mdettmann's review
3.0
I liked the artwork fir the most part and I get the color palette was a part of the book’s vibe, but I do wonder how it would have made it pop just a smidgen more. The story was okay. It’s loosely based off of a real female boxer of the time so I do wish it could have been more of a graphic biography than stylized fictional one.
raebrock's review
4.0
In this historical fiction graphic novel set in the 1800’s we see Elizabeth Wilkinson fight her opponents in the boxing ring and the structures of sexism, racism, and classism outside of it. I really enjoyed it although the flashback format in the beginning was a bit choppy. Overall, a great story I’m glad I read.
Thank you NetGalley, author and publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Thank you NetGalley, author and publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
jkenna90's review
5.0
This was a fantastic graphic novel. I liked the fact that this was based on a true story - I had never heard of this woman before and it was really interesting to learn about her start in boxing. I loved the art style too, the fight scenes were done especially well. I think that this would be a great read for anyone to check out.
dame_samara's review
5.0
I don't know why but this book took me forever to pick up. I'd open this book to the first page where Elizabeth is in the midst of a brawl and I'd just not have the will to continue reading. So I'd put it aside for something else.
THIS WAS A MISTAKE!
This book has everything!
Sweet wholesome romance? yep.
Enemies to lovers? Yes!
Badass Women? Most Defenitely!
Engaging Story? It is Incredibly!
This is one of my favorite books I have read this year, by far.
THIS WAS A MISTAKE!
This book has everything!
Sweet wholesome romance? yep.
Enemies to lovers? Yes!
Badass Women? Most Defenitely!
Engaging Story? It is Incredibly!
This is one of my favorite books I have read this year, by far.
lindacbugg's review
3.0
This comic is very loosely based on the real Elizabeth Wilkinson but since not a lot is known about the real woman much of this appears to be fabricated from what is known about the time period.
The B&W art by Illustrator Amanda Perez Puentes works very well for the story--giving the entire graphic novel the grime & darkness I imagine London of the time had.
My one complaint is that I wanted sections at the beginning & the end with historical notes since this is a book based on real people & time periods. I'm a sucker for end-papers as I like to learn but sometimes in short bursts.
Still-overall I'd recommend this book as I'm a fan of strong & take charge of their destiny women & Elizabeth Wilkerson appears to have been that!
ljrinaldi's review
3.0
This graphic novel is supposed to be based on Elizabeth Wilkinson, the first woman professional boxer. The thing is, not much is actually known about her, other than, well, that she boxed, and won, and had sponsors and stuff like that.
So this whole graphic novel is just based on the fact that she existed, and boxed. All the rest of it is totally made up, and I do mean totally. The premise of the reason, in this story, for her taking up boxing was because once she learned it, she figured she could make a living at it.
Oh, and she had to get out of debt so that her sister wouldn't be sent to debtors prison, and could get married, and did she lived in squalor, hiding from the debt collectors?
Oh, and she is half Indian, and her father was hung for being a highway man.
So, a bunch of stuff is thrown in here, totally made up, to write the story.
But, on the other hand, it is an interesting way to present Elizabeth.
So, if you like dramatic stories of barehanded boxing, then this might be something you would like.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
So this whole graphic novel is just based on the fact that she existed, and boxed. All the rest of it is totally made up, and I do mean totally. The premise of the reason, in this story, for her taking up boxing was because once she learned it, she figured she could make a living at it.
Oh, and she had to get out of debt so that her sister wouldn't be sent to debtors prison, and could get married, and did she lived in squalor, hiding from the debt collectors?
Oh, and she is half Indian, and her father was hung for being a highway man.
So, a bunch of stuff is thrown in here, totally made up, to write the story.
But, on the other hand, it is an interesting way to present Elizabeth.
So, if you like dramatic stories of barehanded boxing, then this might be something you would like.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
altidlaesende's review
3.0
ARC copy received free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
I requested this specific title because I expected to read about a strong female lead, who broke the boundaries for womanly behavior in the 1700s. I wasn't disappointed as such, but I did find our main character, Elizabeth Wilkinson, to be a bit too hot-headed which more got me to be a bit annoyed by her, than amazed. This was especially true for the first half. After understanding her a bit more, I truly felt for her, and I had to rush through the last part in the hopes that she would make it - both for her own sake, but also for her sister's sake.
