wanders out drunk in front of the car Trisha is driving, practicing on her learner's permit, her mother in the passenger seat. Her father is killed, and her mother seems strangely at peace. Lighter, somehow. Trisha doesn't know exactly what happened that night, but she's afraid it's going to happen again. Her mom has a new man in her life and the patterns, they are repeating.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published March 10, 2020
27 people are currently reading
1703 people want to read
About the author
Sheena Kamal
9 books397 followersSheena Kamal was born in the Caribbean and immigrated to Canada as a child. She holds an HBA in Political Science from the University of Toronto, and was awarded a TD Canada Trust scholarship for community leadership and activism around the issue of homelessness.
Sheena is a winner of the Kobo Emerging Writer Award. Her first novel, The Lost Ones/Eyes Like Mine won a Strand Magazine Critics Award for Best First Novel. It was a Globe and Mail Bestseller, a TIME Magazine Thriller of the Summer, and an iBooks best book of July.
The sequel, IT ALL FALLS DOWN is out now.
Sheena is a winner of the Kobo Emerging Writer Award. Her first novel, The Lost Ones/Eyes Like Mine won a Strand Magazine Critics Award for Best First Novel. It was a Globe and Mail Bestseller, a TIME Magazine Thriller of the Summer, and an iBooks best book of July.
The sequel, IT ALL FALLS DOWN is out now.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 185 reviews
May 4, 2022
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me an ARC!
I read this book in one sitting and I regret nothing.
I was really excited for this book, because it seemed like the kind of thing that I wouldn’t normally pick up but would also enjoy. Surprisingly enough, my first impression of the book was actually correct.
I loved the power and sass behind this book. Trisha’s narrative and story were so intense and fast-paced, but it was done beautifully and somewhat comedically.
The plot of this book follows Trisha, a fierce girl who trains in Muay Thai, as she navigates the aftermath of her abusive father’s death - at her hand, after he walks out in front of her car while drunk. Her mother, however, seems somewhat lighter after his death. So when Trisha’s mother gets another boyfriend - one who seems similar - she’s worried about what might happen.
The writing and narration style made me snort so many times. Trisha’s wit is so quick and her opinions are so informal, aggressive and yet passionate and beautiful that I don’t really know how to explain it. This book is sassy.
Just like Trisha.
The curse of my life. Trinidadian women. One in particular.
Trisha was such a dynamic main character. I loved her perspective, her power and her emotional experiences. Being in her head was a ride. She was so vivid and full of anger and confusion and passion that I couldn’t get bored of reading through her eyes.
Aunty K was great, even though she was a little bit annoying to me.
Ma was incredibly complex, especially with her relationship to Trisha. Their characters were so confusing together in a really realistic, well-written way.
Noor was a role model even though she was pretty minor. She and Amanda were just really cool and I would absolutely be terrified of them if I knew them in real life.
Jason was confusing but cool and I guess I was okay with him? I didn’t care about him that much but he was very interesting and added a lot to Trisha’s character.
Kru was an interesting character, but he wasn’t explored as much. The hints about his backstory were very vague and I think it would have been interesting to see more of him.
Columbus was okay. He felt kind of pointless at times, but he’s exactly the kind of supportive best friend that every girl needs.
Imelda was honestly a bit of a bitch and I stopped liking her pretty quickly. But character-wise she was okay.
There were a few more characters, but those were the ones I remembered the most. I think because of the amount of characters, none of them got a ton of personal development, but they were all represented well and I think if this turns out not to be a standalone, then I would love to get more of the others.
We call each other gladiators because we go out and fight for reasons beyond us. Reasons that nobody else can understand if you're not part of it. We don't even understand it, not really. Nobody is from here, or from Thailand, even, the birthplace of our sport, Muay Thai. ... Our origin stories are irrelevant here, because we all want the same thing.
The best thing about this book was probably the cultural representation for me. I loved that each character, even the minor ones, had such complex backstories that even though they weren’t told, they were implied in a way that made the diversity just so much more believable.
The narrative on racism was incredibly powerful. This book confronted stereotypes and diversity issues in an almost out-of-the-way style that felt really good. I loved how natural it felt.
Rule number one of being a woman from Trinidad: be hella fierce.
I'm not kidding, people. This is the rule. Not only will people expect you to be educated, have a job and provide, you must also have it in you to be an all-round queen.
The plot themes were very complex and harsh, balanced out with Trisha’s narration. This book went into abuse with Trisha’s parents. The whole concept of violence and fighting was written in so bluntly but in a way that just came out with so much strength.
The familial relationships in themselves were powerful. I loved how this book went into such confusing, harsh realities between people. Trisha’s parents and friends and family were written with so much truth and realism that it was honestly impressive. This book captured how weird families can be and how relationships can easily become or unbecome toxic.
It's the women that stay.
They're with you even when they're not around. They give you pieces of their souls, jagged pointy things, and you can never give them back, no matter how much you want to. No matter how much these pieces cut you and make you bleed for them, over and over.
Overall, this was a really strong book. The characters were intense, the plot was relevant and the themes were so beautifully done. I loved Trisha’s strength and vulnerability, I loved the messages that came across, and I loved how despite the straightforwardness of Trisha’s narration the book managed to be trippy and ominous where it needed to be.
I wasn’t absolutely blown away, but I really liked this book. The whole experience was just badass, and I couldn’t put it down until I finished.
I would absolutely recommend this book to people who like cultural narratives, contemporary books, and realistic but still badass teenage girls, because that is exactly what Trisha is. This book is hard-hitting (literally) but fun.
The Art of Eight Limbs, the Thai words that stutter off our tongues. They don't sound right, even to us, but none of that matters. Not really. As long as we pay our respects, we get a pass to train. To fight.
March 6, 2020
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for an egalley in exchange for an honest review.
A debut YA novel set in Toronto, Sheena Kamal's main protagonist is Trisha, an 18-year-old of Trinidadian descent living in the east end of Toronto with her mother. Trisha is a determined Muay Thai kickboxer who longs for that big win in the ring and acceptance into the business management program at Ryerson. But when her father dies, Trisha is concerned with the behavior of her mother and her neighbors and she begins to wonder if she really knows everything about her family.
