I think I went into Fight Like a Girl with different expectations. I went in with more of an expectations of a thriller but when we read I didn't take that from this book. The story isn't bad though so don't choose to not read this book based on me! Not liking the story so much was all on me and not the story itself.

The characters in the book are richly developed, each with their own unique personalities and motivations. Readers will find themselves emotionally invested in the lives of these characters, making their journey all the more rewarding. The protagonist is a particularly compelling figure who undergoes significant growth and transformation as the story unfolds. A feminist story that will resonate with teen readers.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

I am all for any book that shows women as strong and filled with fight. Trisha is trying to channel all that fight into Muay Thai kickboxing- a place where it seems more fitting than some of the places she'd like to unleash all of her fury.

Though I could appreciate the mystery aspect of the book , and do believe that history and the cycle of abuse repeat themselves, I also felt as though there was something lacking in the development of the mother's story and in the outcomes of the story.

I was lucky to score an advanced copy of this book, but I kept picking it up and putting it back down. Once I actually took the time to read, I enjoyed it. Sometimes you need to be in a certain mood to take on a different type of book.

I'm a bit mixed on my feelings about this one. I liked learning about Trinidadian culture and folklore and thought Trisha's story was heartbreaking and compelling. I got a bit lost with the paranormal aspects, I wasn't sure if they were supposed to be real or more of a metaphor. I would have liked the author to be clearer and fit the paranormal into the storyline more. I also didn't really care for Trisha's romance and wanted more of her relationships with her friends and family instead.

There is abuse in this, some rooted in culture that outsiders like myself don't really understand. Trisha takes the slaps and insults as her mom loving and caring for her. The whole plot is pretty angry and emotional, almost like you can feel the hurt and rage pouring onto the page. It was easy to get into this, but a bit difficult to read because I felt so much sympathy for Trisha.

Parts of this could have flowed better, but it's a powerful read.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for the copy

I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. I have to say that I love the character of Lucky aka Trish. She comes from an abusive home. Her father spends most of his time in Trinidad and only comes back for short periods of time. He beats his wife when he is there and he drinks. Lucky trains at a local gym in Muay Thai and she is good at it. There is a lot to be said about the relationships of the characters in this book and the trauma that they go through to just make just another day. I don't want to spoil that for anyone. It is really worth the read.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of Fight Like a Girl in exchange for my honest feedback of the book.

I avoided reading this book for the longest, and honestly was mad at myself for not reading it sooner! This debut YA novel was simply amazing! Sheena Kamal has a way with her words and really knows how to hook a reader in. The main protagonist is Trisha, and 18 year old of Trinidadian descent who lives in the east end of Toronto with her mother. Trisha is a training kickboxer who longs to prove herself in the ring. One day, however, Trish sees her life being turned upside down after an accident causes the death of her father. As she tries to understand better what happened that night, Trish's world turns blurry and she completely loses her grip on reality, only finding herself again while she's fighting.

The mystery kept me on the edge of my seat and I needed to know what would happen next. It was fascinating to follow Trish's train of thoughts and see reality blur all around her to the point that I myself had trouble knowing what was true or not, which in this case was a very good element. This book will keep you turning the pages until you reach the very end.

It's a bit of rough read. The style didn't always flow well enough at times though I did like the premise and the MC a bit. Still, I am curious from more by this author.

I was able to read this book in one setting and I can say that I throughly enjoyed it. Trisha was the type of character that I don't come across often in books. There were many times that I laughed audibly at some of the things she would say, think, or do. Wasn't expecting her to be as quick witted as she was. While I went into this book mostly blind I was confused at some of the thriller and more paranormal aspects that were sprinkled throughout. The mystery of it all did keep me on the edge of my seat more often times than not! Because it is such a short read and given the nature of some of the topics, some things felt a bit rushed in my opinion, but overall still a very good read.

A view into the life of a Caribbean teenager whose mother immigrated to create a better life. However, the past trails close behind and shows its head often.

Then a tragedy unlocks a series of circumstances that strains the mother-daughter relationship as the daughter fights to prove herself and uncover a secret.


Thank you #NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada/Penguin Teen for giving me the opportunity to read this.

I certainly can approve of what Kamal is examining here. Trisha has a complex relationship with violence. She's grown up with random violence with a the random appearance of her father in her life, abusing her mother. There's also the use of mild violence in her culture, slaps and smacks that are considered affection as much as they are correction. And then there's her practice of Muay Thai, finding her fulfillment in intentional violence. This occupies the bulk of the bulk of the book and most of our attention. Its those remaining sections that give me pause. Because outside of violence we get hints of something supernatural going on. The final reveals and ultimate resolution are chaotic at best and were somewhat difficult to parse out.