I didn't know anything about the history of the real Elizabeth Wilkinson before I finished this graphic novel, but having researched her a bit, I got even more amazed by her. I understand that this is a work of fiction only based on real events, but it is a bit unclear to me why the author decided to make her half-Indian. I get that maybe it's a way to attack subjects as race, abuse to women, trauma, etc. But the whole story of how the first female boxer saw the light of day would still have appealed to me without the element of race.
I still liked the title, and using the Goodreads rating system, this means that it will get 3 stars.
I requested this specific title because I expected to read about a strong female lead, who broke the boundaries for womanly behavior in the 1700s. I wasn't disappointed as such, but I did find our main character, Elizabeth Wilkinson, to be a bit too hot-headed which more got me to be a bit annoyed by her, than amazed. This was especially true for the first half. After understanding her a bit more, I truly felt for her, and I had to rush through the last part in the hopes that she would make it - both for her own sake, but also for her sister's sake.
I didn't know anything about the history of the real Elizabeth Wilkinson before I finished this graphic novel, but having researched her a bit, I got even more amazed by her. I understand that this is a work of fiction only based on real events, but it is a bit unclear to me why the author decided to make her half-Indian. I get that maybe it's a way to attack subjects as race, abuse to women, trauma, etc. But the whole story of how the first female boxer saw the light of day would still have appealed to me without the element of race.
I still liked the title, and using the Goodreads rating system, this means that it will get 3 stars.
asroka's review
4.0
I received an arc of this.
Summary:
Elizabeth Wilkinson learned how to fight while growing up, and now she's fighting to survive. Her sister Tess has narrowly been avoiding being jailed in debtor's prison, and Lizzie is hoping that her fights will help pay off the debts- once and for all. She is determined not to settle, and approaches the renowned Mr. Figg to prove herself and seek training. Reluctantly, the renowned Mr. Figg agrees to a one-time deal. But what beyond that? With help from her trainer Stokes, Elizabeth grapples with her past, throws punches at her present, and eventually unravels the future for herself.
------
Remarks on context:
I was drawn to this book as an 18th century reenactor/costumer, so I am critical of some of the 18th century details. First, there were some great costuming details and others that weren't so great. Some pictures of shoes, caps, and gowns were on point, but things like Elizabeth's jacket didn't seem necessarily correct, which admittedly bothered me as a costumer. Furthermore, the modern language/cursing often bothered me. Cursing doesn't bother me, however, in the historical context, the modern language/cursing/slang (I think there was an instance of "go shove it...") really brought me out of the 18th century setting and pulled me out of the novel. I would have loved more historical insults to keep in line with the overall mood and setting of the book.
Summary:
Elizabeth Wilkinson learned how to fight while growing up, and now she's fighting to survive. Her sister Tess has narrowly been avoiding being jailed in debtor's prison, and Lizzie is hoping that her fights will help pay off the debts- once and for all. She is determined not to settle, and approaches the renowned Mr. Figg to prove herself and seek training. Reluctantly, the renowned Mr. Figg agrees to a one-time deal. But what beyond that? With help from her trainer Stokes, Elizabeth grapples with her past, throws punches at her present, and eventually unravels the future for herself.
------
Remarks on context:
I was drawn to this book as an 18th century reenactor/costumer, so I am critical of some of the 18th century details. First, there were some great costuming details and others that weren't so great. Some pictures of shoes, caps, and gowns were on point, but things like Elizabeth's jacket didn't seem necessarily correct, which admittedly bothered me as a costumer. Furthermore, the modern language/cursing often bothered me. Cursing doesn't bother me, however, in the historical context, the modern language/cursing/slang (I think there was an instance of "go shove it...") really brought me out of the 18th century setting and pulled me out of the novel. I would have loved more historical insults to keep in line with the overall mood and setting of the book.
redbirdwings's review
5.0
Where was Elizabeth Wilkinson in my history books when I needed to see a strong, fearless woman in history? This is a definite pick for Women’s History Month and very well organized in terms of layout and storytelling. I had to tell all my writer friends about Lizzie as soon as I finished to provide them with a strong female character if they needed the inspiration.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.