I was left with some mixed feelings at the end of this book. The author dabbles in both the thriller and paranormal which were both intriguing but lacked a little bit of polish in executing them into the storyline. Trisha is given a love interest at the gym but it seemed ill-placed and more of a distraction from the other parts of the plot. I wavered between a 2 and 3-star rating while writing my review before deciding that the main protagonist, Trisha was compelling enough to weigh in on the latter.
Goodreads review 06/03/20
Expected Publication 10/03/20
A debut YA novel set in Toronto, Sheena Kamal's main protagonist is Trisha, an 18-year-old of Trinidadian descent living in the east end of Toronto with her mother. Trisha is a determined Muay Thai kickboxer who longs for that big win in the ring and acceptance into the business management program at Ryerson. But when her father dies, Trisha is concerned with the behavior of her mother and her neighbors and she begins to wonder if she really knows everything about her family.
I was left with some mixed feelings at the end of this book. The author dabbles in both the thriller and paranormal which were both intriguing but lacked a little bit of polish in executing them into the storyline. Trisha is given a love interest at the gym but it seemed ill-placed and more of a distraction from the other parts of the plot. I wavered between a 2 and 3-star rating while writing my review before deciding that the main protagonist, Trisha was compelling enough to weigh in on the latter.
Goodreads review 06/03/20
Expected Publication 10/03/20
February 12, 2020
Fight Like a Girl is a very quick read but it definitely leaves an impression after you’ve finished it. The mystery aspect of the story kept me turning the page throughout the book, which is also why I read it all in one go. 🙊 The writing style in this book is very raw and a bit aggressive even, and while it definitely fits the topics discussed in the story, it made me feel a bit uncomfortable while reading. And because it was such a short story and there were a lot of time jumps which felt a bit rushed, I was confused about what happened at times. But, even though this book might not have been a five star for me, I think there might be a lot of people who are going love it! If the synopsis sounds interesting to you, I’d recommend it! 😁
Thank you so much to Hot Key Books for providing me with an early copy!
Thank you so much to Hot Key Books for providing me with an early copy!
December 7, 2019
I thought this novel inaugurated with a plethora of serrated footings and even the first page itself provoked me to a certain degree. The fifth paragraph which is written on the first page by the author already allow me to determine whether or not I cherish the writing style of the novel and, lo and behold, I did not like the writing style of this novel at all.
It is written in a very informal way with an overabundance of brackets and dash to either express the main character’s emotions or random notions. I thought the dash irritated me the most because the author would write a paragraph halfway and dashes it at the end and the next paragraph would be something trivial and the following paragraph would be utilised to recapitulate the one that she dashes. For example:
“Ma wasn’t having any of it today, of all days. When she was about to say goodbye to the love of her life (gag).” – with the bracket.
“I try to force myself to look through the peephole in the door, but the fear is too much for me and whatever bit of courage I had a moment ago-
Calling out who’s there like an idiot
-disappears.” – with the dash.
The romance is farcical because I did not feel a single connection between the main character and the love interest. The only thing that is written on the page is how muscular the guy is and how he stank of cologne. I do not understand why the author would go through such length to introduce a love interest that does not have a single interesting point in the storyline and the love interest is the definition of a one dimensional-character with nothing interesting but his body and kiss. Besides, there is a character in this novel christened Christopher and he is the main character’s best friend. There is a scene in the novel that he kissed the main character with absolutely no reason and also, without consent and I thought that he sexually assaulted her and the main character would voice her concerns but it is never addressed again in the novel and that is not okay.
Moving on, there are several peculiarities that I found distasteful in the novel but two, in particular, infuriated me to no end.
Number 1, where is the thriller aspect of the novel where thrills are to be expected from a thriller novel? I thought the middle section of the novel did a great job at creating an atmosphere of suspense and disbelieve but then it all goes downhill when we enter the section where the book will have to come to an end. The story did not explain itself and at this point, the previous mystery is forgotten and a new lie is concocted (because they murdered another human being) to deceive the policemen so that they would not get apprehended and hurled into jail.
Number 2, I thought the paranormal aspect will come into play as the author is hinting at it in the middle section of the novel and it got me really excited for how the ending is going to turn out but unfortunately, it is, again, forgotten and discarded. This irked me as I was so ready for the blood-sucking creatures to transform from their human body to their original configuration. How disappointing that the author did not take the route and instead, takes a complete turn and rains havoc to the ending.
The pacing that is embedded in this novel is not monumental. I thought the beginning of the novel was shaky and totally not well-balanced and as the story goes on, it stabilizes itself and it all goes down to the drain as soon as the story comes to a conclusion. The best way to describe the pacing for this novel is a tenuous framework of a building.
The abuse in this book is not well-written whatsoever. Here is the cycle: the mom gets abused by the main character’s dad, the protagonist’s mom abuses her, the protagonist’s dad dies in a car accident, the mom gets another abusive dude into her house, both of them mentally and physically abuse the daughter and it did not get resolved in the end and of course, they live happily ever after. Also, the mom’s friends did not voice up on the abuse even though they know about it. What the hell.
The last chapter (epilogue) of the novel is written in another format. I haven’t read You by Caroline Kepnes but the way that people describe it on Goodreads and Youtube is that the author uses “You” a lot to make the readers uncomfortable. This is exactly how the last page of this novel is written, but instead of making me feel uncomfortable, it made me feel a tinge of annoyance because none of the scenes in this novel warrants an ending that is written in that format. Therefore, I am very displeased with the epilogue of this novel.
In conclusion, I am presenting this novel with a 21%(E) rating as I really did not care for any of the characters and story and the only thing I enjoyed was the middle section of the novel.
Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Goodreads
It is written in a very informal way with an overabundance of brackets and dash to either express the main character’s emotions or random notions. I thought the dash irritated me the most because the author would write a paragraph halfway and dashes it at the end and the next paragraph would be something trivial and the following paragraph would be utilised to recapitulate the one that she dashes. For example:
“Ma wasn’t having any of it today, of all days. When she was about to say goodbye to the love of her life (gag).” – with the bracket.
“I try to force myself to look through the peephole in the door, but the fear is too much for me and whatever bit of courage I had a moment ago-
Calling out who’s there like an idiot
-disappears.” – with the dash.
