The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
saramarie08's review against another edition
5.0
Fights: One Boy's Triumph Over Violence is an autobiographical memoir of Joel’s childhood. As a small boy, he is forced to learn how to fight in order to protect himself from kids at school and in his neighborhood. He makes the assertion that children are sponges so can only absorb so much violence and negativity before it explodes out of them, often violently as well. As he grows, Joel learns to control hours outbursts and tries to get away from the constant threat of violence, but he is frequently the target of other people’s anger. As he becomes a teenager, he becomes a target for other males well don’t like how popular he is with the ladies, and he also gets on the wrong side of drug dealers.
Let me start by saying I have run a club on campus for 11 years dealing with domestic violence, so this topic is dear to my heart. I'm getting out the soap box on this one.
Joel’s life is heartbreaking. Childhood violence is a really difficult topic to read, and especially to see, but it is an important one for inclusion in our libraries. Physical violence in this story is depicted on the page, as you can see in the cover, and there is a bit of blood. There is also a fair amount of cussing, from the mouths of babes and adults. This book will need to come with trigger warnings for readers who might be upset by content and the frankness by which Gill tells his story. There are a few hints at sexual situations, and child sexual abuse that happens entirely unseen (panels all happen in the dark). It would be tempting not to include this book because of these difficult topics and the fear of what they might bring, but censoring a story as raw and real as this, with situations our students are unfortunately facing or have faced in their lives, means we would be telling them that their entire lives are not appropriate. This book makes us uncomfortable, and it's meant to. Gill's ending message is that he has done all the fighting and suffering so that his kids won't have to. If we shy away from the topics of this book, we may not be able to break the cycles that continue to subject children to this type of violence.
Sara’s Rating: 9/10
Suitability: Grades 10-12
Let me start by saying I have run a club on campus for 11 years dealing with domestic violence, so this topic is dear to my heart. I'm getting out the soap box on this one.
Joel’s life is heartbreaking. Childhood violence is a really difficult topic to read, and especially to see, but it is an important one for inclusion in our libraries. Physical violence in this story is depicted on the page, as you can see in the cover, and there is a bit of blood. There is also a fair amount of cussing, from the mouths of babes and adults. This book will need to come with trigger warnings for readers who might be upset by content and the frankness by which Gill tells his story. There are a few hints at sexual situations, and child sexual abuse that happens entirely unseen (panels all happen in the dark). It would be tempting not to include this book because of these difficult topics and the fear of what they might bring, but censoring a story as raw and real as this, with situations our students are unfortunately facing or have faced in their lives, means we would be telling them that their entire lives are not appropriate. This book makes us uncomfortable, and it's meant to. Gill's ending message is that he has done all the fighting and suffering so that his kids won't have to. If we shy away from the topics of this book, we may not be able to break the cycles that continue to subject children to this type of violence.
Sara’s Rating: 9/10
Suitability: Grades 10-12
skavansieur's review against another edition
4.0
4 STAR
A review copy was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
t/w: dead animal, death, blood, physical violence, profanity, abuse, sexual assault, racism
This is a memoir written in the form of a graphic novel about a light-skinned black man from a poor family, raised with violence all around him.
Nothing about this book is light. If you're looking for a light, fun and easy read, this is not a book you should pick up now, but I do recommend that you save it to read in the future.
This book sheds light on how trauma affects everyone and how children, especially, absorb the behaviour of their surroundings. It is definitely a wake up call, especially when violence, bullying and abuse cases are going up everywhere in the world.
In this book, the author uses a kindling fire above the characters as a visual representation of anger, of course, but I also understood it as events that eventually add together to cause someone to burst.
From a stylistic point of view, it does a great job in censorship, especially the scenes of sexual assault since it is a graphic novel. It is handled carefully, with a pitch-black scene and speech bubbles.
Although this book is a memoir, some characters were not exactly real but a combination of different people in the author's life. Though the ending was heartbreaking for me, since I really, really appreciated the character. But it also emphasised on the importance of checking up on our friends, especially those who were always the calm, levelheaded ones in most situations.
It isn't a preachy book, but it does make you reflect, especially when you see children bullying one another and picking up abusive and harmful behaviours from their parents. It's definitely our duty to heal from our traumas so we won't pass it on to anyone else.
A review copy was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
t/w: dead animal, death, blood, physical violence, profanity, abuse, sexual assault, racism
This is a memoir written in the form of a graphic novel about a light-skinned black man from a poor family, raised with violence all around him.
Nothing about this book is light. If you're looking for a light, fun and easy read, this is not a book you should pick up now, but I do recommend that you save it to read in the future.
This book sheds light on how trauma affects everyone and how children, especially, absorb the behaviour of their surroundings. It is definitely a wake up call, especially when violence, bullying and abuse cases are going up everywhere in the world.
In this book, the author uses a kindling fire above the characters as a visual representation of anger, of course, but I also understood it as events that eventually add together to cause someone to burst.
From a stylistic point of view, it does a great job in censorship, especially the scenes of sexual assault since it is a graphic novel. It is handled carefully, with a pitch-black scene and speech bubbles.
Although this book is a memoir, some characters were not exactly real but a combination of different people in the author's life. Though the ending was heartbreaking for me, since I really, really appreciated the character. But it also emphasised on the importance of checking up on our friends, especially those who were always the calm, levelheaded ones in most situations.
It isn't a preachy book, but it does make you reflect, especially when you see children bullying one another and picking up abusive and harmful behaviours from their parents. It's definitely our duty to heal from our traumas so we won't pass it on to anyone else.
jenmillie's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
5.0
As I read it, I thought how incredibly important it is for young adults to be reading this. And as an adult reading it, what an incredibly true and heartfelt journey it is. Finding out the author is (was?) a professor of graphic art at Mass Art in Boston MA was a treat. "Professor Joel Christian Gill is a cartoonist who writes and draws comics and graphic novels about black history."
librarylapin's review against another edition
4.0
A heartbreaking story told with bravery and vulnerability.
laleha's review against another edition
5.0
"If you are older and read this book, I hope that when you see children acting out in ways that I acted out, this will help you understand that they might be in situations similar--or even worse--than what I experienced. This insight, I hope, will encourage you to try and learn their story."