These book was a great story about breaking race and gender norms about female athletes. I loved all the information I learned about Muay Thai and how passionate our main character was about it. I also REALLY loved the romance between the two characters. They didn't let their relationship or feelings get in the way of their dreams. Highly recommend this book!!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC!

I really loved this. I loved how it was both feminine yet sporty - which is something you don't really see a lot of in YA - the main character (Kareena) is so relatable and I love the insight we get into her family life. I love the supportive Mum and Dad and how the community reacts to her Muay Thai.

I loved that we got to read about Muay Thai as a whole. It's a sport I don't know very much about and this was a great introduction to it.

The book paces itself well but I thought the ending was quite rushed and the climax could have been lengthened.

Other than that, amazing!

I couldn’t put this book down. The main character is a freaking strong, caring, hard working, overall bad*ss young women. She has felt the crippling effects of her family’s situation and does everything in her power to help her parents while doing the one thing she loves (oh and having to attend high school and dealing with grades and navigating the issues of high school drama). Her story is one of everyday struggles and finding the will and power to overcome. I especially loved the community of female athletes who become her supporting base; a powerful connection that all girls (of any age need).

The Knockout Advance Readers Copy (ARC) by S.A. Patel

“Let's talk about the cover of this novel: a close up drawing of a female torso, where she is preparing for a fight, her brown arm flexed, her fist tight as she finishes wrapping her left hand with pink fabric, the Henna tattoos etched on her fingers like war paint. It’s an impressive image, one that would have readers buying the novel purely on the cover alone.” Cecelia Beckman, Sheaf & Ink

The Story

Kareena Thakkar is a fighter. But not just any fighter, she participates in the "art of the eight limbs," Muay Thai a combat sport. She practices day and night to be the best fighter in her region. When an opportunity of a lifetime arises, Kareena will do anything for a chance to earn a place on the first ever US Olympic team.

My Thoughts

The Knockout synopsis was a unique and intriguing one. It’s a story of a young Indian high school student fighting for more than just a national title, but a place in a sport dominated by men. And to see a fierce heroine, making a place for herself by pursuing her passions is always a refreshing and aspiring story to read.

Even though the story is an #ownvoice Young Adult debut with an interesting premise, the execution of the narrative was disappointing. As the reader, I had no emotional investment for Kareena Thakkar because she lacked identifiable characteristics. She didn't seem fully rounded with complex feelings or emotions that would endear her to the reader.

I think the main concern I had was the writing itself. There was so much potential for this novel to be as powerful as its title. Where Patel could have explored, in much more detail and depth, the Indian culture, emotions of the main character, her drive to fight, why she started fighting, and more.

Given that this was a story about fighting, literally and figuratively, for so many reasons: family, friendship, and self, Patel could have made a more lasting impression had the dialogue sounded more natural and not a torrent of words with little to no inference. But most importantly, writing more vivid and elaborate descriptions of Kareena’s culture, her emotions, feelings, surroundings, and interactions to add to the fullness of the story.

Happy Reading ̴ Cece

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Below is my honest review.*

**I don't spoil what happens in the story or how it ends, but I do mention some of the overall concepts.

~~SPOILER WARNING~~

🥊𝖳𝗁𝖾 𝖪𝗇𝗈𝖼𝗄𝗈𝗎𝗍 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝖺 𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗒 𝗀𝗈𝗈𝖽 𝖻𝗈𝗈𝗄. 𝖨𝗇𝗂𝗍𝗂𝖺𝗅𝗅𝗒 𝗐𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝖽𝗋𝖾𝗐 𝗆𝗒 𝖺𝗍𝗍𝖾𝗇𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇 𝗍𝗈 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝖻𝗈𝗈𝗄 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖼𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗋. 𝖨 𝖺𝗆 𝖿𝖺𝗆𝗂𝗅𝗂𝖺𝗋 𝗐𝗍𝗁 𝗆𝗂𝗑𝖾𝖽 𝗆𝖺𝗋𝗍𝗂𝖺𝗅 𝖺𝗋𝗍𝗌, 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗂𝗆𝗆𝖾𝖽𝗂𝖺𝗍𝖾𝗅𝗒 𝗍𝗁𝗈𝗎𝗀𝗁𝗍 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝖺𝗋𝖾 𝗈𝗇𝖾 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖿𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗌𝗍𝗒𝗅𝖾𝗌 𝗂𝗇𝖼𝗈𝗋𝗉𝗈𝗋𝖺𝗍𝖾𝖽 𝗂𝗇𝗍𝗈 𝗂𝗍, 𝗌𝗈 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗐𝖺𝗌𝗇'𝗍 𝖺 𝗌𝗎𝗋𝗉𝗋𝗂𝗌𝖾. 𝖳𝗁𝖾 𝗆𝖺𝗂𝗇 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝖻𝖾𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖨𝗇𝖽𝗂𝖺𝗇 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝗈𝗎𝗀𝗁, 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖨 𝗅𝗈𝗏𝖾𝖽 𝗂𝗍!

