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The Knockout

Sajni Patel (Goodreads Author),

S.A. Patel (Goodreads Author)

3.98 · Rating details · 548 ratings · 182 reviews

A rising star in Muay Thai figures out what (and who) is worth fighting for in this #ownvoices YA debut full of heart.

If seventeen-year-old Kareena Thakkar is going to alienate herself from the entire Indian community, she might as well do it gloriously. She’s landed the chance of a lifetime, an invitation to the US Muay Thai Open, which could lead to a spot on the first-e ...more

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360 pages

Published January 26th 2021 by Flux

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· 548 ratings · 182 reviews

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Mar 18, 2020 Reading_ Tamishly rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Into the first chapter, I was like 'okay! Calm down! We all want to stay alive while reading this book!'
Into the second chapter, I was like 'whoa! Did she just turn mellow and all girly? Is there an insta romance happening right there? Are we even talking about the same person from the first chapter?'
Then into the third chapter, I was like 'Okay I am so not buying the emotions. Is something wrong with me?'
Into the fourth chapter, I was wishing the 'too-hyped-up-character-vibes' to die down a bit ...more

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Mar 06, 2020 Fanna rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2021-releases, books-with-diversity, young-adult-fiction, contemporary-self-focused, south-asian-mc, diaspora, indian-author, set-in-america, south-asian-diaspora, author-is-ownvoices

An Indian-American athlete and aspiring Olympian, who is bound to devote her limited time to the household too, finds herself in the middle of clashing aims: to land a chance at a prestigious competition and to belong in a community she isn't attached to much.

Refreshing in the manner it diverges from the typical perspective of a diaspora teen always chasing a sense of belonging and instead focusing on how an identity shouldn't be boxed, the conflict arising amidst struggles and dreams is a wond ...more

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Dec 27, 2020 Creya rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020-fuck-yeahs

Thank you to the author and Flux Books for providing a physical copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book was EVERYTHING! Kareena Thakkar, a badass Muay Thai fighter, tells her story in raw fashion. She often worries about sharing her passion with others in fear of being judged. When given the opportunity to attend the US Open, she begins to rethink her current strategy. We watch her navigate through friend breakups, a school crush, and even overwhelming debt. This gave me all ...more

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Jan 17, 2022 nitya rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Super adorable and badass and I really enjoyed reading/learning about Muay Thai!! (HOW is it not an Olympic sport, wtf)

Not going to lie, a few things hit close to home (a hatred of math and having a chronically ill parent). But I am very happy this book exists and Kareena is a wonderful and memorable character. (I know the name is a coincidence but gonna pretend she's related to Liya. 😆)

Content warning: sexism, chronically ill parent ...more

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Aug 04, 2020 Bree Lauren rated it it was amazing

Shelves: aabookshelf

ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

I'm absolutely in love with so many things about this book. The diversity (her best friend is Filipino!), the characters, the sweet romance, and the inspiring sports and STEM aspects.

I absolutely adored Kareena's character. Even though she is so young, her confidence and self-awareness and perseverance is so inspiring, yet still believable for someone her age. She still has a lot to learn, but I appreciated how NOT annoying it was to be in her head. ...more

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Jul 12, 2020 Booklover.zzz rated it really liked it

Shelves: indie-books, young-adult, cover-love, arc

Wow! That story was very compelling, I’m not gonna lie. The main character has a very distinct voice which I loved! At no point did it come across as boring or slow. Indian-American Muay Thai fighter teen, Kareena Thakkar experiences an extraordinary coming of age through friendship, cultural experiences, family, romance, and fighting. She struggles against sexism and questioning the appropriateness women to partake in such a sport. Not only that, but she also has to overcome identity struggles. ...more

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Aug 30, 2021 catherine ♡ rated it did not like it

Shelves: young-adult, romance, contemporary

*I received a free copy through LibraryThing in exchange for an honest review.*

I'm just heartbroken that I didn't love this as much as I thought I would; the blurb had completely sold me and I was hoping this novel would be something like Made in Korea, which totally stole my heart.

Unfortunately, there were several things in The Knockout that just missed the mark for me. I think the biggest one was that the book was so little Muay Thai and so much petty teenage drama. Saanvi was a character that *I received a free copy through LibraryThing in exchange for an honest review.*

I'm just heartbroken that I didn't love this as much as I thought I would; the blurb had completely sold me and I was hoping this novel would be something like Made in Korea, which totally stole my heart.

