3.75

The knockout I wanted a bit more consistency with the writing. I feel like the writer wanted to have a complex and strong female lead but the fluidity of transitions from a bad ass female Indian lead to how she was "supposed to act" with her family wasn't seamless and a little jarring or confusing.

I loved the idea though! And I really, really enjoyed the positive body message and females supporting females. There were great parts of this book that were held in the story! I think having more of a first person point of view during scene changes would really benefit the story!

Such a strong YA story! I loved the conversations about culture, feminism, family, and individuality. Kareena is such a powerhouse of a girl, someone who knows herself well and will stop at nothing to achieve her dreams, and I LOVED that! I also loved that even though this book is pitched as a romance, the romance doesn’t overpower Kareena’s goals or her relationship to her friends and family. I also appreciated the conversations about being “Indian enough” and Kareena’s ability to stand up for herself. Learning about Muay Thai was super cool, and I won’t lie, there were multiple instances where the female friendship and girls supporting girls made me tear up. I will say that I wished Amit’s job storyline had been fleshed out more, as it felt like the stakes were made to seem so high for it, only for the explanation to fall a bit flat for me personally. This is a super fresh take on the sports novel with well-rounded characters and incredible conversations to boot. Content warnings for in depth discussion of an ill parent (renal disease specifically), extensive talk of food/eating habits/calorie counting etc, some homophobia and sexism, and talk of debt/finances.

While I really liked the idea of this book, I was not fond of the execution. I did not finish, so I will not be writing a full review.

I love everything that this book represents; diversity, female Muay Thai fighter, family dynamic, young love. I wish I cared more about it. Kareena's struggle with being an athlete and at the same time being a part of the community is very relatable. If you read YA contemporary definitely give this book a chance. Especially, younger readers..I hope they pick this book up. The plotline is very intriguing. But I am a little bit disappointed. Maybe, is just my issue with YA where my tastes are very specific and I rarely love that genre anymore.

This book! No!! I had really high hopes for it and it just flopped so hard.

The synopsis had sounded so intriguing and I was so excited about this book. It really was a great idea going in, but just executed wrong. The biggest thing for me was the dialogue. It was awkward and sometimes, choppy and didn't have enough descriptions in it. I would oftentimes have to backtrack to figure out who was talking or would have to take a guess at what they were feeling while saying their lines. Without good dialogue, this book went downhill fast for me.

I tried to overlook the dialogue at first because I was just so intrigued by the idea of this book, but even that quickly failed me. It started off slow and pretty much kept a slow and steady pace throughout the whole story (and that didn't win the race for me).

One thing that I did like and was super appreciative of was the body positive-ness of the book. Our main character is very fit and has lots of muscles to show off, which she always felt made her look more like a guy than a girl. I liked seeing her confidence grow as she became friends with other people with strong and muscular bodies and just seeing as she came to love her body. It was a really nice character development.

Overall, this book was not too great, but one had the potential to be. I think that's what saddens me the most.

Wow! That story was very compelling, I’m not gonna lie. The main character has a very distinct voice which I loved! At no point did it come across as boring or slow. Indian-American Muay Thai fighter teen, Kareena Thakkar experiences an extraordinary coming of age through friendship, cultural experiences, family, romance, and fighting. She struggles against sexism and questioning the appropriateness women to partake in such a sport.

I really enjoyed this. There was just the right amount of angst. And while some angst was derived from non-communication, those situations didn't last long, and the characters did talk it out eventually. Which I greatly appreciate. There was the right amount of space and time to let things simmer before they were resolved for the age of the characters.

I admittedly don't know much about muay thai fighting, but I appreciate the glimpse that Patel gives the reader. I liked Kareena, I liked that she had her petty moments, but that she is driven and had concrete tangible goals. Amit is so charming. Teenage me would have had a new book boyfriend for sure.

Was the idea of him working on what sounds like an insanely complex program sort of far-fetched? Yes, but I know little about coding and all that it entails, so I could be wrong and it's very simple. And honestly - who cares? I didn't.

