Discover your next great read with our book reviews
Cover of FIGHTER
4.68

Based on 28 Goodreads ratings

FIGHTER

by boxing. Lee, an Irish southpaw, melds revealing set pieces about life as an “outsider” with a rich account of his rough route to the middleweight championship. His itinerant boyhood was shaped by the “special closeness to gypsy life.” His family was among a group that lived in “trailers and caravans,” traveled “in convoy” and prohibited marriages to “non\u002DGypsies. Gorgeys, we call them.” At school, classmates sang a parody of his peripatetic lifestyle. He learned to fight by taking beatings from his older brothers, already skilled boxers. Relatably, Lee realizes that he chose his profession in part because he didn’t want to disappoint loved ones. Yet being “pushed to the fringes of society” equipped him with an invaluable trait—“raw toughness.” A stellar amateur career won the attention of Emanuel Steward, a decorated American trainer who began schooling Lee at the famed Kronk Gym in Detroit. As “the white kid in a black city,” he was lonely. He read Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning, discovering the Holocaust survivor’s “theory of ‘Sunday neurosis’: that feeling of emptiness that people get when their hectic life slows down at the weekend. That’s me.” Lee is excellent on boxing preparation and technique. As an amateur, he won by counterpunching, but pro fighting rewards “viciousness.” A Steward disciple teaches him the “Suzie Q,” a technique meant to get an opponent leaning before you “dress him up”—flatten him. Prefight weigh\u002Dins prove easy to manipulate. He sits in saunas before getting on the scale, then chows down, his weight fluctuating by 10 pounds within hours. The book’s one clear flaw—a penchant for hackneyed philosophizing about the nature of combat—only shows up a couple of times."

Book Details

Publisher:Of
Published:2024-01-01
Pages:288
Format:paperback
Language:English
ISBN:9781668210

Reading Info

Age Range:12-18

About This Book

This powerful narrative delivers an unflinching look at the world of competitive fighting, following a young protagonist's journey through grueling training, personal sacrifice, and the complex psych...

Our Review

This powerful narrative delivers an unflinching look at the world of competitive fighting, following a young protagonist's journey through grueling training, personal sacrifice, and the complex psychology of combat sports. The story masterfully balances intense athletic scenes with deep emotional stakes, creating a visceral reading experience that pulls no punches about the physical and mental demands of this path. Readers are thrust directly into the gritty reality of fight culture, from the sweat-soaked gym sessions to the high-stakes arena moments where everything is on the line.

What sets this story apart is its authentic exploration of why someone would choose such a punishing career—delving into themes of family legacy, economic necessity, and personal redemption with remarkable nuance. Teen readers drawn to high-intensity sports stories will find themselves completely immersed in the protagonist's world, while the emotional depth provides substance beyond the action. The raw honesty about both the triumphs and costs of this lifestyle makes it particularly compelling for young adults navigating their own difficult choices and searching for their place in the world.

0