Unfortunately, there were several things in The Knockout that just missed the mark for me. I think the biggest one was that the book was so little Muay Thai and so much petty teenage drama. Saanvi was a character that seemed to exist just to be annoying and terrible and make Kareena's life difficult, but having all their history happen prior to the book's events just made all their interactions seem like out-of-the-blue plot devices, focusing on petty arguments that I didn't care much to read about.

I also didn't feel the romance at all. It was unclear whether or not they were close or if they were more like strangers or just acquaintances, and I honestly just fail to see when and why they started liking each other. It felt a little bit like insta-love.

The little side plots with Amit's coding projects and Kareena's father's condition were nice, but I also just wish they had felt more cohesive with the rest of the story. Especially when it came to Kareena's coding abilities, I felt like these little habits and side stories were compartmentalized and it was hard to reconcile them with the overarching plot.

The writing style just did not click with me at all. It was a little too energetic, and even the direction some of the plot points went made me feel like I was watching a kid's show where the answer was "the power of friendship". In addition, as much as I liked the internal conflict surrounding Asian-American identity and feeling "not Indian enough", it was brought up over and over again and phrased in the exact same way — it just got to be very repetitive, along with the subplot of Kareena assuming the worst of people constantly.

In the end, this just didn't click with me, at least not me as a 22-year-old. I feel like fifteen-year-old me would've enjoyed it more. ...more

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Aug 13, 2020 Mahnoor Waqas (she.reads.too.much) rated it liked it

I got this book as an ARC by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review! Thank you for the opportunity to review this #ownvoices book.

An Indian girl who's into Muay Thai and is also simultaneously battling with the judgements of the people of the Indian community who seem to think she's deviating from the norms? I was immediately intrigued. As a Pakistani girl, I could relate to the whole conservative views of most desi people, that girls taking part in rough contact sports is something to be d I got this book as an ARC by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review! Thank you for the opportunity to review this #ownvoices book.

An Indian girl who's into Muay Thai and is also simultaneously battling with the judgements of the people of the Indian community who seem to think she's deviating from the norms? I was immediately intrigued. As a Pakistani girl, I could relate to the whole conservative views of most desi people, that girls taking part in rough contact sports is something to be disgusted at. However, I really loved how strong Kareena was in her conviction, and didn't care a lot about what people thought as long as she could do what she loved. She struggled with doubts now and then because she didn't think she could belong to the Indian community if she deviated from their norms. Here's what I liked about this book:
1) accurate Indian rep, with good representation of conservative folks of the community. Sure, the narrow minded values upheld by the community were problematic but unfortunately it still reigns true in real life.
2)Kareena's parents and how they struggled and did everything to support Kareena. It must have been very difficult to break the toxic stereotypes of the Indian community and in a way be cut off from them. Her father had health problems and the financial strain was beating down on them yet Kareena's parents didn't back down from supporting her. Kareena herself felt very guilty and tried to shoulder some of the burden despite her parents' protestations. I love the whole family. It was so wonderful to see the love they shared with each other.
3) The positive body message; that girls shouldn't be expected to have a certain body and everyone's bodies are beautiful the way they are, especially athlete girls who have muscles and abs aren't any less girls because of their body! I loved how the author slammed down all misogynistic ideas!
4) girls supporting girls is my weakness and I loved how this book had this element.
I really liked Kareena's internal conflict about hiding her passion from her classmates because she felt judged. She was so pleasantly surprised when her classmates did everything they could to support her dream. This taught us that we aren't as alone as we think we are and that kind people are around us everywhere.

Now, what I didn't like :
1) The writing style was a bit forceful and inconsistent. The first chapter started out wonderfully, but in the next I felt like there was a sort of insta love between Kareena and Amit which was a bit confusing because they didn't seem to be strangers but were portrayed as such.
2) I didn't like how skeptical Kareena was of every nice thing Amit did for her. I get it she has been judged by every Indian she has met but even after Amit more than proved himself that he wasn't the judgemental sort, she still refused to give him the benefit of the doubt and continued to doubt him. I'd have felt really annoyed if I was Amit. ...more

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Feb 19, 2020 ♠ TABI⁷ ♠ marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

my MMA loving heart needs this book

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Jan 25, 2021 belle ☆ﾐ (thisbellereadstoo) rated it liked it

Shelves: 2021-releases, asian-rep-or-author, contemporary, ebook, diverse, standalone, read-2021

actual rating: 3.5 stars

Received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion.

