pickLow pick 3.5/5
I wasn't too interested in the book overall but there are some things I really enjoyed, mostly the structure. The book is laid out following the bracket of the tournament. We learn about each fighter as they fight. The story has a great flow back and forth from the boxers present, past and future. This kept me interested enough to finish the book even though the overall story was a bit bland.
pickThe device of telling the story through boxing matches is done skillfully but still became a little tedious and repetitive after a while. My dad's family are (or were; I'm not sure anyone still does it) amateur boxers, so it was interesting for me to imagine these young women boxers in their place. It was also interesting to see the motivations of each boxer, how each reacted to successes and setbacks and related to each other through the sport.
pickI liked this a lot more than I expected to! It had innovative storytelling and just the right amount of quirky and feral teen girl energy. Will it stand out in my mind a year from now? Probably not. But I really enjoyed my time with it. In all but the final match it was perhaps too easy to work out who would win based on how their story was told, but in the end that's not truly what the book is about.
(Personally I was #TeamWeirdHatEnergy)
#Booker
so-soThe book from the Booker long list that I thought sounded the most interesting has ended up the one I have liked least so far (although I still have several to go). Eight teenaged female boxes competing for a title, we get glimpses of their thoughts during their matches, what brought them there, and what their futures hold. But that is all that is, glimpses- not enough to be satisfying or give this story much impact.
On the Dallas play-grounds, Rose Mueller played the same hand-clapping games that Tanya Maw played growing up in Albuquerque, but some of the lyrics were slightly different, as if each group of clapping girls were connected by a thousand- mile-long tin can and string.
In San Diego Rachel runs long paths in the woods to forget where she is, what her body looks like, that she has a body that people talk to, that she knows how to talk. Running for Rachel turns into a hovering above her own head after the first two miles. It's good for the muscles, Rachel's regular coach from her hometown gym tells her. But really Rachel thinks running is best for forgetting she has a head.
so-so#Booker 6/13
The idea is cool: a book about 8 teenage girls boxing for the Daughters of America Cup. Each girl with her own past, dreams and future. We jump between times and girls and the boxing matches. It could definitely be interesting but unfortunately only some parts are. There‘s just too little of each girl or the matches to become really invested.
JenP, AnneCecilie, TheKidUpstairs, Deblovestoread, Leniverse, charl08, rmaclean4, squirrelbrain, Graywacke, jlhammar
pickEight girl boxers fight to be the champ. The concept - each chapter is one fight and the inner and physical lives of the two girl boxers - took me a few chapters to get into. But then I did and really enjoyed the rest #booker
#whereareyoumonday
Great idea, @Cupcake12 , it‘ll be fun to see us all over the place each Monday!
I am in Bob‘s Boxing Palace in Reno, Nevada, watching the Daughters of America Cup for women‘s 18 & under!
Please share your bookish whereabouts 🌎!
