The Knockout - Sajni Patel

I received an ARC of this from Netgalley. I loved the Trouble with Hating You by Sajni Patel so I was interested in trying out this YA contemporary from her. This follows Kareena, who is Indian and a Muay Thai fighter. She’s been judged by the Indian community for being a fighter, and doesn’t feel Indian enough.

This was great! I really enjoyed Sajni Patel’s writing. Kareena’s parents were so supportive of her, which I loved, and I really loved the relationship between her and her parents. Kareena also had such a support system in her friends. Kareena deals with her father being sick, her parents not having enough money, and her being afraid to share her fighting. I loved the journey Kareena went on. The romance was sweet as well. This book took me a bit to get invested but it ended up making me so happy. I’ll definitely read anything this author writes!

This book had a great balance of being able to see Kareena’s strength both in and out of the ring, while also being able to see how many struggles she has to overcome to get to this high stage of success in her sport. I found the discussion surrounding the disapproval of the Indian community in Austin really illuminating and can’t wait to hear our Kareena’s thoughts on these aspects of the story compared to her own experiences. I also appreciated that there were moments of levity in the book that allowed us to see how much of a badass Kareena is and how her friends stepped up to help her achieve her dreams. I loved the reminder that even in an individual sport, the support system you have can really make a difference.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Overall, I thought this was a fun, heartfelt story about the power of letting your guard down - outside of the ring! If you liked Furia or other sport based books, I think you’ll love this one! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Thank you to @netgalley and @fluxbooks for the gifted ARC!

I will start by saying this book has enormous potential. The storyline and plot was something I was interested in. The main character Kareena was this strong, caring and considerate character which I loved. She was being strong not only for her self but her family. She didn't mind giving up things she loved just to help out her dad who was sick. Having those characteristics made me love her. What I was having a hard time with was the sentences. Some were extremely long making it difficult to read. A next thing was this book was soooo slow paced to me that at times I was getting bored. I didn't really care so much about the romance. I was more interested in the sport of Muay Thai. I enjoyed the book, it was good but not great.

Badass Kareena Thakkar is a fantastic Muay Thai fighter. The future ahead of her promises an invitation to the US Muay Thai Open and maybe the Olympics. Between school and her Muay Thai trainings, Kareena has no time to deal with any romantic connections. Inconveniently, though, Amit Patel appears in her life and she’s moved.

The Knockout is about Kareena feeling conflicted about her detachment to her Indian community and struggling with her insecurities as an Indian girl athlete. Though she might say that she isn’t affected by her community’s perceptions or their opinions, the fact is she really cares about what they are saying. It’s driven into the readers so much that I felt that it got a little too repetitive after a while.

Kareena’s father has advanced renal disease which, without proper care, might lead to the worst scenario. Throughout The Knockout, Kareena’s parents continuously pushed her to continue with her Muay Thai trainings and everything that went along with it even when money was tight. They wanted the best for her and they did their best to provide it. The relationship in this loving family brought tears to my eyes whenever her parents refused for her to give up and insisted that she shouldn’t care if other people didn’t think that Kareena’s Indian enough or that an Indian girl shouldn’t be participating in such a “violent” sport.

Love interest, Amit Patel, is a sweetheart and super smart. Despite his appearance as a perfect Indian boy, Amit is dealing with his own problems and insecurities. Lily and, subsequently, the other girl athletes were such great support system for Kareena who needed their push once in a while.

Overall, The Knockout was an interesting read about an Indian girl who doesn’t connect with her own community and who is fighting against the norm about how an Indian girl should be like. Kareena’s independent and mature whenever it came to her family but she can be extremely stubborn when it came to romance and Amit. Still, I enjoyed the book and had fun.

Thank you Flux and Netgalley for providing me an ecopy of this title for honest feedback.

I feel like sharing a pretty large secret with you that many don't know. I LOVE boxing. I adore it. I like doing it. I like watching it. If I had a dream job, boxing would be it!

When I was asked to review this I jumped at it! This book didn't disappoint.

In my copy I was immediately drawn in by the foreword. Patel shares a very emotional aspect of why this book is important and I adored that.

I enjoyed that the Kareena had a passion that was viewed as something outside of her culture and yet her parents supported her 100%. The family dynamics in this were #goals!

The friendships in this were typical high school with a dash of class. I thought Patel showcased beautifully the harshness of high school while also showing that one or two solid friends can make life divine.