Badass Kareena Thakkar is a fantastic Muay Thai fighter. The future ahead of her promises an invitation to the US Muay Thai Open and maybe the Olympics. Between school and her Muay Thai trainings, Kareena has no time to deal with any romantic connections. Inconveniently, though, Amit Patel appears in her life and she’s moved.

The Knockout is about Kareena feeling conflicted about her detachment to her Indian actual rating: 3.5 stars

Received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion.

Badass Kareena Thakkar is a fantastic Muay Thai fighter. The future ahead of her promises an invitation to the US Muay Thai Open and maybe the Olympics. Between school and her Muay Thai trainings, Kareena has no time to deal with any romantic connections. Inconveniently, though, Amit Patel appears in her life and she’s moved.

The Knockout is about Kareena feeling conflicted about her detachment to her Indian community and struggling with her insecurities as an Indian girl athlete. Though she might say that she isn’t affected by her community’s perceptions or their opinions, the fact is she really cares about what they are saying. It’s driven into the readers so much that I felt that it got a little too repetitive after a while.

Kareena’s father has advanced renal disease which, without proper care, might lead to the worst scenario. Throughout The Knockout, Kareena’s parents continuously pushed her to continue with her Muay Thai trainings and everything that went along with it even when money was tight. They wanted the best for her and they did their best to provide it. The relationship in this loving family brought tears to my eyes whenever her parents refused for her to give up and insisted that she shouldn’t care if other people didn’t think that Kareena’s Indian enough or that an Indian girl shouldn’t be participating in such a “violent” sport.

Love interest, Amit Patel, is a sweetheart and super smart. Despite his appearance as a perfect Indian boy, Amit is dealing with his own problems and insecurities. Lily and, subsequently, the other girl athletes were such great support system for Kareena who needed their push once in a while.

Overall, The Knockout was an interesting read about an Indian girl who doesn’t connect with her own community and who is fighting against the norm about how an Indian girl should be like. Kareena’s independent and mature whenever it came to her family but she can be extremely stubborn when it came to romance and Amit. Still, I enjoyed the book and had fun. ...more

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Dec 30, 2020 The Candid Cover (Olivia & Lori) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, young-adult, ya-sports-books, kindle, 2021-releases, netgalley

Full Review on The Candid Cover

3.5 Stars

The Knockout by Sajni Patel is a book I had been anticipating as I have never read anything about the sport of Muay Thai before. This one contains feminist messages and a main character who gains self-confidence, and I enjoyed the themes of cultural identity. While the concept of the book is excellent, I found most of the characters to be one-dimensional, and there are certain aspects I would have liked to see developed further.

This book follows Kareena, a Full Review on The Candid Cover

3.5 Stars

The Knockout by Sajni Patel is a book I had been anticipating as I have never read anything about the sport of Muay Thai before. This one contains feminist messages and a main character who gains self-confidence, and I enjoyed the themes of cultural identity. While the concept of the book is excellent, I found most of the characters to be one-dimensional, and there are certain aspects I would have liked to see developed further.

This book follows Kareena, a Muay Thai fighter who gets the opportunity to compete in the US Muay Thai Open and overcomes many obstacles to get there. At the same time, she finds herself getting closer with a boy she tutors in computer science at her school. I have never read a book about Muay Thai before, and learning about the sport was interesting to me. I am also a big fan of books featuring women in sports and women in STEM, and the feminist messages in this one are strong since Kareena falls under both categories.

❀ STRONG MAIN CHARACTER

Kareena herself is an incredibly strong main character, both physically and mentally. She is a talented Muay Thai fighter who is also dealing with her father’s illness. However, she never complains about this or uses it as an excuse. Further, Kareena’s character sparks discussions of cultural identity. She doesn’t feel “Indian enough,” and feels alienated from the community, partially because of her involvement in Muay Thai. I loved how Kareena continues to do what she loves regardless of judgment from others, and it is easy to feel her passion for Muay Thai.

