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kotareadsbooks's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
This is just a really good coming of age story. It’s a great YA romance. It’s a great family story. It’s just great. It’s emotional - i cried, i laughed, rolled my eyes, groaned in frustration, held my breath, all of it. Very highly recommend this book for anyone looking for an emotional ride.
gayathiri_rajendran's review against another edition
4.0
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher, Flux Books for providing me with a free advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review.
The Knockout by Sajni Patel follows the story of Kareena Thakkar,a Muay Thai fighter who gets an opportunity to compete in the US Muay Thai Open which in turn might open doors to getting on the Muay Thai Olympic team. I do not generally read books about sports and I think this has to be my first. This book falls under the YA category but it has some serious themes in it.
Kareena's sport is seen as "unconventional" for girls and with her father being ill and the medical debts rising,she struggles to raise money for the competition. One top of everything,a few relationships start to change her and what happens makes up for the rest of the story.
The main character is portrayed as strong. However, you could see the facade peeling off at times and it was relatable the way Kareena felt she wasn't "Indian" enough since she practiced Muay Thai. Amit is another character in the book and even tough he looks perfect on the outside, I loved the way the author portrayed his struggles, which were unexpected. One of the focuses in this book is friendship and the author shows us both healthy as well as toxic friendships. Bullying is also depicted in the book and in the beginning Kareena has only one friend but at the end of the story we see her coming out of her shell more often and mingling with a lot of her peers.
Cultural issues are also dealt with in this book and the author has done a commendable job. Indian representation was pretty much on point. However,I would like to add that not all Indians are as shown in the book. There were a few parts of the novel I didn't really connect with but a good read overall.
The Knockout by Sajni Patel follows the story of Kareena Thakkar,a Muay Thai fighter who gets an opportunity to compete in the US Muay Thai Open which in turn might open doors to getting on the Muay Thai Olympic team. I do not generally read books about sports and I think this has to be my first. This book falls under the YA category but it has some serious themes in it.
Kareena's sport is seen as "unconventional" for girls and with her father being ill and the medical debts rising,she struggles to raise money for the competition. One top of everything,a few relationships start to change her and what happens makes up for the rest of the story.
The main character is portrayed as strong. However, you could see the facade peeling off at times and it was relatable the way Kareena felt she wasn't "Indian" enough since she practiced Muay Thai. Amit is another character in the book and even tough he looks perfect on the outside, I loved the way the author portrayed his struggles, which were unexpected. One of the focuses in this book is friendship and the author shows us both healthy as well as toxic friendships. Bullying is also depicted in the book and in the beginning Kareena has only one friend but at the end of the story we see her coming out of her shell more often and mingling with a lot of her peers.
Cultural issues are also dealt with in this book and the author has done a commendable job. Indian representation was pretty much on point. However,I would like to add that not all Indians are as shown in the book. There were a few parts of the novel I didn't really connect with but a good read overall.
tinynavajo's review against another edition
5.0
This was a wonderful book about accepting who you are, dealing with events that seem completely unfair, and learning that what you think a person is thinking is completely different from what they are actually thinking. A book about being yourself and letting no one else take your down to their level.
haliwriteswords's review against another edition
5.0
“To all the Upper-Cuts, Roundhouse Kicks, and Flying Knees...Kareena Thakkar was coming for y’all.”
Thank you to NetGalley and Flux Publishing for providing me with an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The Knockout by Sajni Patel is, for lack of a better word, adorable. I loved the main character, Kareena, with all my heart. Her passion and emotion were infectious, and I was constantly desperate to know the next part of her story.
Sports romance is my favorite sub-genre of literature, so when I received this ARC, I was ecstatic. The love story between Kareena and Amit is so, so, so cute! The Boy Genius being paired with the Girl On Fire was such a good decision of Sajni Patel’s part. Kareena and Amit had me screaming into my pillow for the majority of the book because I just couldn’t take how adorable they were.
Up until about halfway through the book, I was sure it was only going to be a 3-4 star read, however the end of the book blew me away. I was so entranced with the story, the shocking twists, and the passionate love for sport that I ended up staying up until almost 5 in the morning to finish it. The writing leans toward middle-grade writing that is comparable to the whimsical style of Percy Jackson and The Olympians, and would be the perfect read for kids aged 11-14. Heck, I’m 20 years old and I enjoyed it! I absolutely recommend The Knockout to anyone looking for a fun, fast sports fiction book with the perfect amount of romance.