<i>**I received a advanced copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review**<i>

I also really appreciated the glimpses into Desi life in America and how teenagers straddle two cultures.

Will definitely be looking at more from this author.

Title: The Knockout
Author: Sajni Patel
Genre: YA
Rating: 5 out of 5

If seventeen-year-old Kareena Thakkar is going to alienate herself from the entire Indian community, she might as well do it gloriously. She’s landed the chance of a lifetime, an invitation to the US Muay Thai Open, which could lead to a spot on the first-ever Olympic team. If only her sport wasn’t seen as something too rough for girls, something she’s afraid to share with anyone outside of her family. Despite pleasing her parents, exceling at school, and making plans to get her family out of debt, Kareena’s never felt quite Indian enough, and her training is only making it worse.

Which is inconvenient, since she’s starting to fall for Amit Patel, who just might be the world’s most perfect Indian. Admitting her feelings for Amit will cost Kareena more than just her pride–she’ll have to face his parents’ disapproval, battle her own insecurities, and remain focused for the big fight. Kareena’s bid for the Olympics could very well make history–if she has the courage to go for it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this read! Kareena is a fantastic character: she’s tough, determined, loves her family, and is dealing with problems on all sides with strength and courage. Kareena has always been both a rebel against her community and set on making her parents proud, so this conflict is a theme in the story, as is her finding the courage to trust people with her secrets. This is a well-written book set in a vibrant community and is an excellent read!

Sajni Patel was born in India and grew up in Texas. The Knockout is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Flux in exchange for an honest review.)

(Blog link live 1/21.)

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC.

This was such a fantastic story! Kareena was such a great main character and and enjoyed reading her story immensely. It is hard to love something that requires so much financial input especially when your family is struggling due to medical needs. Kareena is such a strong character both physically and mentally but we still saw her vulnerabilities. The whole cast of characters was fantastic - Amit and Lily were great friends and Kareena’s parents were amazing! The lighter parts of the story kept the deeper parts from becoming overwhelmed. All in all a fabulous story and definitely one I will recommend.

Perfect for anyone who loves strong female characters and a cute romance. Perfect for fans of Sandhya Menon’s books.

I really enjoyed this book!
It was packed with action, family, and a real exploration of struggle and trying to defy odds.
I found Kareena's character to be so relatable, thinking of her family, studies, but also wanting something so badly.
I found myself holding my breath for some of the scenes, I liked the descriptions!

I mentioned this as high on my TBR list on an episode of Hey YA from Book Riot. So nice to see sports beyond those with balls, especially for girls. Thanks for the review copy! https://bookriot.com/listen/get-in-loser-were-going-podcasting/

An Indian-American athlete and aspiring Olympian, who is bound to devote her limited time to the household too, finds herself in the middle of clashing aims: to land a chance at a prestigious competition and to belong in a community she isn't attached to much. Refreshing in the manner it diverges from the typical perspective of a diaspora teen always chasing a sense of belonging and instead focusing on how an identity shouldn't be boxed, the conflict arising amidst struggles and dreams is a wonderful aspect of this contemporary that highlights supportive parents against a commonly conservative community. The hardworking, proud, and stubborn personality of Kareena—a Muay Thai champion—is amusing in contrast to the love interest, Amit—an ideal Indian boy, and their romance, while cheesy and cliché at instances, is adorable for a competitive premise. Different in terms of storyline and diverse in terms of a benevolent friendship with Lily, a Filipino-American, this YA sports fiction is invigorating and gives a kickass desi heroine, despite the dissatisfactory pacing and underdevelopment of side characters.

I appreciated this novel and what it taught me about Muay Thai. I loved the diversity of characters and it ended up being a good story overall. I would definitely recommend this novel for young adult audiences.

Kareena is an aspiring Muay Thai fighter who's trying to grapple with the dilemma of belonging to a community while carving out her own identity.

I think this was such a fun and powerful read! I loved the premise of the book, the storyline and the way it proceeded. Kareena's character intrigued me from the start although there were times I wasn't entirely fond of her decisions. Her friendships were so sweet and I especially loved how cute Amit was.