❀ FEMINIST MESSAGES

While I enjoyed the concept of this book, there are a few elements that fell flat for me. Many of the characters are one-dimensional, and I would have especially liked to see more of Amit, beyond him serving Kareena. I also found that as I kept reading, the focus of the story leans more towards romance and drama, which didn’t really interest me. However, I did enjoy the Muay Thai aspects and the feminist messages, so I continued reading for those.

❀ A UNIQUE STORY

The Knockout by Sajni Patel is a unique story about working hard to achieve your dreams. I loved learning about Muay Thai, and the main character is strong. However, there are some aspects of the book that I believe could have been developed further. That being said, this is still an entertaining read that I would recommend to fans of MMA.
...more

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Jul 29, 2020 Silvia (roomforbooks) rated it liked it

2.5
CWs misogyny, bullying
Rep Indian American mc, Indian American li, Filipina American side character, Indian side characters

I received an early copy of this from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

I rarely read the blurb of a book before starting it but I don't know why with this one I did and it was exactly that that drew me in, I'd never read a book where the main character did martial arts, Muay Thai in this case and it seemed like an original story.

I always say thi ...more

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Nov 26, 2020 Gina Carra rated it it was amazing

This book stood out to me as something I had to read since I trained in Muay Thai for a few years, and Patel has perfectly captured the love for a sport, for training, for technique. I always had to navigate people seeing martial arts as violent and it really touched my heart to read about Kareena's passion for the strategy and elegance of the sport.

I didn't expect this story to also resonate with me as Kareena worries about her sick father. There's often side plots with sick relatives in books ...more

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Jan 24, 2021 Janae rated it really liked it

Shelves: arcs

Thank you Flux and Netgalley for providing me an ecopy of this title for honest feedback.

I feel like sharing a pretty large secret with you that many don't know. I LOVE boxing. I adore it. I like doing it. I like watching it. If I had a dream job, boxing would be it!

When I was asked to review this I jumped at it! This book didn't disappoint.

In my copy I was immediately drawn in by the foreword. Patel shares a very emotional aspect of why this book is important and I adored that.

I enjoyed that th ...more

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Jun 09, 2021 Erin Cataldi rated it really liked it

Shelves: librarything-freebie, 2021

Fast paced and kick ass - The Knockout is about an Indian American teen training to compete in the US Muay Thai Open while dealing with a father in failing health, friend issues, and boy troubles. Kareena Thakkar has a lot on her plate and the only thing keeping her level headed is Muay Thai. She revels in the training and clear mindedness she gets when she is in the ring. She's thrilled to have been invited to the US Open but at the same time, so stressed because her family is slowly drowning i ...more

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Jan 04, 2021 Ariel • The Book View rated it it was ok

Shelves: young-adult, publisher, arcs, blog-tour, dnf

This book! No!! I had really high hopes for it and it just flopped so hard.

The synopsis had sounded so intriguing and I was so excited about this book. It really was a great idea going in, but just executed wrong. The biggest thing for me was the dialogue. It was awkward and sometimes, choppy and didn't have enough descriptions in it. I would oftentimes have to backtrack to figure out who was talking or would have to take a guess at what they were feeling while saying their lines. Without good d ...more

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Jul 03, 2020 Hira Chaudhary rated it it was amazing

I received a free copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

This is it. This is the best, cutest, most powerful story you will read all year. Look no further, because Sajni Patel has written a stunning young adult novel after hitting it out of the park with her debut adult romance, The Trouble with Hating You.

This book is just amazing. Kareena is a Muay Thai fighter, and she's good at what she does. Good enough that she could make it to the US Open. If she can produce I received a free copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

This is it. This is the best, cutest, most powerful story you will read all year. Look no further, because Sajni Patel has written a stunning young adult novel after hitting it out of the park with her debut adult romance, The Trouble with Hating You.

This book is just amazing. Kareena is a Muay Thai fighter, and she's good at what she does. Good enough that she could make it to the US Open. If she can produce the money to enter and get there. Her parents are supportive, but her father is sick, and most of their money goes towards his treatments.

