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mariahistryingtoread's review against another edition
3.0
I had to read The Contender along with a slew of others in preparation for a class (if you care to see which ones I have them tagged under for-a-class) and the Contender was one of the better ones in the group. I swore off YA over a year ago as I got tired of the rut it seems to have sunk into. I acknowledge it's possible my sensibilities have simply changed. However, I also maintain that publishing has become increasingly more risk averse and that is a major factor as to why YA has stagnated which has nothing to do with my personal preferences or tastes.
My enjoying The Contender is a point /for/ my argument as I felt it was better than a lot of modern YA because despite fitting into the conventions of the genre it was not plagued by the tropes that have come to define the majority. I don't doubt there is fantastic YA out there - or even simply good YA - as I have read it: it's more that it's become a lot more difficult than it should be in recent years to sift out anything that is particularly stand out and not just 'decent'.
That being said, The Contender was not perfect either.
According to the introduction, though Robert Lipsyte had written a few books before he had never written fiction. It absolutely shows that this is his first venture into the genre. There were quite a few issues I feel an author more practiced would not have had.
Even though the synopsis suggests it will be an important plot point, it is half the book before you find out that James is addicted to drugs and you do not see him again until the last chapter. When Alfred does find out, he seems only momentarily bothered before moving onto the boxing once more. He apparently has a conversation with another character about getting James into rehab yet it's delivered after the fact. We do not get to bear witness to what assuredly was a difficult, sobering discussion. It felt like Lipsyte was unsure of how to intertwine these two significant aspects, especially when he (presumably) was unsure of his capacity to write a depiction of drug addiction well and/or without stigma. I'd prefer no depiction than a bad one, however, it did make James' situation feel tacked on for random sympathy rather than the motivating factor for Alfred it was clearly intended to be.
Also I have to question why he bothered to include it at all if he wasn't going to delve into more detail? What's the point in James' spiraling drug addiction if it's happening completely in the background? I do wonder if there wasn't some latent bias going on that made Lipsyte or an editor feel it was necessary because of 'realism'. As if it wasn't enough that James had fallen in with a bad crowd and was robbing people, he had to be doing drugs too because that's what 'those' people do, right?
Obviously, I am aware that many people in less than circumstances do drugs especially in low-income/Black neighborhoods as part of a targeted effort to oppress those demographics. It is not outside of the norm that James would do drugs. I'm simply pointing out the impression this plot point gave me in this specific instance based on how Lipsyte wrote it. I try not to look into books or authors until after I write reviews so it's possible there is context I am missing.
Most conversations are weirdly vague and subtextual. It felt like Lipsyte was trying very hard to make the book seem deep by refusing to let anyone just talk directly to another since everyone knows mystique = prestige. Mr. Donatelli in particular fell prey to this. When Alfred would ask him questions about his odds as a boxer, Donatelli would often comeback with these melodramatic remarks you could just tell were meant to be in his Oscar reel for Best Actor.
The characters were severely underdeveloped. At the beginning of the book Alfred actively avoids a neighborhood acquaintance named Henry who walks with a limp due to a childhood bout of polio. Henry becomes an essential part of Alfred's training regimen at the gym. Henry credits Alfred with giving him his big start as an official trainer.
Yet, there is never any explanation for why Alfred was so uncomfortable with Henry. Am I supposed to assume it was because of Henry's disability? Is it because Henry was so cheerful and upbeat all the time? Was he not willing to make any friends outside of James?
I could not tell you. Lipsyte never extrapolates further. Alfred doesn't even apologize for his weird dismissal of Henry as a whole. He holds him at arms' length the entire book for no reason. I'm not one for the author holding my hand, but I needed just a bit more to clarify exactly what his damage was. The other boxers are similarly one note. I felt no inclination to even recall their names that's how little it mattered they even existed.
Antagonist Major is also conspicuously absent from the novels' events. Like the James plot it feels as if he was added on at the last minute in an attempt to add some suspense.
