Knockout

by Mia Kang

An intimate and unflinching memoir exploring Mia Kang’s journey from self-loathing to self-love Mia Kang is many a sought-after model, an immigrant, an eating disorder survivor, and a Muay Thai fighter. Her first book, Knockout, is the story of how she eschewed normative body standards and learned to use martial arts to redefine her sense of self-worth. In a charming, fierce, and intimate voice, Kang invites readers into her world. She once lived and died by her weight, but she is now defined by her confidence in being a woman who lives outside the mold of what we’re taught is “feminine.” After dealing with bullying, addiction, body dysmorphia, anxiety, depression, and even suicidal thoughts, Mia acknowledges that she is lucky to still be alive to tell readers what she’s to not let anyone else dictate who you are supposed to be. 

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Autobiography, Biography Memoir, Sports, Mental Health

288 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 20, 2020

Reviews

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

GoodReads Giveaway!
Knockout is Mia Kang's personal account of her journey through body dysmorphia and addiction to self awareness and healing. She describes her early life in a dysfunctional home with an alcoholic mother and a mostly absent father. During her formative years, her feelings of otherness and bullying help create a need for her to grab the reins of a life spinning out of control. But as a child the only thing she has control over is what she eats. She becomes frustrated as those closest to her do not see that something is wrong but instead praise her for her self control. As an adult she comes to realize that her weight issues and self destructive behaviors stem from her feelings of inadequacy. She discovers that in order to overcome her addiction she needs to confront her past hurts and heal the little girl within. Muay Thuy gives her discipline, a feeling of accomplishment and is the window towards a healthy outlook and a healthy body.

I read this book in one sitting. Mia Kang has overcome a lot in her life and she tells her story with unflinching candor. My impression when I requested this book was that it would spend more time on the other side of Mia Kang's addiction and not so much on her down days. I guess I wanted more of the redemptive journey. (Spiritual counseling and Muay Thuy is not mentioned until 80% through the book.) Would I recommend the book? The topic was intriguing. Mia advocates for body positivity and acceptance of all body types in modeling industry. Her story serves as an example of recovery for young girls dealing with these issues.

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to leave a higher rating but I was left with too many questions. I wanted to know what happened to her childhood friendships and her family.

All in all Mia Kang is a powerhouse. I'm glad she shared her story and found her voice. I hope models don't have to struggle the way she and her peers did.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trigger warning: this book deals with topics like substance addiction, eating disorders, weight and body image/body dysmorphia.

Knockout is a personal memoir of Mia Kang's journey in her early modelling days, the stardom she experienced as a world-renowned international model, the growth that Mia went through and an in-depth eye-opener into the "glamorous" world of modelling. A well-written memoir. I have read quite a few memoirs over the past few years and this is one of the few memoirs that have hit home for me hard. I found myself identifying with a lot of the personal struggles that Mia Kang talks about in her memoir.

I read this book in two days and absolutely loved it. Mia Kang is brutally honest with her readers. She invites us into the most vulnerable, lowest points of her private life. She does it with grace. I found Mia Kang's voice to be very relatable and at times comforting. It felt like I was talking to a close friend about the struggles we share. Thank you Mia for being so vulnerable and sharing your journey with us.

[Stephanie Lim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read this when it came out in 2020 but wanted to read it again as a reminder. I followed Mia Kang back in ‘16 or ‘17 when I struggled with my inner demons about my weight. I remember seeing a picture of her on Instagram and being like, “omg she’s half Korean? She’s so cool!” And when I read more about her I admired her journey through the modeling culture. This is why it’s important for representation because I never saw an Asian woman who was fit and not stereotypical “skinny” especially in Korean beauty standards. Anyways, reading this again was a good reminder of what my body is capable of and not for what it looks like