𝖨 𝖿𝖾𝖾𝗅 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗂𝗍 𝗂𝗌 𝗂𝗆𝗉𝗈𝗋𝗍𝖺𝗇𝗍 𝗍𝗈 𝗁𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗅𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗍 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖺𝗎𝗍𝗁𝗈𝗋'𝗌 𝗇𝗈𝗍𝖾 𝗍𝗈 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽𝖾𝗋, 𝗐𝗁𝗂𝖼𝗁 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝗁𝖾𝖺𝗋𝗍𝖿𝖾𝗅𝗍 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗉𝗋𝗈𝗏𝗂𝖽𝖾𝖽 𝖺 𝗅𝗈𝗍 𝗈𝖿 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗅 𝗅𝗂𝖿𝖾 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗅 𝗅𝗂𝖿𝖾 𝖾𝗑𝗉𝖾𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗇𝖼𝖾 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖻𝖺𝖼𝗄𝗀𝗋𝗈𝗎𝗇𝖽 𝗍𝗈 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗋𝗒. 𝖳𝗁𝖾 𝖺𝗎𝗍𝗁𝗈𝗋 𝖽𝗂𝖽 𝖺 𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗒 𝗀𝗈𝗈𝖽 𝗃𝗈𝖻 𝖽𝖾𝗌𝖼𝗋𝗂𝖻𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖬𝗎𝖺𝗒 𝖳𝗁𝖺𝗂 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖼𝗎𝗅𝗍𝗎𝗋𝖺𝗅 𝗂𝗆𝗉𝖺𝖼𝗍. 𝖨𝗍 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝖺 𝗀𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗍 𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗋𝗒 𝗈𝖿 𝗉𝖾𝗋𝗌𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗋𝖺𝗇𝖼𝖾, 𝗋𝗈𝗆𝖺𝗇𝖼𝖾, 𝗅𝗈𝗏𝖾, 𝖿𝗈𝗋𝗀𝗂𝗏𝖾𝗇𝖾𝗌𝗌, 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗋𝖼𝗈𝗆𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗆𝗎𝗅𝗍𝗂𝗉𝗅𝖾 𝗍𝗒𝗉𝖾𝗌 𝗈𝖿 𝖺𝖽𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗌𝗂𝗍𝗒 (𝖼𝗎𝗅𝗍𝗎𝗋𝖺𝗅, 𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗂𝖺𝗅, 𝖿𝗂𝗇𝖺𝗇𝖼𝗂𝖺𝗅, 𝗅𝗈𝗐 𝗌𝖾𝗅𝖿-𝖾𝗌𝗍𝖾𝖾𝗆, 𝗉𝗈𝗈𝗋 𝗁𝖾𝖺𝗅𝗍𝗁, 𝖾𝗍𝖼.).

𝖨 𝗀𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗋𝗒 𝗍𝗁𝖾 ➄ 𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗋𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗂𝗍 𝖽𝖾𝗌𝖾𝗋𝗏𝖾𝗌.

This is a super fun YA romance. I loved Kareena's focus on Muy Thai, and it definitely made me remember what it felt like to be in high school and participating in a sport that not everyone understands. The romance with Amit is really sweet, and does a great job understanding the tension between being serious about a sport and trying to date as well. It's a great book, and I really enjoyed reading it.