Thank you to NetGalley and Flux Publishing for providing me with an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The Knockout by Sajni Patel is, for lack of a better word, adorable. I loved the main character, Kareena, with all my heart. Her passion and emotion were infectious, and I was constantly desperate to know the next part of her story.
Sports romance is my favorite sub-genre of literature, so when I received this ARC, I was ecstatic. The love story between Kareena and Amit is so, so, so cute! The Boy Genius being paired with the Girl On Fire was such a good decision of Sajni Patel’s part. Kareena and Amit had me screaming into my pillow for the majority of the book because I just couldn’t take how adorable they were.
Up until about halfway through the book, I was sure it was only going to be a 3-4 star read, however the end of the book blew me away. I was so entranced with the story, the shocking twists, and the passionate love for sport that I ended up staying up until almost 5 in the morning to finish it. The writing leans toward middle-grade writing that is comparable to the whimsical style of Percy Jackson and The Olympians, and would be the perfect read for kids aged 11-14. Heck, I’m 20 years old and I enjoyed it! I absolutely recommend The Knockout to anyone looking for a fun, fast sports fiction book with the perfect amount of romance.
ninamartinez94's review against another edition
4.0
This book had a great balance of being able to see Kareena’s strength both in and out of the ring, while also being able to see how many struggles she has to overcome to get to this high stage of success in her sport. I found the discussion surrounding the disapproval of the Indian community in Austin really illuminating and can’t wait to hear our Kareena’s thoughts on these aspects of the story compared to her own experiences. I also appreciated that there were moments of levity in the book that allowed us to see how much of a badass Kareena is and how her friends stepped up to help her achieve her dreams. I loved the reminder that even in an individual sport, the support system you have can really make a difference.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Overall, I thought this was a fun, heartfelt story about the power of letting your guard down - outside of the ring! If you liked Furia or other sport based books, I think you’ll love this one! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Thank you to @netgalley and @fluxbooks for the gifted ARC!
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Overall, I thought this was a fun, heartfelt story about the power of letting your guard down - outside of the ring! If you liked Furia or other sport based books, I think you’ll love this one! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Thank you to @netgalley and @fluxbooks for the gifted ARC!
haileyannereads's review
2.0
I liked the cultural aspects of the book and how Kareena struggles to fit in her culture because she fights and "that's not lady-like." I also just loved how badass she was.
Basically, I enjoyed this book, but I wanted more Muay Thai and less love story. I wanted more about Kareena and her training or her fellow fighters. But instead it was mostly a love story. Not my cup of tea and not what I was hoping for.
Basically, I enjoyed this book, but I wanted more Muay Thai and less love story. I wanted more about Kareena and her training or her fellow fighters. But instead it was mostly a love story. Not my cup of tea and not what I was hoping for.
upturnedroots's review
5.0
This was wonderful! It's impossible not to root for Kareena, and the supporting cast of her friends and family are great characters with depth too. There are a lot of emotional rollercoasters in this book through the various plot threads, and Sajni Patel navigates those so well it kept me on the edge of my seat eager to find out how far Kareena would go with her goals.
Also, Amit Patel, that is all. He was so precious, and cared so much for Kareena and her family, and I loved him and Kareena together. They were both so intelligent and communicated really well which was refreshing, instead of the typical drama surrounding miscommunication in romance. There really wasn't a lot of that here, and genuine misunderstandings were talked through which was great to see. I love how Kareena and Amit supported each other and helped each other shine. They were adorable.
Even though I didn't get this kind of amazing Gujarati representation in stories growing up, I'm glad that readers today will and that I got the chance to read this amazing story now!
Thanks to Flux for reaching out to provide me with a copy in exchange for my honest review. I can't wait to read what Sajni Patel publishes next!
Also, Amit Patel, that is all. He was so precious, and cared so much for Kareena and her family, and I loved him and Kareena together. They were both so intelligent and communicated really well which was refreshing, instead of the typical drama surrounding miscommunication in romance. There really wasn't a lot of that here, and genuine misunderstandings were talked through which was great to see. I love how Kareena and Amit supported each other and helped each other shine. They were adorable.
Even though I didn't get this kind of amazing Gujarati representation in stories growing up, I'm glad that readers today will and that I got the chance to read this amazing story now!
Thanks to Flux for reaching out to provide me with a copy in exchange for my honest review. I can't wait to read what Sajni Patel publishes next!
fitsee's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
livinginikedworlds's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-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
3.5