The love interest here was adorable. It took awhile to get to but it was so fun once we got there.

I cried over the support that Kareena recieves in a few instances in this novel. Great job Patel!!

I found the last 25% really great, and I think someone who reads and enjoys YA contemporaries more than me would love this book overall. Personally, I felt like the plot moved slowly in the first half for having so much going on, and I found the main character frustrating in how she kind of creates a lot of her own problems.

Despite that, the writing was upbeat and fun, the Muay Thai was really cool, and I really loved all of the cultural aspects the author brought in about the main character's experience being Indian.

"The Knockout" was one of the first books I requested on NetGalley almost an entire year ago, but I've put it off in favor of earlier deadlines and what I thought would be better books. But I LOVED this one, and I'm sorry I didn't pick it up earlier.

High school senior, Kareena, is a badass Muay Thai fighter who qualifies for the US Open. The only problem? Just about everything -- her father has been quite ill, her parents don't have the money, and she isn't comfortable being an non-comforming member of her Indian community. To make everything more complicated, her computer science teacher asks her to tutor the class valedictorian, Amit. Apparently he's been having trouble despite being the "perfect" Indian -- he attends Mandir, gets perfect grades, is a total hunk, and is basically a genius. But as you read, you'll realize that no one is perfect, and that's just fine.

This is your typical realistic YA writing -- it's definitely focused on the plot and character development, and less about the beautiful prose. Usually this makes me less interested in realistic fiction, but I found Kareena to be an interesting character to follow. She is strong and independent, who at times does struggle with receiving support. It was refreshing to read a female protagonist with a romantic interest not completely be overshadowed by masculine overprotection. But really I was in this for Amit. One of the most swoon-worthy characters in YA I've read in some time.

Did I find the conclusion predictable? Yes. Were the themes and main messages broadcasted loudly and clearly and repeatedly? Yes. But did I love every gosh darn minute of it? Yes. If you enjoy realistic YA, you'll love this one.

Kareena Thakkar is going to the US Muay Thai Open, which is amazing. Amazing, yet terrible, because Kareena doesn't fit in with the rest of her Indian community. Her parents are happy, and she is an accomplished seventeen-year-old scholar, yet that's not enough when expectations and tradition are also a factor. When Kareena becomes interested in Amit Patel, it gets even more complicated, for Amit is an exemplary specimen of those expectations and traditions, which means Amit's parents are not pleased with her coming around. Kareena can't let that distract her though, because she already has enough on her plate preparing for the Muay Thai competition, and if that goes well, the Olympics could be next. Can Kareena have everything she wants, or will she have to sacrifice along the way for her dreams?⁣⁣
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Kareena is a strong girl (literally!) who is doing her best to be strong in the face of social pressure and her own doubts, all to chase her dreams! How could I not like the idea of that? I liked the focus on Indian culture, and what felt like a realistic portrayal of a girl stepping outside of cultural norms to embrace an aggressive, "male" sport, all because she has the skill and willpower to compete in it. She has to juggle home concerns with school, balance training with her interest in Amit, and find the balance between being herself and being who others expect her to be. Amit is also a sweetheart who is incredibly intelligent, and even though he falls within the box of expectations in Indian culture, he supports Kareena fully in her ambitions, which is excellent. Sajni Patel has crafted a real knockout story about a girl fighting for her future, her heart, and her identity. Get ready for The Knockout to hit your book shelf, because the best girls fight to make their dreams reality!⁣⁣

4.5 ⭐ rounded to 5 stars!

I was so excited to get to read this book! Just from the summary alone, I knew I was going to enjoy it.

My primary reason for the rating comes from the fact that Patel has written a story that covers so many important topics while still feeling like a fun read. The humor of the characters and the romance gives this book a light quality, making it easy to digest (even after a long day)! However, Patel also gives respect and light to some more serious topics, such as the exuberant cost of healthcare, body image, the feminine identity, and the weight of cultural pressure. Each of these topics is discussed with respect and naturally woven into the story, making the book all the more genuine.

The only thing that brought the rating down for me was the cheese factor at times. There were a few moments that felt a bit too much. I also had trouble wading through some parts of the story when the momentum seemed to slow down. Don't let either of these things keep you from reading this book, though!

Overall, this would be a great addition to any classroom library, and it is definitely a book I will recommending to my own students!

