Knockout Games
by G. Neri
That's where Erica comes in. She's new in town. Awkward. Shy. White. But she's got a good camera and a filmmaker's eye. She could learn. Kalvin could open her eyes to the power he sees in the knockout game; he could make her see things his way. But first she'll have to close her eyes to everything else.
For a while, Kalvin's knockouts are strangers. For a while, Erica can ignore their suffering in the rush of creativity and Kalvin's attention. Then comes the KO that forces her eyes open, that makes her see what's really happening.
"[T]hrilling [...] the author's meaty ideas and exciting action sequences blend together perfectly. [...] Harsh and relentless, a tough but worthy read." --Kirkus (starred review)
"The indispensable Neri (Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty) delivers another strong shot to the chin with this bracing look at the initiations of sex and violence."
--Booklist
"Neri skillfully portrays the moral and emotional turmoil of a teen desperate for acceptance. Racial and social undercurrents further give this story an intense, thought-provoking edge."
--Publisher's Weekly
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