The romance is farcical because I did not feel a single connection between the main character and the love interest. The only thing that is written on the page is how muscular the guy is and how he stank of cologne. I do not understand why the author would go through such length to introduce a love interest that does not have a single interesting point in the storyline and the love interest is the definition of a one dimensional-character with nothing interesting but his body and kiss. Besides, there is a character in this novel christened Christopher and he is the main character’s best friend. There is a scene in the novel that he kissed the main character with absolutely no reason and also, without consent and I thought that he sexually assaulted her and the main character would voice her concerns but it is never addressed again in the novel and that is not okay.
Moving on, there are several peculiarities that I found distasteful in the novel but two, in particular, infuriated me to no end.
Number 1, where is the thriller aspect of the novel where thrills are to be expected from a thriller novel? I thought the middle section of the novel did a great job at creating an atmosphere of suspense and disbelieve but then it all goes downhill when we enter the section where the book will have to come to an end. The story did not explain itself and at this point, the previous mystery is forgotten and a new lie is concocted (because they murdered another human being) to deceive the policemen so that they would not get apprehended and hurled into jail.
Number 2, I thought the paranormal aspect will come into play as the author is hinting at it in the middle section of the novel and it got me really excited for how the ending is going to turn out but unfortunately, it is, again, forgotten and discarded. This irked me as I was so ready for the blood-sucking creatures to transform from their human body to their original configuration. How disappointing that the author did not take the route and instead, takes a complete turn and rains havoc to the ending.
The pacing that is embedded in this novel is not monumental. I thought the beginning of the novel was shaky and totally not well-balanced and as the story goes on, it stabilizes itself and it all goes down to the drain as soon as the story comes to a conclusion. The best way to describe the pacing for this novel is a tenuous framework of a building.
The abuse in this book is not well-written whatsoever. Here is the cycle: the mom gets abused by the main character’s dad, the protagonist’s mom abuses her, the protagonist’s dad dies in a car accident, the mom gets another abusive dude into her house, both of them mentally and physically abuse the daughter and it did not get resolved in the end and of course, they live happily ever after. Also, the mom’s friends did not voice up on the abuse even though they know about it. What the hell.
The last chapter (epilogue) of the novel is written in another format. I haven’t read You by Caroline Kepnes but the way that people describe it on Goodreads and Youtube is that the author uses “You” a lot to make the readers uncomfortable. This is exactly how the last page of this novel is written, but instead of making me feel uncomfortable, it made me feel a tinge of annoyance because none of the scenes in this novel warrants an ending that is written in that format. Therefore, I am very displeased with the epilogue of this novel.
In conclusion, I am presenting this novel with a 21%(E) rating as I really did not care for any of the characters and story and the only thing I enjoyed was the middle section of the novel.
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February 6, 2020
4/5 ⭐️
Thank you so much to Hot Key Books for providing me with a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest opinion!
/!\ TW for abuse /!\
This book is a wildly gripping and intense read. In it we follow Trish, a young Muay-Thai fighter training to become the best of the best, but also because being at the gym allows her to get away from her family and especially from her violent dad. One day, however, Trish sees her life being turned upside down after an accident causes the death of her father. As she tries to understand better what happened that night, Trish's world turns blurry and she completely loses her grip on reality, only finding herself again while she's fighting.
This book was surprisingly action-packed and I read it in one day because I was truly captivated by this story. The narration can be a little bit disarming as Trish's voice is full of anger and not exactly what we could call conventional but the mystery kept me on the edge of my seat and I needed to know what would happen next. It was fascinating to follow Trish's train of thoughts and see reality blur all around her to the point that I myself had troubles knowing what was true or not, which in this case was a very good element. This book will keep you turning the pages until you reach the very end.
Overall, this story was gripping and moving because it tackles really problematic subjects and the extent to which one is ready to go to escape and/or face them.
My Bookstagram
Thank you so much to Hot Key Books for providing me with a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest opinion!
/!\ TW for abuse /!\
This book is a wildly gripping and intense read. In it we follow Trish, a young Muay-Thai fighter training to become the best of the best, but also because being at the gym allows her to get away from her family and especially from her violent dad. One day, however, Trish sees her life being turned upside down after an accident causes the death of her father. As she tries to understand better what happened that night, Trish's world turns blurry and she completely loses her grip on reality, only finding herself again while she's fighting.
This book was surprisingly action-packed and I read it in one day because I was truly captivated by this story. The narration can be a little bit disarming as Trish's voice is full of anger and not exactly what we could call conventional but the mystery kept me on the edge of my seat and I needed to know what would happen next. It was fascinating to follow Trish's train of thoughts and see reality blur all around her to the point that I myself had troubles knowing what was true or not, which in this case was a very good element. This book will keep you turning the pages until you reach the very end.
Overall, this story was gripping and moving because it tackles really problematic subjects and the extent to which one is ready to go to escape and/or face them.
My Bookstagram
December 19, 2019
This is probably the most outrageous thing I've ever written. I'm absurdly proud of it. It was a blast being inside the mind of someone so frenetic as Trisha, and it was also almost too much fun to write about Muay Thai, a sport I've been training on and off for over a decade.
March 16, 2020
Thank you to Hot Key Books & Bonnier Books for an advanced reader copy of Fight Like A Girl. This honest review is my own and by no means influenced by the publisher in any way.
This was not one of my usual books that I would have sat on my shelves at home but I am SO glad I have read it! At only 200+ pages it is a short one but it packs an almighty punch! (See what I did there?)
Trisha hasn't had a great upbringing, being Trinidadian living in Canada the only two things that matter in her life is Muay Thai and Ma. Her Dad tends to float in and out of their lives as he still lives in Trinidad with his 'other family'.
Trisha's Ma and Dad have a very complicated relationship which usually involves her mother covering up a lot of bruises. She doesn't know why she stays with him. One night driving back home from a restaurant in the pouring rain with Ma, Trisha sees her father too late and plows him down with the car, killing him instantly. From that moment things start to get weird around here...
All Trisha wants to do is fight in the ring, she pushes herself way past her limits and has determination of steel. Her home life is abusive and very unsupported, surrounded by strong women she starts to notice subtle changes in their behavior and stories start to slip, especially when Ma's new boyfriend moves in so close to her fathers death and she finds her fathers mobile phone in his bag.
