Scan barcode
A review by bookwormjimmy
The Knockout Queen by Rufi Thorpe
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-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? Yes
3.75
I'm having a hard time identifying how I really feel about this book. While the characters are interesting and the plot went along at a decent enough pace, there was something about it that just makes me feel icky about the whole ordeal that this book put me through. There's a lot to digest, but I think at the end of the day it's the face that it's a dark, tragic tale of coming to terms with one's identity in modern times where things just aren't really that great. It's not unrelateable, it's not farfetched, and it's not unrealistic. Maybe it was too realistic, too sad, too tragic for me to really get any pleasure from reading this. Yet at the same time, I enjoyed this book much more than other reads out there.
Bunny and Michael became friends in North Shore, California. Their adolescence is anything but trivial, and they each have their own demons that they're trying to get through while at the same time trying to get through high school. Bunny just wants to fit in even though she stands taller than all of her classmates, and hides the fact that her father is an alcoholic. Michael meets men online and anonymously in person, and when his actions lead to gossip and eventually violence, things only escalate from there.
I actually found both Bunny and Michael's characters to be unlikeable yet compelling. I wanted to read more and find out just how messed up their lives were going to be all while they continued to make decisions that simply a little more thought could have saved them a lifetime of agony. But it's these character flaws that still make them so interesting. It's all to easy to disagree with them, but still find their arcs understandable. Like real people that may no longer be in the reader's life but once were, you want to wish them the best when all is said and done.
This is a quick read that I'm sure will be divisive amongst readers. If you're looking for a tragic tale that might be too close to home, check this one out.
Bunny and Michael became friends in North Shore, California. Their adolescence is anything but trivial, and they each have their own demons that they're trying to get through while at the same time trying to get through high school. Bunny just wants to fit in even though she stands taller than all of her classmates, and hides the fact that her father is an alcoholic. Michael meets men online and anonymously in person, and when his actions lead to gossip and eventually violence, things only escalate from there.
I actually found both Bunny and Michael's characters to be unlikeable yet compelling. I wanted to read more and find out just how messed up their lives were going to be all while they continued to make decisions that simply a little more thought could have saved them a lifetime of agony. But it's these character flaws that still make them so interesting. It's all to easy to disagree with them, but still find their arcs understandable. Like real people that may no longer be in the reader's life but once were, you want to wish them the best when all is said and done.
This is a quick read that I'm sure will be divisive amongst readers. If you're looking for a tragic tale that might be too close to home, check this one out.