There were parts in between where I felt the romance was kind of overpowering the main plot and it did get a lot cringy to my liking. Amit was just too good? Which kind of got on my nerves too, how he was always the one trying to take the relationship forward, doing something at least. Kareena was constantly sceptical of anything good he did and that got a little irritating.

But otherwise I enjoyed the friendship and the way the author handled culture and family. It was a really sweet story filled with strength of goals and dreams, and I loved that our MC was so well crafted and had a concrete goal. One of my favorite parts was to see supportive parents! I can't tell you how much I loved seeing the support from Kareena's parents - it warmed my heart. The author really wrote a well balanced story I think, perfectly balancing the romance as well as the fights. Although in the middle part the romance took up most of the plot, but the fight scenes were then well balanced. I loved the scenes were Kareena is practicing and in her zone, and I only wished there were more.

To see the dilemma of belonging and keeping hold of culture was very heartwarming. Also, this book really played out like a bollywood movie hehe - with all those lovey-dovey moments 🤭 The message of body positivity was so beautiful too, especially the end! The representation of an Indian community, I think, was also well done. At the end, this book is a beautiful one about community and belonging, and choosing your dreams and yourself above all.

A wonderful contemporary YA highlighting female empowerment at its finest. I enjoyed it and recommend to anyone looking to give or take encouragement.

Kareena is a badass! She keeps it real with anybody and everybody, and I seriously love her for that. Amit.... Sweet, precious Amit. I need more of him. He is so thoughtful and caring, I adored his character. The fact that Kareena’s best friend, Lily, is a Filipina and her coach is Hawaiian - I love that! And Lily’s Mom is such an OG - it had me craving my family’s pancit! Also, Kareena’s parents are so precious, they must be protected at all costs! They are so supportive of Kareena in whatever she wants to do, it was heartwarming. The concept of “not being brown enough” is such a real thing.... I know I’m a Filipina, but I feel so displaced as it wasn’t the culture I grew up knowing. Sometimes I feel as though I’m not Filipinx enough. I loved the progression of Kareena and Amit’s relationship, the duckling date was adorable beyond words! ❃

Review will be posted on my blog, Reading Recluses on December 13.
Summary: 17 year old Kareena Thakkar has gotten the opportunity of a lifetime; a chance to compete in the US Muay Thai Open. Kareena has to grapple with her identity as an Indian teen who doesn't fit into the mould of what an Indian "should" be.

I was so so excited for this book. I mean look at the cover! An Indian girl wearing henna on bright pink wrapped hands. And an #ownvoices book! I was so ready to fall in love with this book. Tragically, it did not live up to my expectations.

The book was strongest when depicting Kareena's relationship with her family. Her parents financial struggle to send her to the US Muary Thai Open and their endless support for Kareena was very sweet to read. It also helped contrast the more conservative Indian culture presented in the book which was great. The Indian representation was good and realistic without being too heavy handed in the criticisms.

Kareena grappling with whether she was Indian enough or American enough was an interesting segment of the book. It was fairly relatable but my one bone to pick was the subject of her insecurities didn't seem to make much sense. In my experience, yes the Indian community can be biased against girls who participate in martial arts but considering her family was completely supportive and that she lived in America, a country that is very much into sports, I don't understand why she cared so much about what the Indian community would think.

The main problem with the book is the pacing. It's just a little too long and repetitive for my taste. Not enough happened plot-wise for me to stay interested the whole time.

I also did not love the romance. The love interest, Amit, came off as a little too perfect. His character wasn't developed enough to care about him and as a result care about his relationship with Kareena.

Final Thoughts: 3 stars. An inspirational but underdeveloped read.

Kareena Thakkar is a badass Indian-American Muay Thai fighter? Go off. Also, I learned that the author, Sajni Patel, was also a martial artist? Here for it.