[Zee Monodee · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars
Couldn't put this one down - it was like a guilty pleasure every night when I was able to settle down to read a bit. This book reads very hard - so candid, so raw, it is really jarring and oft-upsetting. It is also often hard to fathom how someone so young could have survived all she did, everything she put herself through and all that life put her through. Compelling doesn't even start to cover it!
The reason I'm not giving this 5 stars is because I felt it delved far too much into her childhood and youth - we still hadn't caught up to the prologue by almost 70% in the book...and then the part about Muay Thai and how she comes into herself felt rushed, with none of the sparkling detail with which she weaves the earlier parts. I suppose this could be because she is still living this phase of her life - not enough hindsight from it. But it just felt a little like a let down to rush through this last part of her memoir and just be 'told' things were this or that when we'd been exposed to such vivid scenes and such incredible detail thus far.
The book did make me a huge fan of Mia Kang, though, and I cannot commend this person enough for how she rose from her ashes and came into her own.

[Jessica Braun Gervais · Rating 2 out of 5]

From the title, cover art and even the summary of the book, I expected this book to be about Mia Kang's exploration of martial arts and how it helped build her self-confidence. But it's a book about Mia Kang's lifelong struggle with eating disorders and her modeling career. We hear nothing about her Muay Thai training until the last few chapters.

My misconception of the book is likely why I didn't enjoy it. I went into the book excited to read a female's perspective on the martial arts world, especially in Muay Thai, an art I have worked in for many years. However, that's not what I got, and the few sections that did explore Muay Thai felt superficial.

That's not to say I don't enjoy a good memoir, but I found the writing dull and hard to get through. I can appreciate Kang for being open about her eating disorders and struggles while working for a model, but the story wasn't for me.

[Jade · Rating 3 out of 5]

At 31 it feels insane that Mia Kang could write a whole book about her life but she is admirably candid here. She could have possibly benefited from a bit more time between the events of the book and her writing the book to allow for more reflection but as a first memoir its a great attempy. I read an advanced readers copy via NetGalley so could have benefited from trigger warnings on sexual abuse of minors, eating disorders, drug abuse, gaslighting amongst others.
Good on Mia for her honesty and for highlighting the difficulties of living with eating disorders and seemingly neglectful parents- hopefully her story will inspire others to face these challenges feeling a bit less alone.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I may have struggled, but eventually I learned to fly."

EXACTLY!!!!!!! Such a powerful book with a strong message. Mia Kang is an amazing person and I love her so much. I cried so much, it was so truthfully and beautifully written. I want everyone to read it but before that please know the trigger warnings!

[Paul Sutter · Rating 4 out of 5]

KNOCKOUT is a book that will serve as both inspira-tion and warning to younger girls. It was a book that might not have been written if Mia Kang’s life has played out differently. She would not have been alive to do so. She is like the cat with nine lives, who overcame incredible odds to tell this tale.
Kang grew up in Hong Kong. She was bullied because of her weight. It took a toll on her, but she found comfort in bonding with her father. Her mother was not too supportive as she was often found on alcoholic binges.
Food became Mia’s friend, until her teens when she went from food addict to denying herself food, so she could get into the modeling world. She went from one extreme to another, relying on liquids, laxatives, cigarettes, cocaine, along with binging and purging. Her body was put through the wars, but she wanted to be a model at any cost.
Mia does point fingers at the modeling industry, in that no matter how thin she became, they still demanded she be thinner, a perfect Barbie doll for the clothes she was going to model. She was never perfect for them, contributing to her negative self image.
Cocaine turned into her go-to drug of choice. In between her self-denial of food and quest for a normal life, she met a lot of men who were not supportive in her hunt for self-esteem. The business world was equally as cruel, as she even tried for a career in the financial world. She was sexually harassed, becoming a sex object for men who were the lowest form of human life.
Her eventual salvation came during a trip to Thailand, where she discovered Muay Thai, a form of martial arts, that transformed mind, body, and spirit. It turned her life around, giving her new purpose. Kang did win the Sports Illustrated model search contest, and has appeared in Harper’s Bazaar.
Today, her obsession with body and weight is in the past. She is alerting others through the book, of self-acceptance and taking control of one’s own life.

