The first book from author Luke Wordley, this novel set in England's boxing world is an interesting portrait of how anger can not only consume you, it can literally make you sick inside and out. From our main character Sam's heartbreak over his father's death, to his mom Janet's drinking problem (same root issue), or his boxing trainer's unresolved issues towards his career ending injury - all of our main characters are dealing with a deep seated anger and resentment towards the situations they've experienced.
Sam is just a kid when his father dies, and he responds with extremely aggressive behavior, picking fights and barely speaking to anyone. His mother's response is to begin to drink - to the point she completely checks out. Sam is expelled from one school after another although his caring social worker continues to try and see what makes him tick. When Sam crosses paths with boxing trainer Jerry Ambrose, he begins to see some hope; however, the road to health is a long one for all of them.
I liked this story and was interested to learn about the world of professional boxing. I struggled with Jerry's (seemingly abrupt) flip from faith to despair. Overall, I would recommend that you read it for yourself and see what you think!
No comments:
Post a Comment