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A review by cakt1991
The Knockout by Sajni Patel
4.0
3.5 stars
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
I enjoyed Sajni Patel’s adult romance debut last year, so I was curious to read more from her. And I was drawn to The Knockout due to liking the idea of a heroine who did martial arts, as I had not read many books that featured that, at least not contemporary ones.
This book ended up being a bit of a mixed bag for me. I did like the martial arts aspect, with the heroine being into Muay Thai and a big competition being a big part of the story. I didn’t know anything about this particular type of martial arts, so it was interesting to learn about it and that atmosphere.
Kareena is also a pretty interesting character. I was particularly drawn to how she felt she had to hide this vital part of herself due to the judginess of her peers, and I was happy that ultimately it turned out she was accepted for doing what she loved.
The blurb also suggested cultural conflict as a major theme, and I liked how well that was conveyed. Kate a is largely disconnected from the conservative traditions upheld by her parents, but it never felt like either side was right or wrong. Her parents obviously try their best to support her dreams, even as they are faced with issues of their own, like her father’s health issues. That prompts Kareena’s guilt and leads her to shoulder some of the burden. It was nice that while cultural divide was a key theme, the family wasn’t divided over it, as has been the case in some similar books.
I found Amit really lacking as a love interest. It felt like he didn’t have a ton of substance, and Kareena doesn’t even trust him, so it creates constant drama.
This is a fun book that also tackles some pretty important issues, and I enjoyed it in spite of its minor flaws. If you’re looking for a unique diverse YA, I think you’ll like this one.
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
I enjoyed Sajni Patel’s adult romance debut last year, so I was curious to read more from her. And I was drawn to The Knockout due to liking the idea of a heroine who did martial arts, as I had not read many books that featured that, at least not contemporary ones.
This book ended up being a bit of a mixed bag for me. I did like the martial arts aspect, with the heroine being into Muay Thai and a big competition being a big part of the story. I didn’t know anything about this particular type of martial arts, so it was interesting to learn about it and that atmosphere.
Kareena is also a pretty interesting character. I was particularly drawn to how she felt she had to hide this vital part of herself due to the judginess of her peers, and I was happy that ultimately it turned out she was accepted for doing what she loved.
The blurb also suggested cultural conflict as a major theme, and I liked how well that was conveyed. Kate a is largely disconnected from the conservative traditions upheld by her parents, but it never felt like either side was right or wrong. Her parents obviously try their best to support her dreams, even as they are faced with issues of their own, like her father’s health issues. That prompts Kareena’s guilt and leads her to shoulder some of the burden. It was nice that while cultural divide was a key theme, the family wasn’t divided over it, as has been the case in some similar books.
I found Amit really lacking as a love interest. It felt like he didn’t have a ton of substance, and Kareena doesn’t even trust him, so it creates constant drama.
This is a fun book that also tackles some pretty important issues, and I enjoyed it in spite of its minor flaws. If you’re looking for a unique diverse YA, I think you’ll like this one.