So jam-packed with action this book is a wild one. I couldn't help but feel I wanted to nurture Trisha as she seems to have such a hard exterior but throughout we see some of the facade fall, with a young father-figureless girl in need of some security and real affection from her mother. Fight Like A Girl highlights how families can be dysfunctional but also how we find 'family' with others that are not blood-relatives. I think this book would make an amazing movie and wouldn't be surprised if I saw it on the big screen in the coming years.
This was not one of my usual books that I would have sat on my shelves at home but I am SO glad I have read it! At only 200+ pages it is a short one but it packs an almighty punch! (See what I did there?)
Trisha hasn't had a great upbringing, being Trinidadian living in Canada the only two things that matter in her life is Muay Thai and Ma. Her Dad tends to float in and out of their lives as he still lives in Trinidad with his 'other family'.
Trisha's Ma and Dad have a very complicated relationship which usually involves her mother covering up a lot of bruises. She doesn't know why she stays with him. One night driving back home from a restaurant in the pouring rain with Ma, Trisha sees her father too late and plows him down with the car, killing him instantly. From that moment things start to get weird around here...
All Trisha wants to do is fight in the ring, she pushes herself way past her limits and has determination of steel. Her home life is abusive and very unsupported, surrounded by strong women she starts to notice subtle changes in their behavior and stories start to slip, especially when Ma's new boyfriend moves in so close to her fathers death and she finds her fathers mobile phone in his bag.
So jam-packed with action this book is a wild one. I couldn't help but feel I wanted to nurture Trisha as she seems to have such a hard exterior but throughout we see some of the facade fall, with a young father-figureless girl in need of some security and real affection from her mother. Fight Like A Girl highlights how families can be dysfunctional but also how we find 'family' with others that are not blood-relatives. I think this book would make an amazing movie and wouldn't be surprised if I saw it on the big screen in the coming years.
March 2, 2022
While reading this book, I was thinking of rating it 4 stars... right up until the last 35 pages.
Fight Like a Girl is well-written and well-paced, at the exact pace that I would expect from a YA novel. The quick developments and character exposition reminded me of a lot of teen and YA books I had to read in high school English class, which is not necessarily a bad thing since they are staples of this demographic genre. Moreover, it has some elements of magical realism, combining Trinidadian folklore with main character Trisha's thoughts, which made for a very interesting dream-like read at times.
The story was very promising: Trisha is a young Trinidadian girl who was raised in Toronto, Canada. She is about to finish high school and has a passion for Muay Thai (kickboxing, for those of you...). Trisha's dad passed away several months ago in a tragic accident, but she has the strange feeling that her mom may be more involved than it seems. We follow Trisha as she finds out more about that fateful night, and has to deal with boxing rivals and her first romantic encounters.
The story unfolds nicely and I liked basically everything up until the ending. The spoiler-free edition is that nothing changes about our main character, and the story is basically wrapped up as if her personality in the entire book did not exist and she has suddenly turned into a depressed but complacent robot. The version with spoilers:
Fight Like a Girl is well-written and well-paced, at the exact pace that I would expect from a YA novel. The quick developments and character exposition reminded me of a lot of teen and YA books I had to read in high school English class, which is not necessarily a bad thing since they are staples of this demographic genre. Moreover, it has some elements of magical realism, combining Trinidadian folklore with main character Trisha's thoughts, which made for a very interesting dream-like read at times.
The story was very promising: Trisha is a young Trinidadian girl who was raised in Toronto, Canada. She is about to finish high school and has a passion for Muay Thai (kickboxing, for those of you...). Trisha's dad passed away several months ago in a tragic accident, but she has the strange feeling that her mom may be more involved than it seems. We follow Trisha as she finds out more about that fateful night, and has to deal with boxing rivals and her first romantic encounters.
The story unfolds nicely and I liked basically everything up until the ending. The spoiler-free edition is that nothing changes about our main character, and the story is basically wrapped up as if her personality in the entire book did not exist and she has suddenly turned into a depressed but complacent robot. The version with spoilers:
December 28, 2021
tw // abuse
rep // Trinidadian MC
Fight Like a Girl is well-written and well-paced, at the exact pace that I would expect from a YA novel. The quick developments and character exposition reminded me of the books from high school english, which is not necessarily a bad thing since. Moreover, it has some elements of magical realism, combining Trinidadian folklore with main character Trisha's thoughts, which made for a fever dream of a book.
Why the low rating then? It's the last 35 pages that absolutely ruined the book for me. Trisha lives with her mom in Toronto while her dad comes in and out of their lives, living mainly with his first family. He's also very abusive to her mom, often leaving her with beatings and bruises. One time while he's visiting on a rainy day, Trisha is behind the wheel with her mom and some friends and they hit her dad, killing him on the spot. But she can't help but think there's more to the story when a new man suddenly moves in and all the women seem to have more money than usual.
Trisha uses kickboxing to bid her time and to funnel her anger into something. But she never wins a fight and some even say she likes the pain of losing. As things get weirder and weirder with her mom's new man at home, she starts having hallucinations of a demon as her mother to mask the pain of her mom's abuse. As more and more things come out about that night her father was hit by the car, it's clear her mom is up to something. But the ending falls flat for me, with her choosing to come in on the lies, quitting kickboxing and becoming a robot.
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Thank you to the publisher for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
rep // Trinidadian MC
Fight Like a Girl is well-written and well-paced, at the exact pace that I would expect from a YA novel. The quick developments and character exposition reminded me of the books from high school english, which is not necessarily a bad thing since. Moreover, it has some elements of magical realism, combining Trinidadian folklore with main character Trisha's thoughts, which made for a fever dream of a book.
Why the low rating then? It's the last 35 pages that absolutely ruined the book for me. Trisha lives with her mom in Toronto while her dad comes in and out of their lives, living mainly with his first family. He's also very abusive to her mom, often leaving her with beatings and bruises. One time while he's visiting on a rainy day, Trisha is behind the wheel with her mom and some friends and they hit her dad, killing him on the spot. But she can't help but think there's more to the story when a new man suddenly moves in and all the women seem to have more money than usual.
Trisha uses kickboxing to bid her time and to funnel her anger into something. But she never wins a fight and some even say she likes the pain of losing. As things get weirder and weirder with her mom's new man at home, she starts having hallucinations of a demon as her mother to mask the pain of her mom's abuse. As more and more things come out about that night her father was hit by the car, it's clear her mom is up to something. But the ending falls flat for me, with her choosing to come in on the lies, quitting kickboxing and becoming a robot.