At school, Kareena is asked to tutor Amit in coding, but she quickly learns that he's a genius but has his own reasons for falling behind in class. The two of them spend more and more time together and Kareena can see herself falling in love, even though it's the last thing she has time for. Both of them have a lot going on in their lives, but they try to balance it out with the time they spend together.

I really enjoyed the romance because they were both such sweethearts and they were both always so kind with each other's hearts. I loved how they were there for each other and tried to support one another. I loved how Amit never blinked at the things Kareena did that weren't considered "typically Indian" and how he loved those things about her. They were just so great and perfect together. I loved their relationship to no end.

I really loved the support Kareena gets from the other girl athletes at her school and how they rally behind her to help her get to the competition. That was amazing and I loved the sisterhood. I also adored Kareena's best friend Lily and how sweet she was. I loved how she could see Kareena and Amit falling for each other and how she was totally shipping it from the start.

This was just a really incredible young adult novel that blended Indian culture with girl sports with women in STEM with sisterhood with positive family support with the cutest romance I have ever gushed over. This book just had it all and I loved every second of it <3 ...more

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Apr 10, 2020 Shaila rated it it was amazing

I was given an early copy for a review, and I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. It did NOT disappoint. I LOVED it!

If you're a fan of Miranda Kenneally and YA sports romance, you do NOT want to miss this one! <3

Kareena Thakkar is a Muay Thai fighter (Thai boxing) who's raising money to go to the Muay Thai US Open. It'll give her a shot to be invited to the World Championship team with an eye toward the Olympics, and she is one determined, badass character who I was rooting for the entire time. I was given an early copy for a review, and I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. It did NOT disappoint. I LOVED it!

If you're a fan of Miranda Kenneally and YA sports romance, you do NOT want to miss this one! <3

Kareena Thakkar is a Muay Thai fighter (Thai boxing) who's raising money to go to the Muay Thai US Open. It'll give her a shot to be invited to the World Championship team with an eye toward the Olympics, and she is one determined, badass character who I was rooting for the entire time. Along the way, she meets Amit Patel, and during their budding relationship, she learns a lot about herself, her community, and friendship in general.

Most sports romances have a pretty basic formula: the character works hard, stumbles, but finally gets to the championship and the love interest. What made The Knockout different was how layered the story was. It's a coming of age tale in the truest sense--where she learns to stand up for herself, navigate the ups and downs of friendships and a romantic relationship, as well as juggle academic, athletic, and cultural expectations. Add this to her worries at home, and you have a richly paralleled story that had me turning pages well past midnight.

The thing that sets this apart from most YA sports romances is that Kareena Thakkar is not only a female in what most would consider a "male" sport (that's hard enough!), but she's an Indian-American girl who is struggling against cultural expectations of what is feminine and "appropriate." The author does an amazing job of layering this aspect of the story too. As an Indian-American myself, I identify with Kareena's cultural disconnect of not being "Indian" or "American" enough, but throw that in with the stigma of stepping outside your gender lane? I seriously wanted to punch a few people myself along the way.

The author handles each of these layers with wonderful world-building, an engaging voice, and excellent pacing. I can't wait to see if there'll be another book in this series...perhaps when she makes it to the Olympics??

This book would be awesome for anyone who loves Miranda Kenneally, wants an #ownvoices read, loves badass heroines, slow-burn romances, and a fist-pumping, heart-thumping ending. (Can you tell I loved this book?) ...more

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Nov 19, 2020 Kajree Gautom rated it liked it

3.5 stars

I think this was such a fun and powerful read! I loved the premise of the book, the storyline and the way it proceeded. There were parts in between where I felt the romance was kind of overpowering the main plot and it did get a lot cringy to my liking, but otherwise I enjoyed the friendship and the way the author handled culture and family. Overall, it was a really sweet story filled with strength of goals and dreams, and I loved that our MC was so well crafted. To see the dilemma o ...more

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Jan 30, 2021 Jite rated it really liked it

3.5 Stars! This was a very cute own-voices YA novel with strong romance themes even though it’s not an out and out romance. The premise is that Kareena is an Indian-American highschooler and somewhat of a prodigy Muay Thai fighter. Unfortunately, in her community this is perceived to be not quite the thing for a proper Indian girl as it’s not a feminine endeavor and she’s feels ostracized for her athletic pursuit. Add to this, she has some deep problems at home, making her senior year especially 3.5 Stars! This was a very cute own-voices YA novel with strong romance themes even though it’s not an out and out romance. The premise is that Kareena is an Indian-American highschooler and somewhat of a prodigy Muay Thai fighter. Unfortunately, in her community this is perceived to be not quite the thing for a proper Indian girl as it’s not a feminine endeavor and she’s feels ostracized for her athletic pursuit. Add to this, she has some deep problems at home, making her senior year especially hard especially as it relates with coming to terms with her identity.