[Snonono · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mia Kang is no doubt a badass woman who went through all kinds of traumatic experiences exacerbated by the insane standards of the fashion modelling world she found herself in.

Story-wise, I would have loved it if the author touched on her relationship with her mother by the end of the book, seeing as it was an important part of her life.
I noticed that only her father got the end-of-book thanks so I'm guessing it's not something the author wanted to go into, but it would have made sense to include it in the text if they were no-contact as an addition to the theme of emancipation and recovery.

Next, I'm not in love with the idea of Kathy Huck (mentioned in the acknowledgements as the writer) not being credited anywhere else, as it seems the book was written by her with Kang's input.

Finally, what bothers me the most is the fact that a woman dedicating an entire book to the dangers of anorexia and other eating disorders would include photos of herself after every weight mention.
Kang specifically describes her own behavior of stalking models online to compare her body/weight/measurements to her own, so this decision frankly baffles me.

All in all, this is a decent recounting of Kang's life, with some things left to be desired.

[Virginia Alice Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

A memoir about learning your why and finding your true balance. Young Mia first seeks to find herself in modeling and all its pitfalls along the way. It isn’t until she takes a break and tries Muay Thai that she finds her true self and what she is made of. Through her courage and perseverance, she rises above the negative influences of a less-than-ideal home life and a modeling career filled with eating disorders and drug abuse to a place of peace and self-confidence. And it is in her newfound energy that Mia models this for young girls just starting out. In choosing to no longer starve herself to fit into the modeling world’s “ideal” size, Mia embraces a bigger dream to help others stand up for themselves. In doing so, Mia breaks out of the old-world beauty mold of becoming rail-thin and instead takes only modeling jobs that accept her as the true beauty she is. If you are struggling to find yourself, this book will help you see that you are not alone. You can find your true self and you can set the bar for what is acceptable and what is not – in your life – just as Mia has done for herself.

[C Piza · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can personally relate to the book, as I have had encountered experiences involving body dysmorphia, self-identity conflicts, and relationships with family and friends. Out of the models that I know of, I'd say she is actually one of my favorite models. She proves to us that models also encounter obstacles apart from "looking pretty in front of the camera". In the end of the day, modeling is another profession that can pay for your day-today expenses. Kang also had a "normal" life before she became famous; still continued her education throughout her young adulthood until she earned a master's degree, got a stable job. Kang is another individual who could "do both". Moreover, she went beyond to refine feminism. After going through a physical and psychological journey, she finally found another passion through a discipline she even think that she'd enjoyed. As a part-time model, athlete, and student myself, I can connect with her in ways that I have as well dealt myself. (I wish I can an autograph from her :'))

[Sadie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

This is the story of international model Mia Kang, who explicitly details her struggle with anorexia, bulimia, body dysmorphia, and addiction. We see the good and bad sides of modeling, as well as the activities that helped pull her out of the spiral.

I don’t think this book was spectacularly well written, but I do think it is worth reading. Mia very bravely talks about the emotional and physical side of her eating disorders and because we all live in a society in which women (and sometimes men) are expected to maintain a certain look, we all feel some amount of pressure to fit into this ideal. It is nearly impossible for most of us to attain that level of beauty, but that doesn’t mean the pressure and expectation goes away. It is important to learn what that kind of pressure causes us to go through.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mia Kang is brutally honest in this memoir. She allows us into her most private moments, the moments that we hide from the outside world. She bravely shows her flaws; her addiction, her depression, her abuse, her eating disorders, and everything that makes her who she is now.

Mia has spent most of her life hiding her true self from the world and now she has busted out of that trap with Knockout. Mia has a strong voice that I believe will resonate with many people, particularly young women that struggle with their appearance and ability to fit in with others. The strong woman she shows us at the end of her book is one that I can only aspire to become.

My one complaint about this book is the number of times "I now know," "I know now," and "now I know" are used.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a woman who has struggled with body dysmorphia and eating disorders, this book hit home. There were so many struggles that Mia went through that I also did. I saw a few complaints in the reviews stating that “the voice” of the narrator (Mia), was rough or hard to follow. For me, it made me feel like I was talking to a friend and they were telling me a story. It’s a very casual tone - which might turn people off if they’ve never dived into this world. I finished it in 2 days so as far as the book being “slow”, I’m not really sure??