***I was provided with an e-ARC of this book from North Star Editions: Flux Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions above are my own.***

Rating: 3.5 Stars

While the rest of her world was crumbling, Kareena earned the chance of lifetime - an invitation to compete in the US Muay Thai Open. This could be a door-opening opportunity, and Kareena could not help but see hope for more in her future. The related financial obligations, though, might derail her plans unless Kareena learned to open up and trust in others.

I absolutely loved the premise of this book. Elite athletes intrigue me, and I love getting into their heads and seeing them in action. Their drive and passion is always so inspiring, and I am thrilled to cheer for them as they give their all for their dream.

Kareena was an easy character to root for. She had been training in her sport for about a decade. I have no doubts about her dedication, but she had many obstacles in her way. First and foremost was the cost of the sport. Since her father's illness worsened, Kareena's family struggled with their finances. They never put that worry on her, but she knew her mother was working two jobs, and that they were essentially living paycheck to paycheck. Though this was a source of stress for Kareena, it was also a driving force, pushing her to excel and go further than she ever imagined in this sport.

She also had to deal with the isolation of participating in a combative sport. I have said this before, I do not think there are girl-things or boy-things, but we all know this line of thought exists. Kareena knew she would be harshly judged for partaking in such a non-ladylike sport. Though her parents supported and cheered her on, she felt the need to keep this part of herself a secret. I really felt her pain there. Feeling like she had to hide a big piece of who she was in order to be accepted.

One of my favorite parts of the book was when Kareena finally opened up, and realized there was this wonderful community simply waiting to be there for her. They really rallied the troops when she needed them. The outpouring of friendship and support was touching, and I was so happy Kareena was finally able to trust others and allow them to share in her dream.

Though some of the community and girl drama didn't really work for me, I loved just about everything else about Kareena's story. I pick up sports based books, because they tend to be inspiring and feel-good. My heart was definitely filled with warmth and joy at the end of this book, and I enjoyed cheering for Kareena as she put her heart and soul into making her aspirations a reality.

Kareena Thaker is an Indian American teenager who is tackling all the usual teen issues (friendships, school, relationships, identity) as well as being Muay Thai athlete and Olympic hopeful.

To start, I was so excited to receive a copy of this Contemporary YA read. The author (Sajni Patel) wrote one of my favorite Contemporary Romance debuts last year, The Trouble With Hating You. When I saw she had written another book about a strong, diverse, female character I couldn’t resist requesting a copy! Thank you to @NetGalley and Flux for the opportunity to read this book.
I have been loving all the great diverse, YA reads I’ve been seeing recently – this one is no exception. I really enjoyed Kareena – she was smart, strong, determined, and a dedicated athlete. She has a great family – and was dealing with some tough but relatable life situations.

I appreciated that her character had a loving and supportive family (if only we all were lucky enough to have a family like hers), but also her conflicting emotions over being accepted and respected within her small conservative community. I think it was a struggle so many young adults battle with, the need to find our identity and own it and the need for acceptance. I also loved that Kareena stayed true to herself and despite pressures, stayed strong in her hopes, dreams and body positive. (I love when books, especially for young adults – embrace body positivity!)

My wish for the book might have been a bit more build on the romance element – although that is just a nitpick honestly. This was a YA book, and the insta love vibe plays kind of true to the age, to be perfectly honest. I know at that age my infatuations came fast and sudden. 😊🤷‍♀‍ My other wish is another nitpick and would be for Kareena to be a bit more open to Amit and not have defaulted to distrust so quickly.

Overall, I really enjoyed this read – and I realize I forgot to mention this but I also loved that this story featured some strong female friendships and examples of girls supporting girls – we need more of this! I would recommend for fans of Contemporary YA / Sports reads with strong female characters.

*****
Review Postings:
Goodreads 1/22/21
Instagram to be posted week leading up to release
Amazon review to be posted on release date

A very good book with great representation! The romance wasn't really my cup of tea, but I really loved the main character and how strong she was. I learned a lot about Muay Thai, which I knew nothing about, and I really liked learning about it,

I picked up this book because I read an Own Voices YA contemporary about a fierce female athlete last year and loved it.

I also read Sajni's debut novel and really enjoyed it so I was very excited to read this book.

This book was rich in culture, family, perseverance, community, and sports.

