Shadow Boxer

by Chris Lynch

I was nine years old the first time I hit my father and made him bleed. He was proud.

It's now five years after his father's death, and fourteen-year-old George is the man of the family. He knows all too well how brutal the life of a fighter can be. Didn't it kill his father?

But Monty, George's younger brother, has a completely different attitude. Boxing comes naturally to him. It's in his blood. He thinks of it as his father's legacy.

Unless George figures out a way to stop it, will boxing kill Monty, too?

Genres: Sports, Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Action, Fiction

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Chris Lynch is the Printz Honor Award-winning author of several highly acclaimed young adult novels, including KILL SWITCH, ANGRY YOUNG MAN, and INEXCUSABLE, which was a National Book Award finalist and the recipient of six starred reviews. He is also the author of FREEWILL, GOLD DUST, ICEMAN, GYPSY DAVY, and SHADOWBOXER, all ALA Best Books for Young Adults; EXTREME ELVIN WHITECHURCH, and ALL THE OLD HAUNTS.

He holds an M.A. from the writing program at Emerson College. He mentors aspiring writers and continues to work on new literary projects. He lives in Boston and in Scotland.

Reviews

[Liam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Boxing serves merely as a background to this YA story, which is much more about the strained relationship between two brothers after the death of their father. The weird tangents and odd secondary characters make this an unconventional but strangely compelling read. I ended up genuinely caring about what might happen to the protagonists, which I did not expect after reading the early chapters of the book.

3.5

[Jude Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a decent book, I enjoyed it even though it took me forever to read it. I liked how overall both boys were out of place. The older boy felt a need to teach Monty (his younger brother) a lesson, so he wouldn't become like his dad. I respect it, but I think both of them just were kids that didn't fully get it. The ending was okay, most people would dislike it, because everyone wants a happy ending, but I think the 3/5 ending went well with the 3/5 book.

[Sam Spiandorello · Rating 4 out of 5]

As his father dies from a brain hemorrhage, nine year old George lives a lonely life as he begins to teach his younger brother Monty the ways of life. Before George's father died, he and his father spent a lot of time together, as he learned about boxing and simple ways of life. Now that his father is gone,
George took an oath to his late father that he would be a good brother and show Monty all the great life lessons there are to learn.

As the boys grow up, Monty had always looked up to his big brother. However, as he turns eleven, he starts to develop his own emotions and realize he might be interested in boxing himself. This new decision in Monty's life scares George, as well as their mom. Neither of the boys had any clue about how their father's mind went, but George only thinks of him as a hero. What can George do to stop Monty from making this terrible decision, and possibly kill him too?

Shadow Boxer is a moving book perfect for teens like myself who need something new to hook on. Even though George could be mean at times, he was a great character overall. The short story element of the book brought a great feature that I have not seen in a long time, which made different dynamics of characters and emotions fully portrayed in the entire novel.

[Dale Wagner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was about a young boy named George and his little brother Monty. Both boys love fighting or boxing. Their dad was a fighter and had a legacy in it but, fighting eventually led him to his death. With George being the man of the house and knowing how brutal the life of fighting is, he worries about Monty because fighting seems to come to him and he basically abscesses over it and George worries that it will kill him like it did to his father. George and Monty are movers in a way, George is 14 Monty is 11. They go on occasional jobs to help people move or just do work like building, cement, setting stuff up, etc. They liked the work but they thought (well Monty did) that fighting was more important and that is what he did, Fight. I gave this book 4 stars because i liked how it showed and told about the fighting and what they did but when they added the work they did made it go off topic of what I expected.

[Cristy Benoit · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn’t like this book at all and the beginning had stuff to do with boxing but toward the end it didn’t.

[Natasha Montgomery · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple well done bout two brothers dealing with change and growing up

[David Despain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, this was just a good story. It was one of those books that should become a timeless classic. It is a story in the finest tradition of Rocky, Warrior, and Cinderella Man. Yet, unlike these classic films it there much boxing. It isn't about the boxing, but teaches it's lesson in a very different way than a traditional combat sport film or book. This is not a novel about fighting but that life is more than fighting. That there is as much dignity in having lived without violence, than being a great fighter. In a way I feel this novel reminds us how fragile our lives are and that we should use it doing something truly worth while. This truly is an excellent novel with depth beyond the surface. Although there was a bit too much language for me, it was a fantastic coming of age story, and one I recommend highly.

Sex: If I recall there were occasional references, but that's hard for me to remember.