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Thank you to the publisher for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 11, 2022
I'm a bit mixed on my feelings about this one. I liked learning about Trinidadian culture and folklore and thought Trisha's story was heartbreaking and compelling. I got a bit lost with the paranormal aspects, I wasn't sure if they were supposed to be real or more of a metaphor. I would have liked the author to be clearer and fit the paranormal into the storyline more. I also didn't really care for Trisha's romance and wanted more of her relationships with her friends and family instead.
There is abuse in this, some rooted in culture that outsiders like myself don't really understand. Trisha takes the slaps and insults as her mom loving and caring for her. The whole plot is pretty angry and emotional, almost like you can feel the hurt and rage pouring onto the page. It was easy to get into this, but a bit difficult to read because I felt so much sympathy for Trisha.
Parts of this could have flowed better, but it's a powerful read.
I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for the copy
There is abuse in this, some rooted in culture that outsiders like myself don't really understand. Trisha takes the slaps and insults as her mom loving and caring for her. The whole plot is pretty angry and emotional, almost like you can feel the hurt and rage pouring onto the page. It was easy to get into this, but a bit difficult to read because I felt so much sympathy for Trisha.
Parts of this could have flowed better, but it's a powerful read.
I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for the copy
April 8, 2020
Thank you to Hot Key books and
Bonnier Books UK for sending me an ARC of Fight Like a Girl by Sheena Kamal in exchange for an honest review! Make sure to keep a look out for the publishing date, 10th March 2020.
What did I think?
Firstly, I really enjoyed the aspects of Muay Thai especially as I myself have experience in Martial Arts. Fight Like a Girl doesn’t make every kick, punch and push-up seem unnaturally easy like most stories but it highlights the perseverance and real hard work that is endured.
Head over to my blog to read the rest of my review on Fight Like a Girl!
https://secretsofabookworm.home.blog/...
Bonnier Books UK for sending me an ARC of Fight Like a Girl by Sheena Kamal in exchange for an honest review! Make sure to keep a look out for the publishing date, 10th March 2020.
What did I think?
Firstly, I really enjoyed the aspects of Muay Thai especially as I myself have experience in Martial Arts. Fight Like a Girl doesn’t make every kick, punch and push-up seem unnaturally easy like most stories but it highlights the perseverance and real hard work that is endured.
Head over to my blog to read the rest of my review on Fight Like a Girl!
https://secretsofabookworm.home.blog/...
April 5, 2022
I don’t even know why this made me cry
March 10, 2020
This book packs a punch that I wasn't expecting.
It's a short, fast-paced read, but it holds weight in the topics is tackles. Trisha goes to the gym to practice Muay Thai and fighting to escape her home, a violent home. After her dad dies, there is uncertainty about her family, and questions to be asked. But she sees her home fall back into the same pattern when her Mom's new boyfriend shows up.
Trisha is angry, and that anger is felt in this book's writing. It really conveyed the emotions she was feeling, and made it easier to step into her shoes. It perfectly conveyed how she was handling the situation, and it made you feel some her anger and frustration. We were also left asking the same questions that she was asking.
The pacing of the story was great. Sometimes with shorter books, I feel the end comes at you really fast, but this felt complete, and it felt like it all came in good time. My only issue I sometimes had with pacing was getting confused about the timeline. The story moved pretty quickly, and I just needed to take a step back to keep up with it.
Plus, being Canadian and reading a book that takes here is always fun! As someone who frequents Toronto, I loved reading something with a setting I can vividly imagine.
*Book received from OLA event*
It's a short, fast-paced read, but it holds weight in the topics is tackles. Trisha goes to the gym to practice Muay Thai and fighting to escape her home, a violent home. After her dad dies, there is uncertainty about her family, and questions to be asked. But she sees her home fall back into the same pattern when her Mom's new boyfriend shows up.
Trisha is angry, and that anger is felt in this book's writing. It really conveyed the emotions she was feeling, and made it easier to step into her shoes. It perfectly conveyed how she was handling the situation, and it made you feel some her anger and frustration. We were also left asking the same questions that she was asking.
The pacing of the story was great. Sometimes with shorter books, I feel the end comes at you really fast, but this felt complete, and it felt like it all came in good time. My only issue I sometimes had with pacing was getting confused about the timeline. The story moved pretty quickly, and I just needed to take a step back to keep up with it.
Plus, being Canadian and reading a book that takes here is always fun! As someone who frequents Toronto, I loved reading something with a setting I can vividly imagine.
*Book received from OLA event*
June 21, 2021
DNF, stopped at 173
I went into this book expecting rich cultural backgrounds and an empowering story about a young woman of Trinidadian descent, unraveling the mystery of her father’s death — instead, I was given harsh stereotypes of different cultures, internalized misogyny, and unlikeable characters all around.
Overall, I’m very disappointed with the outcome of the book. The way the protagonist talks about other women left me feeling uneasy and quite frankly, disgusted. I can empathize and understand (to an extent) the traumas the protagonist has faced and continues to face in the story, but she is extremely unlikeable and judgemental. The way in which womanhood is portrayed in her eyes, especially upon losing her virginity is where I needed to stop. Coming from a Canadian and Indo-Guyanese background this book left a bitter taste in my mouth.
I went into this book expecting rich cultural backgrounds and an empowering story about a young woman of Trinidadian descent, unraveling the mystery of her father’s death — instead, I was given harsh stereotypes of different cultures, internalized misogyny, and unlikeable characters all around.
Overall, I’m very disappointed with the outcome of the book. The way the protagonist talks about other women left me feeling uneasy and quite frankly, disgusted. I can empathize and understand (to an extent) the traumas the protagonist has faced and continues to face in the story, but she is extremely unlikeable and judgemental. The way in which womanhood is portrayed in her eyes, especially upon losing her virginity is where I needed to stop. Coming from a Canadian and Indo-Guyanese background this book left a bitter taste in my mouth.
January 4, 2021
This is a book that plays uncomfortably on Indo-Trinidad cultural stereotypes. I believe a rewrite and stronger editing may have salvaged this novel. The author should have focused on one main theme and built a story around that. There was too much slang, and imagine being identified as a "Lunchtime Desi." Seriously???
