Joel Christian Gill's graphic memoir, "Fights," is a beautifully illustrated depiction of the author's youth, which was characterized by poverty and violence. Gill's father died when Gill was just a boy, and his mother was often absent, which left him vulnerable to abuse from his caretakers as well as to temptations to cause trouble of his own. He learned to fight early to defend himself against schoolyard bullies, and thereafter fights seemed to find him, but as he gets older and the stakes get higher, he begins to question the role of violence in his life and to consider the kind of man he wishes to become.

As a memoir, "Fights" is a departure for the artist and writer. His "Strange Fruit" and "Tales of the Talented Tenth" series have illustrated little-known events from black history. But these books all bear the imprint of the author's style, and here, warm colors provide a sense of danger, anger, and heat, and though Gill often uses little black dots to depict a character's eyes, his careful rendering of faces ensures that scenes are nevertheless evocative and his characters' emotions and motivations are clear. The book contains its share of heartbreaking and disturbing scenes, but there is a beauty in them that helps readers see nearly all the characters here with empathy.

Readers in high school and up can appreciate this portrait of growing up to become a black man in America. While much of the content will resonate with some readers, individuals who do not share the author's experiences are likely to develop compassion and understanding as a result of their encounter with "Fights."

I have been sitting with myself and my reflection on this book for several days. I know that it is not written for me, so I want to be expressly fair in my review.

The illustrations are fantastic. The drawing and color of them fantastically aid the story and depict the emotions and struggles of Joel.

I loved that when white characters use "The N word" it is clear what is being said, but the word itself is not used, rather an emoji of a monkey. When the characters of color used the word amongst themselves the word was spelled out, either with -er or -a' depending on the sentiment of the interaction. I think this helps readers see the difference in how the word is used and how it feels different when a white person uses it in comparison to it being used between African-Americans.

The story was a bit choppy and I didn't love how much narration was used.

Overall I think there is value in this book for many young people and will consider adding it to my library's collection.

Thank you netgalley for the free copy.

I feel very fortunate to have been approved for this graphic novel.

A well written and beautifully drawn memoir of life for a young black man. There is no sugar coating in this story.

I highly suggest reading, but when you do, make sure to absorb every inch.

While the book addresses bullying, difficult home situations, and other tough topics that many students are faced with, it does not address the topics in a tasteful manner that I would be comfortable buying for my students. The language used was a major turn off for me. While I understand it is what happens in the real-world, I would not provide such language to students who are 11-13 years old.