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What an excellent book. It definitely feels like something different for the Booker Longlist, but I'm very glad it is getting the recognition it deserves. The fact that I was completely engrossed by a book about sports is truly impressive to me.

The book is small in scope, which works to its benefit. Bullwinkel crafts the narrative around a single boxing tournament, featuring eight female boxers and 7 matches in total. Every character feels distinct and I appreciated the glimpses into their future. As someone who never played sports in any competitive fashion, it gave me a newfound appreciation and perspective for how pivotal it is to these young women's identity and future. I found my loyalties to different boxers shifting as the rounds progressed and I was truly invested in who would ultimately be crowned the tournament victor. The book is as much about these characters and their introspections as much as it is about boxing.

The writing quality is strong throughout and I enjoyed this on audio. I was torn between awarding this a 4.5 or a 5, but it deserves credit for taking an objectively niche subject and making the most of it. Bonus points for being the perfect length.

The themes and premise are reminiscent of The Performance by Claire Thomas, which I'd also highly recommend! I'm excited to see what Bullwinkel publishes next and I hope to see this make the shortlist.