November 24, 2024
Trigger warnings: Domestic violence, physical assault, emotional abuse, fixation on weight gain in sport context, body shaming
Fight Like a Girl is a YA book on the cusp of the New Adult genre set in Toronto. Sheena Kamal was a screenwriter before she became a novelist and has a flair for setting compelling visual scenes.
Trisha is a Canadian teenager growing up in the suburb of Scarborough who wants to dominate her chosen sport: Muay Thai, where her goal is to excel and make her club proud.
Her Trinidadian-born mother wants what's best for her--a good life, a degree in business management, and to keep her safe.
But both women are haunted by a cycle of bad relationships. Until one night when they're coming home from a restaurant, and Trisha accidentally hits and kills her father with the car.
Part sports drama, part murder mystery, and part coming of age story, I never exactly knew where Trisha's story was going, but I enjoyed her propulsive journey. She's fierce, dynamic and insecure all at once. Her narrative voice is compelling and original, and Kamal reads the audiobook herself (it's always a flex when a fiction author's narration game is that strong).
The fight strategy and scenes at the Muay Thai gym were among my faves, even though I don't know anything about the sport.
Fight Like a Girl is a YA book on the cusp of the New Adult genre set in Toronto. Sheena Kamal was a screenwriter before she became a novelist and has a flair for setting compelling visual scenes.
Trisha is a Canadian teenager growing up in the suburb of Scarborough who wants to dominate her chosen sport: Muay Thai, where her goal is to excel and make her club proud.
Her Trinidadian-born mother wants what's best for her--a good life, a degree in business management, and to keep her safe.
But both women are haunted by a cycle of bad relationships. Until one night when they're coming home from a restaurant, and Trisha accidentally hits and kills her father with the car.
Part sports drama, part murder mystery, and part coming of age story, I never exactly knew where Trisha's story was going, but I enjoyed her propulsive journey. She's fierce, dynamic and insecure all at once. Her narrative voice is compelling and original, and Kamal reads the audiobook herself (it's always a flex when a fiction author's narration game is that strong).
The fight strategy and scenes at the Muay Thai gym were among my faves, even though I don't know anything about the sport.
May 10, 2023
Really enjoyed this dark YA coming of age/domestic drama that sees Trisha, a Trinidadian Canadian teen girl accidentally run over her physically abusive, largely absent father. Lots of Toronto references, a great kickboxing plot (I loved the female sports focus!) plus a bit of romance thrown in too. Great on audio read by the author and perfect for fans of the early 2000 movie, Girl Fight that starred Michelle Rodriguez in her breakout role!
CW: domestic abuse, accidental death of a parent
CW: domestic abuse, accidental death of a parent
January 12, 2022
Yesss I’m finally done!! This was a weird and strange book. It was very raw. I enjoyed it but it’s not something I usually pick up. I’ve been trying to read other stuff besides romance and this one was quite different. It wasn’t bad but it wasn’t great. It was an okay read.
February 17, 2020
(Major trigger warnings for physical and emotional abuse)
I actually don't know what to say.
This book was weird and creepy and a little confusing.
I wasn't a huge fan of the writing style. It was fine to read, but just not my favourite. There's a lot of broken up sentences, which I guess is used to show how Trish is feeling and processing her thoughts and emotions, and I think that fit with how this story is told, but it did feel a bit jarring to read.
The setting itself was nice in a way. It takes place in Toronto, mainly Scarborough, and it was nice to have a book take place somewhere I've been before. I also liked how the main character is Trinidadian Indian. My placement preceptor in Scarborough was also from Trinidad and there are so many aspects of the culture (especially the food) that are similar to mine.
My issue is with the story itself. There's a paranormal aspect that was never explained. But I'm assuming it's more a result of the trauma Trish has been through. Her memory sort of comes back in pieces, like her brain tried to block out what has happened because of the shock. She starts to realize things slowly, but whenever she brings anything up, she's shot back down in fear by her mom or her neighbour Pammy, or her Aunt K. The soucouyant parts were actually really creepy and I'm assuming were used to show the state Trish's mental health is in and not necessarily that her mom is actually a witch. But it's hard to tell because the narrator is unreliable sometimes.
Besides that, the biggest issue I had was the abuse. Trish's dad abuses her mom, and Trish's mom abuses her too, physically and emotionally. (This book needs a lot of trigger warnings because there are quite a few scenes that just made me sit there in shock.) The abuse isn't ever questioned though. Trish recognizes that her mom has been through a lot with her dad and her new boyfriend, but the entire time she says how the abuse she faces at her mom's hands is okay because it's her mom's job to raise her this way, and how she never tries to block her mom because her mom needs to hit her. The end is even worse because instead of Trish realizing that all these lies are not right, that this abuse from her mom, her neighbour and her aunt are wrong, she goes along with the story they've come up and continues living this lie. It's just...I don't know. I finished reading this book and I don't know what to say. I didn't love it, but it was definitely an engaging book, I just don't know if it was done that well.
I actually don't know what to say.
This book was weird and creepy and a little confusing.
I wasn't a huge fan of the writing style. It was fine to read, but just not my favourite. There's a lot of broken up sentences, which I guess is used to show how Trish is feeling and processing her thoughts and emotions, and I think that fit with how this story is told, but it did feel a bit jarring to read.
The setting itself was nice in a way. It takes place in Toronto, mainly Scarborough, and it was nice to have a book take place somewhere I've been before. I also liked how the main character is Trinidadian Indian. My placement preceptor in Scarborough was also from Trinidad and there are so many aspects of the culture (especially the food) that are similar to mine.
My issue is with the story itself. There's a paranormal aspect that was never explained. But I'm assuming it's more a result of the trauma Trish has been through. Her memory sort of comes back in pieces, like her brain tried to block out what has happened because of the shock. She starts to realize things slowly, but whenever she brings anything up, she's shot back down in fear by her mom or her neighbour Pammy, or her Aunt K. The soucouyant parts were actually really creepy and I'm assuming were used to show the state Trish's mental health is in and not necessarily that her mom is actually a witch. But it's hard to tell because the narrator is unreliable sometimes.