This book is written like a the author likes the idea of boxing not boxing, itself. Boxing is technically in it, but boxing is just a vehicle to send a message. That's all well and good - many books do this - except I don't see why that could not have still included more actual, physical boxing too. The build-up to boxing was bigger than the boxing alone. By the time Alfred hits his peak it's basically already over.
I understand that that's part of the point; boxing is merely a stepping stone in Alfred's overall trajectory. Still, I think it's not a lot to ask that a sports coming of age novel focus more on the sports. Or barring that engage more meaningfully with the social issues Lipsyte chose.
On a positive note, I really appreciated the bits we got about James and Alfred's relationship. In the moments he allowed Alfred to think about James, Lipsyte really sold why it would be so difficult for Alfred to let him go. It was the singular realistic, thought inspiring facet to drug addiction that existed in the entire book.
As I am a big classics reader, I'm certain I would have circled around to this book eventually in my own time and been equally as whelmed. It is a good book if not a little dated. If nothing else I'd recommend it because it's a quick read.
My enjoying The Contender is a point /for/ my argument as I felt it was better than a lot of modern YA because despite fitting into the conventions of the genre it was not plagued by the tropes that have come to define the majority. I don't doubt there is fantastic YA out there - or even simply good YA - as I have read it: it's more that it's become a lot more difficult than it should be in recent years to sift out anything that is particularly stand out and not just 'decent'.
That being said, The Contender was not perfect either.
According to the introduction, though Robert Lipsyte had written a few books before he had never written fiction. It absolutely shows that this is his first venture into the genre. There were quite a few issues I feel an author more practiced would not have had.
Even though the synopsis suggests it will be an important plot point, it is half the book before you find out that James is addicted to drugs and you do not see him again until the last chapter. When Alfred does find out, he seems only momentarily bothered before moving onto the boxing once more. He apparently has a conversation with another character about getting James into rehab yet it's delivered after the fact. We do not get to bear witness to what assuredly was a difficult, sobering discussion. It felt like Lipsyte was unsure of how to intertwine these two significant aspects, especially when he (presumably) was unsure of his capacity to write a depiction of drug addiction well and/or without stigma. I'd prefer no depiction than a bad one, however, it did make James' situation feel tacked on for random sympathy rather than the motivating factor for Alfred it was clearly intended to be.
Also I have to question why he bothered to include it at all if he wasn't going to delve into more detail? What's the point in James' spiraling drug addiction if it's happening completely in the background? I do wonder if there wasn't some latent bias going on that made Lipsyte or an editor feel it was necessary because of 'realism'. As if it wasn't enough that James had fallen in with a bad crowd and was robbing people, he had to be doing drugs too because that's what 'those' people do, right?
Obviously, I am aware that many people in less than circumstances do drugs especially in low-income/Black neighborhoods as part of a targeted effort to oppress those demographics. It is not outside of the norm that James would do drugs. I'm simply pointing out the impression this plot point gave me in this specific instance based on how Lipsyte wrote it. I try not to look into books or authors until after I write reviews so it's possible there is context I am missing.
Most conversations are weirdly vague and subtextual. It felt like Lipsyte was trying very hard to make the book seem deep by refusing to let anyone just talk directly to another since everyone knows mystique = prestige. Mr. Donatelli in particular fell prey to this. When Alfred would ask him questions about his odds as a boxer, Donatelli would often comeback with these melodramatic remarks you could just tell were meant to be in his Oscar reel for Best Actor.
The characters were severely underdeveloped. At the beginning of the book Alfred actively avoids a neighborhood acquaintance named Henry who walks with a limp due to a childhood bout of polio. Henry becomes an essential part of Alfred's training regimen at the gym. Henry credits Alfred with giving him his big start as an official trainer.
Yet, there is never any explanation for why Alfred was so uncomfortable with Henry. Am I supposed to assume it was because of Henry's disability? Is it because Henry was so cheerful and upbeat all the time? Was he not willing to make any friends outside of James?