Seeing this kind of representation, of a strong young woman and an athlete struggling with so much made so happy. Kareena's relationship with her parents, who supported her unconditionally was so beautiful. Most representations (and realities) of Indian families and households involve a lot of disdain for and/or fear of unconventional things. Even supportive parents cling to some fear about social perception, the stability or reliability of a career in or dedication to things that are not conventionally seen as successful. It's also heartening to see their support come through despite their financial troubles and the stress of dealing with a family member who is chronically ill. All this, plus the struggles Kareena has with being caught between being Indian and being American, with grappling with old notions of femininity, are all aspects I appreciated seeing, even alongside more traditional Indian values and views.

I also adored Lily and Kareena's friendship - they were always so close and Lily was wonderfully supportive of Kareena through her stress, her insecurities, and shared in her hopes and fears and sorrows and dreams. Aside from their relationship, I also really enjoyed seeing Kareena find community and a sense of sisterhood at school with fellow athletes.

The romance was quite adorable, though I had something of a love-hate relationship with Amit's characterization. For the most part, the banter/flirting between Amit and Kareena was really adorable, but a lot of their relationship conflict seemed really unrealistic to me in both the incidence of conflict and the resolution. I get that he's a genius and he's doing his job, but in a way, I'm not sure how patient confidentiality and HIPAA protections weren't really a concern...? :/

Overall, it was an entertaining read, with a cute romance.

This was a great meaningful read! It’s about breaking the glass ceilings with, race, religion and expectations! I loved it. It was well written and a YA I would want my teen daughter and nieces to read and take away the lessons within this story. I loved it this book is meaningful and beautifully done about family dynamics, meaningful friendships and exceeding assumptions. This is the second book I’ve read from this author and she does an amazing job putting realistic struggles and problems and resolving them within reason of the real world.

3.5/5

Overall I think this was a sweet, heartwarming story. I loved that it was more than a typical boy meets girl romance, but instead focuses on all of the different things Kareena is dealing with – trying to be a top athlete, trying to figure out what it means to be a good Indian, trying to figure out how to support her struggling family. I love how rounded Kareena is as a character and getting invested into these different parts of her story, with romance just being a small part.

One of my favorite things is cultural element of this book. I think Kareena's struggle of trying to figure out what it means to be a good Indian-American girl and what embracing her culture looks like for her is so very real and relatable. Kareena represents those who have often felt "too brown" to fully fit in mainstream White society, but for whatever reason may be rejected as "not enough" for their own community. I loved this focus. I will say, at times I felt Kareena was being a bit over-judgmental about how she expected people to react, and I wish the book would have shown more specific examples of interactions that helped foster that belief. Sometimes it seemed like most characters showed her they were pretty accepting so it was hard to see why at a certain point she was holding so much back. But I think she did have a great growth arc and watching her become more confident and self-accepting throughout the story was great. I also loved the elements of body positivity in the book as well!

Also, I feel like the best friend characters in books are just killing it these days. I loved Kareena's best friend Lily. I loved her sass, her humor, her heart. I wanted her to be my best friend too! I loved the dynamics of Kareena's different relationships. Her relationship with her best friend. Her relationship with her parents (who are also awesome), her relationship with other female athletes, her relationship with the Indian community in her area, and some ex-best friend drama as well. I think as a whole the book does a good job of exploring all of these different relationships and how they have and are shaping Kareena. And of course, her relationship with her sport. I'm not super interested in reading about details of sports and sports matches etc., but Muay Thai is one I know next to nothing about, so it's always cool to learn about something new.

So, overall there's a lot I really liked about this book. If I'm being honest, the romance was the part that interested me the least. There are some nice and sweet moments, but I think all of the drama related to the romance part fell a bit flat. Amit seemed weirdly cagey at times and was secretive for things that to me didn't really seem like a big deal. I don't know, it wasn't bad but sometimes I just wanted to skim past some of their scenes 'cause it wasn't that exciting. Others might even enjoy Amit as a character, I just really didn't connect with him, so that lowered my overall rating a bit. But if you are looking for a good #ownvoices story filled with heart and positivity and encouragement, I think this is a good read.