tome_raider 's review for:

The Contender by Robert Lipsyte

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I read this for a class on young adult lit and information needs. I'm not the target audience so it doesn't resonate with me, but I can respect its place as a seminal piece of early young adult literature and its importance for the time it was published. Even though it's nearly 40 years old, I think teen boys today who are reluctant readers could still enjoy this one with its focus on boxing, resilience, and finding your identity amidst peer pressures and social inequalities.