I could not tell you. Lipsyte never extrapolates further. Alfred doesn't even apologize for his weird dismissal of Henry as a whole. He holds him at arms' length the entire book for no reason. I'm not one for the author holding my hand, but I needed just a bit more to clarify exactly what his damage was. The other boxers are similarly one note. I felt no inclination to even recall their names that's how little it mattered they even existed.
Antagonist Major is also conspicuously absent from the novels' events. Like the James plot it feels as if he was added on at the last minute in an attempt to add some suspense.
This book is written like a the author likes the idea of boxing not boxing, itself. Boxing is technically in it, but boxing is just a vehicle to send a message. That's all well and good - many books do this - except I don't see why that could not have still included more actual, physical boxing too. The build-up to boxing was bigger than the boxing alone. By the time Alfred hits his peak it's basically already over.
I understand that that's part of the point; boxing is merely a stepping stone in Alfred's overall trajectory. Still, I think it's not a lot to ask that a sports coming of age novel focus more on the sports. Or barring that engage more meaningfully with the social issues Lipsyte chose.
On a positive note, I really appreciated the bits we got about James and Alfred's relationship. In the moments he allowed Alfred to think about James, Lipsyte really sold why it would be so difficult for Alfred to let him go. It was the singular realistic, thought inspiring facet to drug addiction that existed in the entire book.
As I am a big classics reader, I'm certain I would have circled around to this book eventually in my own time and been equally as whelmed. It is a good book if not a little dated. If nothing else I'd recommend it because it's a quick read.
cdjdhj's review against another edition
3.0
I read this book with my 2nd period, Applied Literature class. It is OK and generally has a good message. Not the best book I've ever read. The kids thought it was OK, nothing special.
marissagoodell92's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
aholeistodig's review against another edition
3.0
Kind of a YA Rocky, but African American. Liked this a lot more than I thought I might. (Hint: we learn that being a contender doesn't necessarily mean becoming a champion fighter.)
wordyanchorite's review against another edition
5.0
Invaluable. Not just a sports book, not just a "poor black kid faces choices" book, this is a launching pad for thinking about big ideas that withholds a lot of the judgment and preachiness that other books of this genre fall into.
I was pleased to find this on the Sonlight reading list, and I hope it will spur deep thinking for my high school students.
I was pleased to find this on the Sonlight reading list, and I hope it will spur deep thinking for my high school students.
jennmeadows13's review against another edition
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Typically, I do not enjoy reading books that have sports as a driving plot device. When I saw the cover of a young man in a boxing ring, I was not looking forward to reading this for my young adult class. However, I found that I couldn't put this book down. Alfred is such a loveable character and I was rooting for him. While boxing is a major plot device, it's mostly used to show Alfred's transformation into becoming a young man. When we first meet Alfred, he's angry and lost. He doesn't know where he wants to move forward after dropping out of high school. Thanks to Mr. Donateli's boxing gym, Alfred starts to find his purpose, but also his strength (both mental and physical) that has always resided inside him. The Contender was one of those books that reminded that you cannot judge a book by its cover because I went from dreading to read it, to absolutely devouring every single page.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Antisemitism, Addiction, Alcohol, Classism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Cursing and Death of parent
megbreading's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Racial slurs
Moderate: Drug abuse and Drug use
momreads's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
One of my boys gave this to me to read. It's a fast read that packs a load of life lessons. To be a contender in boxing requires the same drive and determination that becoming a champion in life requires.
jeriwho's review against another edition
5.0
When I was young and studying martial arts, I read this book over and over again. I think this is the ultimate YA novel: fast paced, Americana, urban, hopeful, taut, and morally uplifting while at the same time showing clearly the grittiness of life and even poverty.
readbook29's review against another edition
3.5
Quality YA novel about sports and being a young, Black male. The characters arch is interesting as, the more he gets better, the more he becomes disenchanted by boxing and grows up in the process.