The author also mentioned the issue of pay to play in youth sports. I think this was an important point to make and was a part of the conflict in this book.

This book also had some age appropriate romance and I really enjoyed reading about how dating differs in the Indian culture.

Initial Thoughts

I was so super excited to be chosen for this tour. When I read the description of this book, I knew it would be an #ownvoices review for me, but I had no idea how much I would identify with the main character. And no, before anyone even thinks it, it’s not because I am any kind of athlete 😂.

Some Things I Liked

Themes of cultural identity. Never have I ever felt more like a main character in a contemporary story than when Kareena said she’s “not Indian enough”. As an Indian American, growing up, and today, I am definitely more American than anything else. I don’t speak the language, can’t dance the dances, I dislike most of the food. I’m literally the world’s worst Indian. Kareena, AKA, my soul sister, was so similar to me. She resented the pressure, resented the culture, and just wanted to be herself. I ADORED her. She would have been my hero when I was in high school. Ok, let’s be fair, she’s basically my hero right now.
The romance. The love story between Amit and Kareena was so stinking cute. I loved every second of it. Furthermore, I think it was suitable for younger readers. This is a book that I’d have really loved to have when I was 14 and I think the adorable romance would have been something to swoon over.
Muy Thai. I loved that Kareena’ sport was one that I wasn’t super familiar with. I thought it was so cool to learn about a new sport and I didn’t feel like the story was bogged down with aspects of it that the reader didn’t need to know.
Indian references. Again, I loved all of the humor injected from the Indian references. I may be the world’s worst Indian, but so many of these made me laugh out loud. What’s more, many of the more serious elements were achingly familiar. I didn’t follow a conventional path to my current career, I’ve never been conventional, and people can be JUDGY. I can’t stand how much I loved the realism in this story from both the humor to the serious subjects.

Series Value

It’s rare to find a series of contemporary books that I love, or would want to read. However, I’d love to read more about Kareena and Amit’s lives. Furthermore, I’d love to read a spin-off about Lily.

This was a phenomenal debut filled with laugh out loud wit and that touched on topics that were all too real. I can’t wait to read Sajni’s future books.

Final Thoughts

I absolutely adored this book. I gush about a lot of books. But, they’re mostly fantasy books. It take a LOT for me to gush about a contemporary story but I am Kareena. I have never felt more connected to a character than when I read this book. THIS is a book that I needed when I was in high school. THIS is a book for anyone who’s ever struggled with their cultural identity. THIS is a book for anyone who’s ever felt like they’re trying to do it all and that they don’t think they can actually get there. This book is filled with humor, raw emotions, and a touching story of first love.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Recommendations for Further Reading

Star Daughter by Sweta Thakrar – if you enjoyed the idea of an Indian American Own Voices story but want a bit of fantasy, try this standalone. It has many similar themes, my favorite of which, is the way the author addresses cultural identity.
Tweet Cute by Emma Lord – not an Own Voices or Indian story, but still a wonderfully written debut about finding one’s place amidst familial pressure, sports, college, and all the other nonsense we all have to face in our teenage years.

3.5 stars

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed Sajni Patel’s adult romance debut last year, so I was curious to read more from her. And I was drawn to The Knockout due to liking the idea of a heroine who did martial arts, as I had not read many books that featured that, at least not contemporary ones.

This book ended up being a bit of a mixed bag for me. I did like the martial arts aspect, with the heroine being into Muay Thai and a big competition being a big part of the story. I didn’t know anything about this particular type of martial arts, so it was interesting to learn about it and that atmosphere.

Kareena is also a pretty interesting character. I was particularly drawn to how she felt she had to hide this vital part of herself due to the judginess of her peers, and I was happy that ultimately it turned out she was accepted for doing what she loved.

The blurb also suggested cultural conflict as a major theme, and I liked how well that was conveyed. Kate a is largely disconnected from the conservative traditions upheld by her parents, but it never felt like either side was right or wrong. Her parents obviously try their best to support her dreams, even as they are faced with issues of their own, like her father’s health issues. That prompts Kareena’s guilt and leads her to shoulder some of the burden. It was nice that while cultural divide was a key theme, the family wasn’t divided over it, as has been the case in some similar books.

I found Amit really lacking as a love interest. It felt like he didn’t have a ton of substance, and Kareena doesn’t even trust him, so it creates constant drama.

