This is a buzzy book, and the reason I picked it up. It is an easy read, told in alternating voices about young women participating in a boxing tournament, one in which there is nothing really at stake except their personal views of themselves. We ae allowed into the minds of the participants, and if is here where we understand their inner voices and their dreams and motivations. The author lets us see what the future has in store for these girls. It is a compelling read, quite an unusual format, and very well executed.

[4.25 stars]

Plot: Follows 8 female, teenage boxers in a vignette format as they compete for a national title in Reno, NV. My Thoughts: A book that has a little bit of weird, but not too totally out there. Reminded me of The Knockout Queen by Rufi Thorpe - of course because of the women’s boxing theme, but also the overall vibe. I loved her creative structure - each chapter is 1 fight. But, it’s NOT a play by play of each fight. Within each chapter, we get background on the athletes, where they end up in the future, and commentary about sports in general. And, all of this is in the vignette style…within the chapter. Bullwinkel seamlessly weaves commentary about sports and the sports mindset (and boxing in particular) in with regular life commentary. I don’t know how she does this in a way that makes sense, but she does. Brilliantly. Example: how owning a house is the same as beating someone at boxing…I can’t remember all the details, but it made sense when I read it. She also shines a light on how the sport is run and coached by men, even though the athletes are women. And how much advantage they take of the women. Similar to Lauren Fleshman’s memoir about running: Good For a Girl. Bullwinkel is a former competitive athlete and was the Captain of a D1 water polo team, so she understands intense competition. And, this came through in the book. Only 224 pages and reads even faster given the vignette format. Unique and probably not for everyone, but totally stood out to me.

(Thanks to @vikingbooks for the electronic copy.) 𝗛𝗘𝗔𝗗𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗧 by Rita Bullwinkel is a most unusual book for me to read. It centers on eight young female boxers who have gathered with their coaches and families for the prestigious “Daughters of America Cup.” In the seven rounds it takes to crown the winner, Bullwinkel cleverly takes her readers through the lives of these girls.⁣
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There was much I liked about this book. To begin, the writing was fantastic with each of the girls distinct and original. The author let you know all of them, including their motivations for boxing in the first place. Bullwinkel also did a wonderful thing where she gave you a window into the future of each girl, who and what they’d be as adults. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen this done before and I loved those parts. ⁣
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“𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘐𝘨𝘨𝘺. 𝘉𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘴𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘧𝘭𝘺. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘶𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘧𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥.”⁣
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All that being said, I began to lose interest at about the 60% mark. I could only take so much boxing and then, like some of the girls, I just wanted it to be over. It’s rough to say I didn’t revel in a book that had so much going for it, but in the end it just wasn’t the best fit for me. However, for anyone who's a fan of sports stories, especially those highlighting the mental game, I think 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘵 would be a great fit.

I know nothing about boxing, but I thought this quick read set at a girls' boxing championship was fascinating. In under 300 pages the author captures so many different experiences and motivations and outcomes in a really interesting series of matches and individual perspectives.

Innovative, beautifully written, and propulsive. This book feels different than anything else I’ve read in a great way.

As a female athlete I was drawn to the premise of HEADSHOT. Rita Bullwinkel's debut novel follows various young women as they compete for a boxing title. I really enjoyed Rita's writing style but it reminded me of a short story because the through lines took a long time to get to. It made sense to me to find that Rita is in fact, a published short story author. I prefer a more plot-driven stories with characters that interact with one another while these characters felt a bit solitary to me. If Rita tries her hand at another novel I will absolutely give her another try as I really enjoyed her writing. Readers who love short stories may find enjoyment in this book!

Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this was so well done, and I am so thankful to Viking Books, Rita Bullwinkel, and PRHAudio for granting me the #FreeAudiobook as a #PRHPartner before this baby hits shelves on March 12, 2024. Headshot tells the stories of small-town female boxers in the Reno, Nevada regions working on proving themselves as top boxers, beating their opponents while still being kids and young teenagers trying to live and be okay.

Occasionally, I got lost in some character development, but I really picked up on how their attributes and personalities were positioned. Headshot reminded me of stick-it and other media where women's sports aren't taken seriously, but for these girls, this is their blood, sweat, tears, and their entire world.

This book was entirely not what I expected. What initially seemed like a simple story about a teenage boxing match, is actually a gorgeous meditation on girlhood. With little to no dialogue, the author was able to create this omnipresent vibe throughout the book that was engaging, and incredibly nuanced in its examination of what it means to be a teenage girl. As a former weird teenage girl myself, I felt like I could relate to the story deeply. I can totally see this book taking its place in the weird girl lit canon, and I hope it rightfully does.

WOW, This book had me on the edge of my seat and at the same time reflecting upon my whole 30 years of being a girl. The way Bullwinkel zooms in so close and so far back out over and over without ever losing the plot or dizzying the reader is a feat. I LOVED this book and can’t wait for the spring when I can put it in the hands of everyone who steps into the bookstore. Beyond thrilled to be hosting a book launch at Twenty Stories!!!!