Violence: A brutal but brief fight breaks out between teenage boys. Fights and the brutality of boxing matches are mentioned. There is not very much actual violence in this book, but the few descriptions are somewhat vivid.

Language: Mild swearing of the variety found in most teen novels. The f-word is used a few times.

[Rachel Parker · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is the story of two brothers, George who is fourteen and Monty who is eleven. They live in a rough neighborhood with their mother because their father died in a boxing match. George now feels that since his mother has to work a lot he needs to be "the man" around the house and be a father to Monty. George teaches Monty all he knows, including all his father taught him about boxing. George thinks everything is going really well until he finds out that secretly Monty is training to be a real boxer and isn't afraid of getting in fights. George now has to figure out a way to save Monty from the thing that took their father away from all of them.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. Chris Lynch did a great job of showing the relationship of the two brothers. You could definitely picture two boys around the same age getting along but at the same time fighting. It brought back memories of me and my brothers relationship and how he felt he always had to protect me. I would probably pass the book along, but warn others that there is a bit of swearing.

[Bobby Parker · Rating 3 out of 5]

George's father was a boxer and taught him almost everything he knew before he died especially not to be a fighter. After his father's death George becomes the man of the house and responsible for his little brother. George (like his father) teaches him how to fight but not to fight unless you have to. Unfortunately George's brother is very good and wants to be a fighter like his old man. It doesn't help that their uncle Archie has a gym. This story becomes a question of how will George save his brother from boxing before it's too late and he dies an early death from getting his face bashed in too much.

I enjoyed this book. I was a little dissapointed that their wasn't as much fighting as the cover made it look like there'd be but it was still good with endearing characters.

[Khachatur Bulutyan]

I choose this book because I like any books that have to do with sports and this one was about boxing. In the exposition you meet him and his father they get along great, the in the raising action the father training with him. In the climax his father dies, in the falling action main character‘s brother once to box, and at the end of the book his brother Gorge starts boxing. My favorite quote was “I was nine years old the first time I hit my father and made him bleed” because that was the time when his dad was really proud of him. I think the author’s writing style was a little boring because the book when very slowly. I would recommend this book to everyone who likes books about sports because this is a very sporty book.

[Joseph Cumberworth]

Boxing is the family sport. After their father's death, George and Monty have to live life with a single mother. George doesn't want boxing to be part of the family anymore, but Monty wants to be a boxer. Their life and stories living in a rough neighborhood.

I liked that this book had some fights in it, I mean it is a boxing book. That's about it though, I didn't feel particularly connected with anyone or anything in the book, and there was nothing that really caught me or sucked me in.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

George's dad was a boxer, a good one. However, George does not want to continue the boxing tradition, especially now that Dad is dead. He also wants to keep younger brother Monty out of the business, but Monty has other ideas.

Gritty, some violence, inner-city life. It was ok, just didn't suck me in.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think perhaps I would need to be a man with a brother (and perhaps have more of an interest in boxing) to really understand this book, but it was still touching and powerful and memorable. I think it would be great for a few of my more reluctant readers.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first Chris Lynch book I ever read (for a college course). I knew right away that he was a great author for young males.

[Luis Hernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

"You just learned how to be a fighter, now you just have to learn how not to be one.

[Maria]

Best Book ever!!!!

[Brodey Slagle]

Starting off good seems like an average bother thing with the older one using his age for an excuse, but other than that its building the moment of the unknown.

[Leigh Paddon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book about boxing and life. Again, nice to read a YA book from a male perspective.

[Dayton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the book but it took me a while to get interested in it. The beginning was very boring, that is why it took me a while.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a very good book.

[Cal W.]

If you could take the chance to step into the ring to establish dominance would you? In the book, Shadow Boxer by Chris lynch is a kind of realistic fiction book that tells a pair of brothers who parents are super busy and are almost never home. So they are forced to come together and get over anything that life throws at them.

Marty wants to become a professional Boxer but he isn't very good and has a bad home life. So he is forced to overcome obstacles and changes to prove to everyone that he is here to stay and that he is going to make his mark. An excerpt from the book that illustrates family before anything is, “I see that all of us who live are nothing but images or insubstantial shadow.” (Page 45)

If you like this book, you may also like Undefeated by Steve Sheinkin because it shows how a small school of American Indians become one of the most dominant teams in college football. I rate this book 5 stars out of 5 because it is a really good book about family and perseverance throughout any challenge that life throws at you