I think what’s good about this book is that it tells a universal story about feeling alienated, whether that is feeling alienated from your culture, from your friends, from your people, from your family’s expectations of you, I think all of us have at one time felt like we were on the outside. This book is very strong in communicating that message and in portraying the self-doubt and fear and bitterness that can come from constantly feeling the need to protect yourself from the hurt of being an outsider. I love how the author played with the theme of prejudging others before the judge you and having blind spots in our perspectives of the world and how it sees us. I think obviously Indian-Americans or people who identify as Desi would relate most to this book especially if they feel some distance from their ancestral culture. That said I think anyone who’s a recent descendant of immigrants or even living in their own country but far removed from their ancestral traditions, would also be able to relate strongly to this book.

This could have been a 5-star read for me but I must admit that at times Kareena’s “not-like-other-Indian-girls”-ing got a little much for me personally. We get it, you’re a fighter, you don’t wear traditional clothes and you’re not religious- you’re not like other Indian-American girls🙄. That said, as annoying as that got, it felt very true to how Kareena perceived herself and her alienation from her community and also how people are in high school on the cusp of college, and that obsession with finding your unique identity and understanding yourself in the world that can come across a little “special little unicorn flower.” I think for anyone who like Kareena has ever felt not Indian enough or not American enough will relate strongly to her as a character. I can’t help but wondering whether readers who identify more closely with practicing their culture and traditions more rigorously, might feel attacked by Kareena’s frequent generalizations and judgements of the community. On the balance, Kareena’s perceptions and prejudices come from how her parents were treated and how she has been treated when measured against cultural norms, and so clearly she has reasons for her beliefs.

Some of the drama in this book was also VERY high school appropriate and I think if I had read this as a young adult, I would have had a lot more patience with the juvenile level of drama. What I liked though, was that Kareena’s “high school” drama with her ex-friends Ranya and Saanvi, was nicely contrasted with some of the life-deep drama she was facing at home with her father’s health, her Muay Thai aspirations, and her family’s future. The contrast of those different levels of drama felt very authentic and true for a character coming of age in these circumstances, and having to balance the last bits of childishness with becoming an adult.

My favourite parts of this were the Muay Thai plot, the theme around the importance of community and girl-led support, and the love story between Kareena and Amit. You could definitely tell that the author was very experienced in Muay Thai as she brought the training and preparation and mindset and the fights to the page in a way that not only got you understanding the sport but also understanding why Kareena was so passionate about it. Yes there was A LOT of repetition of Kareena’s motivation in the sport, the prospect of World Championships, the fact that Muay Thai would potentially be becoming an Olympic sport, but I think it served to continue center the fact that at it’s heart, this was a novel about a girl in a sport disapproved of by her culture who remains dedicated to that sport and the empowerment it brings her. I loved the romantic elements with Amit because Kareena never lost focus on her goals because of her feelings for him. She didn’t need romantic love to soften her or heal something in her or to “find balance.” Her goals remained her goals and her dedication to her sport was untouchable. And Amit recognized that and supported that and understood that her goals were number 1. The coding bits seemed a little improbable to me but what do I know, maybe it makes sense in real life. I also loved the idea of the sisterhood of female athletes.

