Koul has a funny and snarky voice and I have always enjoyed it. This focuses on a rough time, pandemic, divorce and her mother's illness but worth a read on how she takes it all in.

I am biased because I love Scaachi a little too much. Even in the imperfections of her storytelling, where I think she is still being too kind to other men or she's protecting herself a little still, I can't help but adore her vulnerability anyway. Her humour in the face of hardship is also my favourite. We love a salty queen. Write more books!!!

Audiobook Review 📖🎧

thank you so much St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for the gifted ARC and ALC.

Sucker Punch
Essays
by Scaachi Koul
Narrated by Scaachi Koul

About the book 👇🏽

Sucker Punch is about what happens when the life you thought you’d be living radically changes course, everything you thought you knew about the world and yourself has tilted on its axis, and you have to start forging a new path forward. Scaachi employs her biting wit to interrogate her previous belief that fighting is the most effective tool for progress. She examines the fights she’s had—with her parents, her ex-husband, her friends, online strangers, and herself—all in an attempt to understand when a fight is worth having, and when it's better to walk away.

🎧 My thoughts:

I loved it! I found the stories to be raw, interesting, and highly entertaining. There were so many times that I felt like pieces of me were written into this book. There will be many readers who will feel like this collection resonates with them and maybe even give their feelings validation. Because who are we kidding, sometimes… we just need that. This is a book I didn’t know I needed. I highly recommend the audiobook version. Sucker Punch is out now!

Happy reading 📖

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the advance copy of Sucker Punch. This is a short read, a series of essays that the author compiles after her divorce. It hits on so many current issues and concerns for women and is so important to help women have power, take back their lives and heal.
I think this was a highly emotional read that will speak to so many and be very meaningful for individuals who can relate to her experiences. I appreciate that I can read this, consider how she felt but not really know how she felt because it is not my lived experiences. It is very important that we continue to have open conversations and consider the impacts of each individuals lived experiences and how they feel, rather than always considering our own delivery of messages.
Thank you again for this opportunity, this will be posted on Goodreads and LinkedIn

Sucker Punch by Scaachi Koul is an absolute knockout—funny, bitingly sharp, and deeply insightful. Koul’s voice is as witty and incisive as ever, effortlessly weaving humor into even the heaviest topics. Whether she’s unpacking the complexities of divorce, the trauma of assault, or the heartbreak of aging parents, she does so with a brutal honesty that never feels overwhelming. Instead, her sharp observations and self-deprecating humor make the essays both deeply personal and universally relatable.

What makes this collection shine is Koul’s ability to balance vulnerability with razor-sharp wit. One moment, you’re laughing at her perfectly timed quips; the next, you’re hit with an emotional gut punch that lingers long after you turn the page. It’s rare to find a book that tackles such weighty topics with this much grace and humor, but Sucker Punch does it flawlessly.

The audiobook, narrated by Koul herself, adds an extra layer of charm and punch to the experience—her delivery enhances the humor, sarcasm, and raw emotion in a way that makes it feel like she’s telling these stories directly to you.

This was amazing. Heartbreaking in several ways, but an amazing read. She discusses a lot of heavy topics as they relate to her; SA, divorce, cheating, family health, and professional issues but she does so in a way that is real and gritty without being a punch to the face. I loved that the author narrated her own story as it made connecting to her that much easier. This was my first book of hers and will definitely be picking up her earlier work to read as well.

Loved this audiobook as it’s done by the authour, and Scacchi Koul is such a great storyteller. One of the central components of this book is Koul’s divorce which serves as a thread connecting the various essays. While I was aware of her divorce from a few years back, hearing the details about what led to it was truly poignant. It serves as a reminder that we often don’t know the full story behind someone’s relationship. Koul is refreshingly honest as she discusses not only their mutual failures but also the emotions she suppressed and masked in public and in her earlier writings. This essay collection is another impressive work, illustrating how Koul has grown and evolved in her writing and perspectives, all while keeping her trademark wit and darkness intact.

This was my first read from Scaachi Koul, and I really enjoyed it. The audiobook (ALC) enhanced the experience, especially hearing her story in her own voice. The cultural aspects of divorce within Hindu and South Asian households are often deeply influenced by tradition, family dynamics, and societal expectations. Scaachi masterfully gave voice to her experience, illustrating how it was shaped by these various influences, all while remaining true to her authentic self. Her genuine voice resonated powerfully with readers, making her story even more impactful.

Recommend checking TW (disordered eating, SA, etc.) before picking this up as it can jump into heavy topics with quick cadence, which can be jarring at times. Even so, I enjoyed this and look forward to more from Scaachi!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, Scaachi Koul and NetGalley for the ALC!

Thanks to St. Martin’s for the gifted copy of Sucker Punch (though honestly, we should all be thanking Scaachi Koul for gifting us another brilliant essay collection). She’s one of those rare writers whose work is so effortlessly readable, you can’t help but get lost in it. Her writing is witty and engaging and vivid without veering into purple prose territory.

Recommended for fans of:
- Congratulations, the Best is Over!
- Quietly Hostile (or really anything by Sam Irby)
- Bad Vibes Only
- Please Don’t Sit on My Bed in Your Outside Clothes

As in her first essay collection, Someday We’ll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter, Scaachi writes about life as a POC in Canada, her Indian heritage, and the challenges of being a woman. But this time, she does it through the lens of her recent divorce. Yep, Scaachi wrote THE book on divorce.