This is a fun book that also tackles some pretty important issues, and I enjoyed it in spite of its minor flaws. If you’re looking for a unique diverse YA, I think you’ll like this one.

I feel slightly disadvantaged reviewing Sajni Patel’s, The Knockout – I’m not Indian American, I know nothing about Muay Thai, and I haven’t been a teenager in a long, long time. That said, I enjoyed The Knockout. I’ve had it sitting in my NetGalley queue for months because it was suppose to come out last year, but the pandemic pushed it back. I received this as an advance reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Once I started reading I realized that last year I read Sajni Patel’s debut, the decidedly not YA, The Trouble With Hating You. A lot of what I liked about Hating You is also present in The Knockout, but Knockout is more focused and kinder. Kareena Thakkar is a 17 yr old high school student in Texas. She feels separate from most of her peers because her focuses are Muay Thai, school, and her family. Her father has chronic kidney disease which takes a lot of the Thakkar family’s energy and resources. Her parents are not close with the local Indian community, but they are very supportive of Kareena. When Kareena has a chance to compete for a slot on the Muay Thai National team, which might lead to the Olympics, her parents never waver in their support. Kareena wavers though, because competing at the national level is expensive. She definitely doesn’t have time for boys, but her computer science teacher asks her to tutor Amit, and they begin to develop a romance with hefty dollops of flirtatious bickering and the secrets they keep from each other.

Kareena is very guarded and as the book progresses she learns the benefits of letting people in and asking for support. I was occasionally frustrated with Kareena’s me against the world mindset, but I also appreciated that she has been on her own a lot. I loved her parents and the ways they supported and protected her, even when it frustrated her. I loved the way she focused on her sport and her future. I’m not a sports participating or watching person, but I do love reading about characters who are passionate about what they do. Kareena approaches her life with drive and passion and my enjoyment of that outweighed my frustrations.

I received an advanced copy of The Knockout through Netgalley so I could share my review with you!

Kareena Thakkar is a fighter, someone who won’t back down no matter what. That’s why she loves Muay Thai, an intense combat sport, so very much. When she is fighting, she is in control of her world, something which is rare in Kareena’s life. Unfortunately, the Indian community doesn’t exactly approve of her hobby, because its “unbecoming” for a young woman to participate in such a sport. But, when Kareena lands an invitation to the US Muay Thai Open, she thinks that all her dreams could be coming into focus. If she does well at the Open, she could potentially earn a spot on the first-ever Muay Thai Olympic team. But this chance of a lifetime is complicated by family and cultural expectations, as well as a budding new romance. Will Kareena be able to take a shot at her future, or will she lose focus entirely?

You can get your copy of the Knockout on January 26th from Flux!

Though I was very excited by the concept of this book, I was rather let down by the execution. I felt that Kareena’s personality was rather inconsistently written, as she bounced from trait to trait with each different chapter. This made the book somewhat difficult to follow, and less than an ideal read for me. I did, however, really enjoy the focus on Muay Thai, which was something I’ve not seen before in a YA book! I think with more editing and character development this book could’ve had real potential, so I might give this author another chance again in the future.

My Recommendation-
Although this book wasn’t a good fit for me, that doesn’t mean that you won’t enjoy it. If you love stories with fierce female characters and a focus on athletics, you might want to give The Knockout a try!

I rated this book 3 stars . Even though I enjoyed this book, I just couldn't connect with the character. I didn't care so much for the love interest and wish the could've talked more about the culture. I also found this book predictable in most places. However, I did appreciate how caring she is towards her dad and how much she loved her sport. I want to thank NetGalley and North Star Editions for an early copy for an honest review.

The Knockout was such an amazing book. I loved learning about Muay Thai which I knew very little about and learning more about Indian culture.
I loved our main character, Kareena Thakkar. She was such a baddass and also not, really just a well rounded, complete, layered character with many contradictions, which is how I like my characters.
The plot really enthralled me, I was all in from beginning to end. I actually read it in one sitting. It made me feel everything. I laughed, cried, felt all kinds of butterflies and rooted for Kareena through everything.
It was a really good story, it had everything one might want in a book. I honestly couldn't recommend it more. I can't believe it took me this long to start it.

DNF'd about 20% in. Each chapter seemed a little disjointed and I had a really hard time connecting with this character. I wasn't totally sure what I needed to connect to. It disappointed me a lot because I really wanted to finish it and the summary really sold me on it.