Besides that, the biggest issue I had was the abuse. Trish's dad abuses her mom, and Trish's mom abuses her too, physically and emotionally. (This book needs a lot of trigger warnings because there are quite a few scenes that just made me sit there in shock.) The abuse isn't ever questioned though. Trish recognizes that her mom has been through a lot with her dad and her new boyfriend, but the entire time she says how the abuse she faces at her mom's hands is okay because it's her mom's job to raise her this way, and how she never tries to block her mom because her mom needs to hit her. The end is even worse because instead of Trish realizing that all these lies are not right, that this abuse from her mom, her neighbour and her aunt are wrong, she goes along with the story they've come up and continues living this lie. It's just...I don't know. I finished reading this book and I don't know what to say. I didn't love it, but it was definitely an engaging book, I just don't know if it was done that well.
August 7, 2022
Wow! What a great ending I could not put it down. I loved this book. I thought it was realistic and the emotions of Trisha are portrayed beautiful and authentically.
The book followed Trisha, and 18 year old Muay Thai kickboxer. She is from Trinidadian decent and lives in Toronto. The book begins with the death of her father, but as the book progresses Trisha is sceptical whether it was an accident at all. We follow her as she finds the truth about what happened , while also following her fighting and training.
The plot was fast-paced, almost like she was sparring the whole book. It was quick with turns throughout. Trisha is a strong character physically and mentally, confused with her emotions and grief. She has a difficult home life, as the familial relationships she has are harsh and toxic. The book also deals with domestic abuse in a blunt but strong way. It felt so realistic and true.
I liked the cultural reference in this book. From the Trinidadian cuisine, to Muay Thai, foods and even some of the other characters backgrounds. It wasn't a main theme, but was done subtly in a good way.
Overall, from the fighting to the family relationships to the ending, I thought this book was a whirlwind. A great read for anyone looking for something a bit different.
CW: domestic abuse, weight, injuries, death
The book followed Trisha, and 18 year old Muay Thai kickboxer. She is from Trinidadian decent and lives in Toronto. The book begins with the death of her father, but as the book progresses Trisha is sceptical whether it was an accident at all. We follow her as she finds the truth about what happened , while also following her fighting and training.
The plot was fast-paced, almost like she was sparring the whole book. It was quick with turns throughout. Trisha is a strong character physically and mentally, confused with her emotions and grief. She has a difficult home life, as the familial relationships she has are harsh and toxic. The book also deals with domestic abuse in a blunt but strong way. It felt so realistic and true.
I liked the cultural reference in this book. From the Trinidadian cuisine, to Muay Thai, foods and even some of the other characters backgrounds. It wasn't a main theme, but was done subtly in a good way.
Overall, from the fighting to the family relationships to the ending, I thought this book was a whirlwind. A great read for anyone looking for something a bit different.
CW: domestic abuse, weight, injuries, death
October 31, 2019
Fight Like A Girl was a very intense read that centers around love and violence.
Being someone who has an interest in Muay Thai and MMA, I was intrigued by this book (I don’t practice that sport though). Firstly, the cover had a girl in the ring with wrapped hands. Secondly, the sport was featured in the story. What made it even better was the featuring of female fighters! I just personally think it’s darn cool!
Besides that, there was an element of mystery that kept me absorbed in the read. There were so much unexplained domestic abuse, murder, conspiracy and shit like that that were only revealed at the ending. Naturally, I had to read till the end to uncover the truth.
However, I was very confused by all the weird stuff that was going on in the story. Like was the mythical creature mentioned truly coming to live or was it just written illustratively? It could have been just a representation for what was taking place but I was unsure.
The ending was not what I expected though but I guess I might have done the same in her place. I mean, in the end, I would have sided my own family rather than rat them out.
Overall, it was an interesting read which I thought was pretty realistic too. I enjoyed the concept of the story but not so much on the writing style. It could probably be just a style I was not used to. It was mostly a narrative of the main character’s thoughts which can be a little monotonous after a while.
Even so, I still thought it was a great read. It was very eye opening though hidden subtly in all the violence.
Thank you Pansing @definitelybooks for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book will be released on 10 March 2020.
Being someone who has an interest in Muay Thai and MMA, I was intrigued by this book (I don’t practice that sport though). Firstly, the cover had a girl in the ring with wrapped hands. Secondly, the sport was featured in the story. What made it even better was the featuring of female fighters! I just personally think it’s darn cool!
Besides that, there was an element of mystery that kept me absorbed in the read. There were so much unexplained domestic abuse, murder, conspiracy and shit like that that were only revealed at the ending. Naturally, I had to read till the end to uncover the truth.
However, I was very confused by all the weird stuff that was going on in the story. Like was the mythical creature mentioned truly coming to live or was it just written illustratively? It could have been just a representation for what was taking place but I was unsure.
The ending was not what I expected though but I guess I might have done the same in her place. I mean, in the end, I would have sided my own family rather than rat them out.
Overall, it was an interesting read which I thought was pretty realistic too. I enjoyed the concept of the story but not so much on the writing style. It could probably be just a style I was not used to. It was mostly a narrative of the main character’s thoughts which can be a little monotonous after a while.
Even so, I still thought it was a great read. It was very eye opening though hidden subtly in all the violence.
Thank you Pansing @definitelybooks for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book will be released on 10 March 2020.
November 17, 2021
1 star
Our main girlie here has a lot of internalized misogyny and is obsessed with stereotyping everyone. The thriller/mystery part of the book wasn't very compelling or cohesive. No chemistry in the relationship between Trisha and Jason. Ending was ass
Our main girlie here has a lot of internalized misogyny and is obsessed with stereotyping everyone. The thriller/mystery part of the book wasn't very compelling or cohesive. No chemistry in the relationship between Trisha and Jason. Ending was ass
November 25, 2022
I don't think I'm going to read another Sheena Kamal anytime soon, but this one was worth the read. I found it a bit hard to get through at times, but it's pretty short and the story does grab you at some point. I really loved the cast of characters. There was a sort of vibrancy there that I appreciated a lot. The plot was also great. It's a dark coming-of-age story, really, and the core of it is the relationship struggles of a mother and daughter between themselves and other people. Also it's set in Toronto, which is great. I loved the ending especially. That brought the rating up to a four. It's a story I'll be thinking about for a while.
March 16, 2022
2.75
i didn’t sign up for this…
i didn’t sign up for this…
February 28, 2021
A wild ride. I left this book a little more confused and lot more paranoid than when I started.
December 2, 2022
By page 46 I was like gimme more. I finished it in one go.