Sucker Punch is an unflinchingly raw look at her marriage, why it failed, and how she came out the other side. Anyone who’s been through a divorce or serious break up will find something to relate to. She captures it all — the doubt, the humiliation, the sense of failure, the reluctant acceptance,, and ultimately, the sheer joy of being alone.

While it’s at times gut-punchingly sad, her message is ultimately uplifting — Scaachi reminds us that life really does go on. I can’t wait to see what she writes next.

PS - She reads the audiobook herself and it's an absolute must.

A deeply personal and hilarious essay collection focused on what it is to be a woman in various contexts, specifically daughterhood, wifedom, ex-wifedom, single situationships and sexual assault survivor. Wryly illustrating the perils of modern womanhood, this collection is perfect for fans of Samantha Irby and Sloane Crosley. Very relatable material for millennial women in particular. Thank you to St. Martins Press and MacMillan Audio for the gifted copies.

Thank you MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for the ARC!

I had no idea what to expect with this book, but wow, I was not disappointed! Scaachi Koul is a powerhouse writer - I felt every emotion she wrote. This book was achingly personal and had me hanging on her every word.

This book was read by the author, which makes the retelling even more potent. I am a forever fan of Scaachi Koul now.

Thank you again for the ARC!

Sucker Punch by Scaachi Koul
Publish date March 4, 2025
Audiobook narrated by the author

This is my first book by Scaachi Koul who is a Canadian podcaster and a popular author. The book cover is high-impact. In it, she writes essays without holding any punches. I didn't know anything about her before listening to this audiobook. Her writing demands attention, and I couldn't look away in a similar way one can't look away from a traffic accident unfolding. I would typically advise to check content warning if one is sensitive; however, on this one, maybe one would need to listen to her no matter how hard it is to hear. Some of things she goes through are unfair and unjust, some confusing and some down right mistakes - and that, to me, just human. She is not a shrinking violet. She is a human being experiencing human life. and some of it makes no sense. and it's okay to talk about it. It's not shameful to talk about unusual things that happens to you. It made me realize that we all need to share our experience to build a community.

I think if you enjoyed Jennette McCurdy's "I'm Glad My Mom Died," you might really enjoy this book.
The audiobook is read by the author, which makes it all the more powerful .
An advanced copy of the audiobook was provided courtesy of NetGalley and Macmillan Audio. Opinions herein are my own.

This is a hard one to review because right now, not long after finishing it I'm mostly just devastated. Koul's writing is so personal and raw that it makes her loses and fears feel like my loses and fears or worse the fears I carry for my own daughters. While Koul's dad was a larger than life figure in her first book, it was her relationship with her mother that really made this collection so emotionally difficult. I sobbed all through the chapter about going home to help with her mother's health struggles. Koul has such an incredible knack for capturing our generation and the fraught but beautiful relationships we have with our parents, our friends, and our selves. Highly recommended.

I laughed, I teared up, I felt every emotion possible while staying endless entertained. Her narrative voice is so strong and I felt so invested in her journey.

Thank you to NetGalley, MacMillan, and Macmillan audio for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

TW

I personally want to start off by saying I was unfamiliar with this author and her previous works before this book. I had seen this book on several “most anticipated books of 2025 lists” and wanted to give it a go! I did not know anything going into it and from chapters 1-3 and 5-9 I really enjoyed some of her storytelling and thought the writing overall was fine.

I do not write lightly that this may be one of the most triggering books I have read yet as someone who grew up with a parent with an eating disorder. I cannot believe some of the content that was published within this book. I understand how common eating disorders are and how important awareness can be. I feel the way it was gone about was incredibly irresponsible when there are lines and passages like the following:

“I missed my eating disorder more than I missed my ex husband”

“If I could strangle myself with my own hands then I was beautiful”

“Will I emerge from divorce skinny? Because at least people will look at me with their sad Scaachi is getting divorced looks I’d look good”


I honestly wish I was taking these out of context but sadly there is no remorse, resolution, or reflective detailed in this book about the graphic bulimia the author suffers from. There is no sharing of how this mindset was reset or fixed in the slightest. It is not looked at through a lenses of regret or remorse. In a lot of ways I feel this book glamorizes eating disorders.

While some of the writing and details about her divorce was solid this extremely graphic chapter (and other bits sprinkled in throughout the rest of the book) soured the rest of the memoir. I hope there is a TW at the beginning of the book once it is actually published.

I haven’t read Koul’s first book, or her essay that went viral, but I picked this one up (mostly because I liked the cover) and found myself really invested. I loved her voice and her insights. I appreciated that she read it herself as well. Looking forward to going back and reading her other essays!

As someone who has just gone through a divorce, I identified with parts of her story. My religion is against divorce. My family does not approve of it. It took me many years before realizing it even was an option.

The author of this book seems to have a strength and independence that took me a long time to achieve. It was a good collection of essays.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I would read anything Scaachi Koul writes, so I actually did scream when I got the galley of her reading her new book. Sucker Punch was hilarious, brutally honest, sad and moving and then hilarious again. Painful and tender, thoughtful and funny funny funny in Scaachi’s perfect way.

Thank you to #netgalley and #macmillanaudio for the advanced copy.

Sucker Punch delivers a powerful and reflective series of essays that takes the reader on the run of the gamut. From wanting to laugh out loud at some of her descriptions to instant recognition of a feeling that she describes, this book does it all. Great read!

I really enjoyed this book! I hadn’t heard of the author before but the cover looked interesting so I gave it a listen. It was humorous, authentic, and told a story I wanted to read. As a non white divorcee myself I found this book really interesting. I’m Mexican and not south Asian but the arguing theme had me clapping yes while I laughed.