This was a really really good book! I loved to see the representation of a group that is far too often ignored, and the mystery surrounding the fathers death. I however, was not a fan of the authors writing style. This is the first book I have read by Sheena Kamal so maybe its just Kamal writing YA, and her adult books are more my speed. I will definitely be keeping my eye out on Kamal.

Fight Like a Girl is about a young girl (Trish) struggling with the feelings she has about her mostly absent Trinidadian father and the circumstances of his death. Trish spends her free time at the gym learning Muay Thai as a way to feel in control; or to lose control. While she is coping with the changes in her mother’s life, Trish has an ensemble cast of characters that the reader will fall in love with— from the other few girl fighters at the gym to the next door neighbor boy Christopher who she affectionately calls Columbus to the college boy love interest Jason. Just as likable are her mother’s best friend Pammy, Columbus’ mom, and Trish’s Aunty K. The story unravels the past and shows the aftermath of trauma and abuse. Although the story contains violence, drug abuse, language, and sexual content — you also feel that everyone has Trish’s best interest at heart.

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Teen for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I had really high hopes for this book and was so excited that I was chosen to review it. I'm really not sure how to review this book. Although I liked it, it seems to lack something in the story line. This story is definitely intense but I was confused by the paranormal element and that could be something in the Trinidad culture that I do not understand. I did like the gym/boxing aspect of the book because I felt like it was an outlet and a place where Trisha felt accepted.

As a warning there is a lot of physical and emotional abuse in this story - a little uncomfortably so where actions seemed to be swept under the rug because it's how her mother shows love. It really bothered me that a mother can break an arm and it's like whatever and seen as normal.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Fight Like a Girl follows Trisha, a girl of Trinidadian descent who channels her anger into Muay Thai. One night, her dysfunctional family is torn further apart when Trisha's intoxicated father stumbles in front of the car she is driving, and he is killed.

I enjoyed many aspects of this book, but most particularly the cast. Kamal's characters are rich and complex, and practically jump off the page. If anything, I was left wanting more time with them.

Beyond that, another strength of this book was the intricacies of the family dynamic, and the way that both internal and external factors influence such a dynamic. Trisha's family is broken, and stays broken, and breaks even further, allowing us room to examine what does and doesn't make a family, and the way we all operate together within the family unit.

Ultimately this was an interesting and intriguing read, and I look forward to what Sheena Kamal will bring to the table next.

The mystery and portrayal of how it feels to live in a situation of domestic violnce were compelling parts of this solidly-written YA contemporary. However, the narrative was too often slowed by descriptions of Muay Thai training and matches, and the side characters - including, or perhaps especially, the love interest - weren't particularly engaging or well-rounded. There was also a pervasive sense of Trisha being bored with or emotionally detached from her life that seemed to effect my reading and enjoyment as well. Rounded up from 2.5 stars.

This was a weird and strange book. It was very raw. I enjoyed it but it’s not something I usually pick up. I’ve been trying to read other stuff besides romance and this one was quite different. It wasn’t bad but it wasn’t great. It was an okay read.

It pains me to say that I could not finish this book, and I tried three times. I was really interested in the premise when I requested this book. I thought I would be more connected to the main character and the family, but I was not. The casual tone of the book did not work for me. The main character's voice seemed to be over the top (even for a teenager), and I frankly was quite annoyed. I was questioning her perspective and actions throughout the book, which maybe is the point, but the story did not grasp me. I also didn't think the thriller aspect of the book was well done, because of the main character's characterization. I would not recommend this particular book, but I am looking forward to seeing the author's future work.

Real Rating: 3.5 / 5 Stars
This review isn’t going to be a long one; not because I didn’t enjoy this book (because I did), but because I feel, as an American white woman, I don’t want to take up space which could be put to better use by voices that don’t normally have major publishing house releases targeted toward POCs and their ethnic heritages.

Trish, AKA Lucky, (our FMC) is Trinidadian-Indian but lives in Toronto with her mother. Her father lives most of the year back in Trinidad and only comes up to see her mother for a little while every year. Being Trinidadian-Indian made her and her mother each a minority inside of their own country, and even in diverse Toronto, being Trinidadian is something to be fetishisized. So Trish, having grown up seeing nothing but pain from men in her mother’s life since she was young, doesn’t date: she’s a Muay Thai fighter. And she’s good at it. She lives, eats, and breathes for the fight.

The best pieces of this story are about the inter-relationships between the females in this story. There is a subplot or two that, if they had been handled more adeptly, could’ve been woven in to add more tension and suspense, but the manner in which they were handled in the book came across as less-than-subtle and therefore dragged the story down just a little bit.

This book doesn’t pull any punches (no pun intended), which is very refreshing for a YA novel. It lets you in on the violence, the paranoia, the abuse, the hate, and the fine line between kill or be killed that even a teenager can feel in the heat of a moment. It’s a strong novel for both strong women and women that need to find some strength. I highly recommend it, especially if you’re interested (as I am) in reading books about other cultures and their traditions.