The Knockout Queen: A Novel by Rufi Thorpe

(Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

A dazzling and darkly comic novel of love, violence, and friendship in the California suburbs

Bunny Lampert is the princess of North Shore⁠--beautiful, tall, blond, with a rich real-estate-developer father and a swimming pool in her backyard. Michael⁠⁠--with a ponytail down his back and a septum piercing⁠--lives with his aunt in the cramped stucco cottage next door. When Bunny catches Michael smoking in her yard, he discovers that her life is not as perfect as it seems. At six foot three, Bunny towers over their classmates. Even as she dreams of standing out and competing in the Olympics, she is desperate to fit in, to seem normal, and to get a boyfriend, all while hiding her father's escalating alcoholism. Michael has secrets of his own. At home and at school Michael pretends to be straight, but at night he tries to understand himself by meeting men online for anonymous encounters that both thrill and scare him. When Michael falls in love for the first time, a vicious strain of gossip circulates and a terrible, brutal act becomes the defining feature of both his and Bunny's futures⁠⁠--and of their friendship. With storytelling as intoxicating as it is intelligent, Rufi Thorpe has created a tragic and unflinching portrait of identity, a fascinating examination of our struggles to exist in our bodies, and an excruciatingly beautiful story of two humans aching for connection.

my thoughts:

A fascinating coming-of-age story about two of the unlikeliest friends.  Michael and Bunny are neighbors. She lives with her dad, whilst he is staying with his aunt.  The two are vastly different from one another, but soon find themselves reaching out to each other.  Their angst, issues, emotions are combustible, which makes them bond a lot quicker than normal.  And then, something horrible happens and everything comes into question. Talk about riveting!

Rufi Thorpe has written a wonderful story that will captivate you from the start and pull you in all the way through. It is emotional, engaging, and unputdownable. The characters are unforgettable and will haunt you long after you turn the final page. This is one book you won't want to miss out on!

I would happily recommend The Knockout Queen to fans of Rufi Thorpe and anyone looking for their next great read - you will LOVE this book to bits!





Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!