Fight like a girl A novel

Adult-thriller author Kamal's young adult debut does not shy away from confronting tough themes, as protagonist Trisha wonders what really happened on the night her dad died. She had been driving, he was a drunk pedestrian, and her mom grabbed the wheel from her--leaving Trisha with the question of what was intentional and what was not. Her hope has been to break the cycle of violent relationships within her family, transferring her own urges into the practice of Muay Thai and martial arts, but after she watches her mother enter another abusive relationship, she takes matters into her own hands. Proud of her Trinidadian heritage, Trisha is a strong, compelling narrator whose grief is revealed as more complex than it initially seems. Kamal's engaging voice and compelling story will keep readers glued to the page, hoping to unravel the mystery as they root for Trisha to break the cycle of intergenerational trauma and violence--but at what cost?

A 17-year-old struggles to understand the accident that took her father's life in this young adult debut by an acclaimed mystery writer. Trinidadian Canadian Trisha, a West Indian girl of Indian descent, has always found herself most at peace while training at her muay thai gym in one of Toronto's grittier neighborhoods. Embracing muay thai has helped her grow stronger in all ways and, most importantly, given her a much-needed outlet far away from her tumultuous home life. Though she has always known that her parents' relationship has been defined by violence, nothing prepares Trisha for what happens when she is practicing for her learner's permit with her mother one rainy evening. Her father suddenly appears in front of the vehicle and is fatally struck. As Trisha tries to remember exactly what happened that night, she also begins to wonder if the accident was more than what it seemed. These suspicions grow as Trisha begins to discover new information about her parents, including secrets her mother has kept from her. Kamal's raw novel about a young fighter from a working-class background fittingly pulls no punches when it comes to examining the lasting impact of familial trauma. Trisha's search for the truth will stay with readers, as will the satisfying feeling that they have finished reading a truly complex page-turner. Fascinating and complicated. (Mystery. 14-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.