Anyway, I loved it. It was a super quick read and highly relatable for a lot of people.

[Shane Maher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Power, Mia, Power. Damn what a ride. The one thing I wish is that more time was spent on recovery and resolve, after all the pain of eating disorders and sexual abuse I had hoped for more balance and hope. That said Mia Kang's handling of her pain and trauma feeds so well intot the narrative of personal strength and overcoming. The conversational prose made Mia feel like an old friend which made her low moments hit harder and her high points worth celebrating. I am not usually one for memoirs but this one was truly inspiring and powerful as an elbow to the face.

[Kate Church · Rating 5 out of 5]

I volunteered to read this book, through netgalley in exchange, for an honest review. This book is well written. TRIGGER WARNING ⚠️ ALCOHOL ABUSE. This book talks about Mia Kang before she became a model. The pacing of this book is good. I hope she writes more books because they keep your attention from the first page. This book is in stores now for $26.00 (USD). I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone. It is a good memoir. You guys should read this book.

[Christine Staloch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Mia for being vulnerable and sharing your story! This book gave insight into what it’s like growing up in a home with an alcoholic and how that can affect a child. I appreciate her sharing her struggles with addiction and societal pressures. I’m grateful that Mia has been able to realize her self worth and share her story! All woman are strong and beautiful and we need to realize our worth and we need people sharing their stories of their journey. Loved this book!

[Kiki · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love mia kang i really do and was so excited to read this book. Her story is incredible. She herself is incredible. But the writing is just...not it. It reads like it was ghostwritten by a middle schooler. I had to fight to finish it. I would not recommend this book to anyone. It hurts me to give this one star. That said I’m still a mia kang fan and want her to succeed in all capacities. Writing just might not be one of them for her.

[Dru · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mia Kang writes about her life, growing up in a multicultural household in Thailand where she dealt with her insecurities through food and drugs. This led to several eating disorders and significant body dysmorphia. Mia was very open about her thought process and recognizing how distorted her thought process/ perspective was. Great insights into the modeling world; why do we allow it to influence us as much as it does with how much it harms everybody?

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the honesty and the message in this book. It's a quick read, but the voice didn't really get me there to a 4 or 5-star review. Worth reading for insight into her mental health and substance abuse struggles but it's not one that narratively super strong. 3.5 stars

[Candice · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderfully, well written memoir from Mia showing immense growth as a person and an in depth look into the ‘glamorous’ world of modeling. Big trigger warnings though: detailed description of eating disorders; drugs; alcohol; and sexual abuse.

[Nat's Bookshelf · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had to DNF it was just too slow paced for me. Only made it like 30% through

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A hard, but deeply true read of the struggles with addiction and obsession with food, weight and body image.

[Erica Frances · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars for the honesty and content of the story. It did take me a minute to get used to the sentence structured used throughout the book.

[bangalimeyreads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mia Kang is fashion model, Muay Thai fighter, body positivity advocate and television host. Kang grew up in Hong Kong and in her childhood days she suffered from body shaming due to overweight. Her parents adviced, " No matter how painful or uncomfortable the moment was, it was temporary. "
Knockout is her book well I would say it's her life in her own words. It's perfect for the girls who are suffering due to overweight. Her experience from bullying, body shaming, anxiety, depression,etc from the only reason that the society readily doesn't accept the fat girls.
Her book is slow yet beautiful as she is potraiting the truth of her life.

[Xenia Melnik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really well written. A deep and honest look into Mia's life. Some of the experiences she has about teenage insecurity and flaws have cropped up for all of us at one point or another. Martial Arts is my way to also feel confident. We all have a long journey to love ourselves, but one day at a time, eventually, we'll get there. Wonderful book and super encouraging for people who are struggling with addiction, body dysmorphia and eating disorders!