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A review by kylekreads
Fight Night by Miriam Toews
3.0
I've never felt so torn about a book before.
On the one hand, 9 year old Swiv is brilliantly written - her voice is strong, unique, and energetic. There were nights I couldn't sleep because her voice was in my head. To be able to write an entire novel from such a singular, quirky voice is no small feat. But she was also entirely too much. And I get that that might be the point, especially as an adult reader experiencing this world through the eyes of a child interpreting the world of the adults around her, but at times it just didn't ring true anymore.
This was also the case for the way the story was framed as a letter to her MIA father. At times it worked, but overall it just didn't hold up for me. You could easily do away with that conceit and not have to change anything, so why bother at all? I found myself rolling my eyes entirely too much.
But there were also some incredible moments. When Swiv falls instantly and confusingly in love with T in Fresno, it made all the eyerolling worth it.
On the one hand, 9 year old Swiv is brilliantly written - her voice is strong, unique, and energetic. There were nights I couldn't sleep because her voice was in my head. To be able to write an entire novel from such a singular, quirky voice is no small feat. But she was also entirely too much. And I get that that might be the point, especially as an adult reader experiencing this world through the eyes of a child interpreting the world of the adults around her, but at times it just didn't ring true anymore.
This was also the case for the way the story was framed as a letter to her MIA father. At times it worked, but overall it just didn't hold up for me. You could easily do away with that conceit and not have to change anything, so why bother at all? I found myself rolling my eyes entirely too much.
But there were also some incredible moments. When Swiv falls instantly and confusingly in love with T in Fresno, it made all the eyerolling worth it.
"I liked the way his chest smelled. I felt like I was dying from something."