February 8, 2024
This book had such promise; I feel like the author left so many uncompleted storylines that I would have loved to learn more about.
It felt like the author dropped the conclusion and betrayed the main character
It felt like the author dropped the conclusion and betrayed the main character
April 26, 2020
3.5 -- Scarbs rep!
October 23, 2019
Fight like a Girl is not what you think it is about. It does not teach a girl how to fight but rather face adversity like a girl - strong and fierce. It teaches readers that even though you are a girl in a world with vultures and eagles waiting to prey on you the moment you falter, you have people you can rely on when evil befalls.
The story was unexpectedly action-packed. I first thought it would be about Trish and her journey on her boxing career. It was that, and more. Trish’s parents are from Trinidad, her father had an affair with her mother who was the housemaid working at her father’s house. Her father shipped off her mother who was pregnant with Trish to Canada, away from his family. Thus, Trish grew up in Canada with her mother, her father occasionally visits. When he does, Trish tries not to stay at home for too long. Trish with her Trinidad built took up a Thailand sport – Muay Thai at a gym own by Kru. Kru and his fighters consist of people from all around the world. People of different race, religion, and colour mixed in one gym, under one banner of fighters. Trish is a fighter, she trains to fight battles in the ring where she leaves it all on the mat. She is fast and as stubborn as an uppercut aimed to knock you down.
One day, Trish was practicing to drive with her mother in the passenger seat. She rounded the corner to her house in the heavy rain at night, a shadow emerged, next thing you know, BANG. Trish’s father is dead on the road, run over by a car. A car that Trish drove. A car that Trish’s mother sat in the passenger seat.
Since then, her world became a blur of black and white. Between trying to figure out what really happened that night her father died and training for her competition and the destructive home environment, Trish has her hands full.
A small book stuffed to the brim with mystery that will keep readers on their toes and alert for clues. Fight like a Girl is written as though it is a scrip for a thriller movie, I hope to see this on the big screen one day. It would make a great diverse action film.
Thank you @definitely.books for sending me an advance reader copy. You can get your copy from all good bookstores starting 10th March 2020. #pansing #fightlikeagirl
The story was unexpectedly action-packed. I first thought it would be about Trish and her journey on her boxing career. It was that, and more. Trish’s parents are from Trinidad, her father had an affair with her mother who was the housemaid working at her father’s house. Her father shipped off her mother who was pregnant with Trish to Canada, away from his family. Thus, Trish grew up in Canada with her mother, her father occasionally visits. When he does, Trish tries not to stay at home for too long. Trish with her Trinidad built took up a Thailand sport – Muay Thai at a gym own by Kru. Kru and his fighters consist of people from all around the world. People of different race, religion, and colour mixed in one gym, under one banner of fighters. Trish is a fighter, she trains to fight battles in the ring where she leaves it all on the mat. She is fast and as stubborn as an uppercut aimed to knock you down.
One day, Trish was practicing to drive with her mother in the passenger seat. She rounded the corner to her house in the heavy rain at night, a shadow emerged, next thing you know, BANG. Trish’s father is dead on the road, run over by a car. A car that Trish drove. A car that Trish’s mother sat in the passenger seat.
Since then, her world became a blur of black and white. Between trying to figure out what really happened that night her father died and training for her competition and the destructive home environment, Trish has her hands full.
A small book stuffed to the brim with mystery that will keep readers on their toes and alert for clues. Fight like a Girl is written as though it is a scrip for a thriller movie, I hope to see this on the big screen one day. It would make a great diverse action film.
Thank you @definitely.books for sending me an advance reader copy. You can get your copy from all good bookstores starting 10th March 2020. #pansing #fightlikeagirl
September 4, 2022
I had such high expectations for this book and it starts off really good. Just reading the first few pages you would think this is a book about a strong women who's getting over the death of her father and using contact sports as a replacement for self harm. After the first chapters though the book starts to turn for the worst. There are so many problems with this book but can only write down so many.
To start with there is a lot of stereotyping and micro-agressions in this book, all done by the main character. She refers as a group of her friends as the "Lunchtime Desis" they're only known character traits is they're race. One of the worst lines comes out of no where on page 145 "As with discussion about who's more likely to be a ho based on skin colour." I wish i could give context but I feel as though there is none.
Next we move onto the main character interlized misogyny which is never addressed head on nor is it resolved. She constantly is making comments about other girls and the way she talks about them makes me so uncomfortable. During one of the fights she starts criticizing the sign lady going as far to make this comment "Herself respect must have falled some-where under the waistband of the thong. I hope she can dig it out agian" (page 223).
I understand that the character is facing a lot of grief which can cause some of the beliefs and outlooks she has but they feel pointless to the plot.
On more plot related note I can't ignore the fact that the author of this book took on too much. The book had two plots which could easily be separated into two stories. The book is so short so it feels as though nothing is ever looked at in depth. It's all surface level.
Overall I really disliked this book. I'm definitely not the target audience and I may just be interpreting the story incorrectly. If you want a book that talks about girl using contact sports as a replacement for self harm I would recommend Bruised by Tanya Boteju, much better book in my opinion.
To start with there is a lot of stereotyping and micro-agressions in this book, all done by the main character. She refers as a group of her friends as the "Lunchtime Desis" they're only known character traits is they're race. One of the worst lines comes out of no where on page 145 "As with discussion about who's more likely to be a ho based on skin colour." I wish i could give context but I feel as though there is none.
Next we move onto the main character interlized misogyny which is never addressed head on nor is it resolved. She constantly is making comments about other girls and the way she talks about them makes me so uncomfortable. During one of the fights she starts criticizing the sign lady going as far to make this comment "Herself respect must have falled some-where under the waistband of the thong. I hope she can dig it out agian" (page 223).
I understand that the character is facing a lot of grief which can cause some of the beliefs and outlooks she has but they feel pointless to the plot.
On more plot related note I can't ignore the fact that the author of this book took on too much. The book had two plots which could easily be separated into two stories. The book is so short so it feels as though nothing is ever looked at in depth. It's all surface level.
Overall I really disliked this book. I'm definitely not the target audience and I may just be interpreting the story incorrectly. If you want a book that talks about girl using contact sports as a replacement for self harm I would recommend Bruised by Tanya Boteju, much better book in my opinion.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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