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lovelymisanthrope's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
"The Knockout Queen" is a dark comedy about two unlikely friends: Bunny and Michael. Bunny is the queen of North Shore. She is pretty, the star of the volleyball team, and her father is extremely wealthy. Michael is a gay teenager who lives with his aunt because his mom went to prison for stabbing his father. Michael starts to date an older man, and when someone from school finds out, there is a very violent encounter that completely changes both Bunny's and Michael's lives.
Rufi Thorpe's writing style reminded me a lot of Grady Hendrix's dark comedic style of writing. This type of writing can be very off putting for a lot of people, and I do not think everyone will appreciate this story.
Michael's and Bunny's friendship felt so raw, flawed, and authentic. They both made poor decisions regarding one another throughout the duration of their friendship, but at the end of the day they both cared deeply for one another, and truly only wanted what was best for each other. I thought this representation was wonderfully done, and very true of friendships that are made in high school. People are always growing and evolving, but the people that stand by you through it all, are the ones that are meant to stay.
I think both Bunny and Michael are great examples of trying to create an identity that feels right. Michael is an outcast, and he is gay, but not necessarily "out". He does not know exactly who he is, and it is really difficult for him to cope with this. Bunny's father has really controlled her future, but she loves her father more than anything and does not see that. He has his own interests on the fore front of his mind, and all Bunny wants to do is please him.
This story made me laugh, made me sad, and made me question my own identity and who I have allowed to influence that identity.
This was an amusing story, that I might recommend to a certain type of reader.
Graphic: Violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Homophobia, Grief, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Toxic friendship, Gore, Blood, Hate crime, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Alcoholism, Death, Bullying, and Medical content
lindsayhotrod's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Car accident, Emotional abuse, Rape, Violence, Toxic friendship, Hate crime, Grief, Blood, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Body shaming, Death, Alcoholism, Homophobia, Murder, Outing, Religious bigotry, and Sexual content
caseythereader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Abandonment, Alcohol, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Infidelity, Rape, Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Blood, Car accident, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Outing, Sexual content, and Violence
jackkoskinen's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Alcoholism, Blood, Violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Addiction, and Alcohol
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Car accident, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Medical content, Outing, and Violence
bookswithmybulldog's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Alcoholism, Adult/minor relationship, Homophobia, Sexual content, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual violence
writingbookscoffee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Homophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Death of parent, Bullying, Death, Hate crime, Infidelity, Outing, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Abandonment, Alcoholism, Blood, and Car accident
moongirlfriend's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Homophobia and Violence
ailendb's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Violence, Homophobia, and Adult/minor relationship
arianashea's review
- 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? Yes
4.25
“That was the thing that was turning out to be most difficult about being a person. The people I had the most sympathy for were almost never the ones everyone else felt sympathy for.”
“seemed to be right there, loving the wrong person, betting on the wrong dark horse.”
“I was not confident enough to tell him what I myself barely knew, which is that being true to yourself, even if it makes everyone hate you, even if it makes people want to kill you, is the most radical form of liberty, and when you make contact with something as electric and terrifying as the unadorned truth of yourself, it burns away so many other smaller forms of bondage you weren't even aware of, so you find yourself irradiated and unencumbered.”
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Hate crime, and Violence
watchtower22's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Violence, Homophobia, and Alcoholism