Overall, I really enjoyed this. It was fun, but also really thoughtful and inspiring and uplifting. Highly recommend to lovers of YA fiction or anyone interested in an own voices book about a young Indian-American Muay Thai fighter.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Flux Books in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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Jan 14, 2021 Emmalita rated it really liked it

Shelves: romance, advanced-reader-copy, netgalley, fiction, ya, cbr13

I feel slightly disadvantaged reviewing Sajni Patel’s, The Knockout – I’m not Indian American, I know nothing about Muay Thai, and I haven’t been a teenager in a long, long time. That said, I enjoyed The Knockout. I’ve had it sitting in my NetGalley queue for months because it was suppose to come out last year, but the pandemic pushed it back. I received this as an advance reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Once I started reading I realized that last year I read Sajni Pa I feel slightly disadvantaged reviewing Sajni Patel’s, The Knockout – I’m not Indian American, I know nothing about Muay Thai, and I haven’t been a teenager in a long, long time. That said, I enjoyed The Knockout. I’ve had it sitting in my NetGalley queue for months because it was suppose to come out last year, but the pandemic pushed it back. I received this as an advance reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Once I started reading I realized that last year I read Sajni Patel’s debut, the decidedly not YA, The Trouble With Hating You. A lot of what I liked about Hating You is also present in The Knockout, but Knockout is more focused and kinder. Kareena Thakkar is a 17 yr old high school student in Texas. She feels separate from most of her peers because her focuses are Muay Thai, school, and her family. Her father has chronic kidney disease which takes a lot of the Thakkar family’s energy and resources. Her parents are not close with the local Indian community, but they are very supportive of Kareena. When Kareena has a chance to compete for a slot on the Muay Thai National team, which might lead to the Olympics, her parents never waver in their support. Kareena wavers though, because competing at the national level is expensive. She definitely doesn’t have time for boys, but her computer science teacher asks her to tutor Amit, and they begin to develop a romance with hefty dollops of flirtatious bickering and the secrets they keep from each other.

Kareena is very guarded and as the book progresses she learns the benefits of letting people in and asking for support. I was occasionally frustrated with Kareena’s me against the world mindset, but I also appreciated that she has been on her own a lot. I loved her parents and the ways they supported and protected her, even when it frustrated her. I loved the way she focused on her sport and her future. I’m not a sports participating or watching person, but I do love reading about characters who are passionate about what they do. Kareena approaches her life with drive and passion and my enjoyment of that outweighed my frustrations. ...more

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Jan 22, 2021 Kristen rated it it was amazing

Shelves: romance, poc, fiction, netgalley, ya-reads, kick-ass-female-protagonists, realistic-fiction, 2021-releases

"The Knockout" was one of the first books I requested on NetGalley almost an entire year ago, but I've put it off in favor of earlier deadlines and what I thought would be better books. But I LOVED this one, and I'm sorry I didn't pick it up earlier.

High school senior, Kareena, is a badass Muay Thai fighter who qualifies for the US Open. The only problem? Just about everything -- her father has been quite ill, her parents don't have the money, and she isn't comfortable being an non-comforming me ...more

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Jan 06, 2021 Antonella rated it liked it

Shelves: ya, arc, sport-romance

The debut contemporary romance The Trouble with Hating You by this author is one of my favorite books of 2020!! So, I jumped on the opportunity to read another book by her.
The plotline is very intriguing. But I am a little bit disappointed. Maybe, is just my issue with YA where my tastes are very specific and I rarely love that genre anymore.
I love everything that this book represents; diversity, female Muay Thai fighter, family dynamic, young love. I wish I cared more about it. Kareena's stru ...more

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Jul 29, 2020 Vighnesh rated it really liked it

Shelves: arcs

4.5 stars.

This was good. Really good. The premise of the book was so intriguing and it definitely ticked all the boxes for me.

The main character was so complex and she struggled a lot but her character arc is one of the best I have read so far.

The plot went in a direction I did not expect it to take but I definitely loved it.

The love interest in this novel was developed so well and I liked how the author delved into his situation and I really got to read both experiences of being an Indian Amer ...more

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Jan 28, 2021 Shruti Ramanujam rated it really liked it

I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Knockout is an empowering story with great commentary on culture and acceptance. I absolutely adored how supportive Kareena's parents are despite Muay Thai being seen as too violent in their community. While it is sports fiction, the book also has a splendid portrayal of female friendships, good rep, and a body positive message.

Some parts of the story did get repetitive at one point but it was an entertaining read nonethel ...more

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May 15, 2022 Lena rated it really liked it

3.5 stars

I really need to keep my goodreads more up-to-date, I actually finished this a week ago after listening to it in one day.

I liked the sports theme and the discussion about athletic girls and how it fits together with culture! The MCs family was amazing and after reading only books with toxic parents this month, it was refreshing to read.

What I didn't like was the insta love! Come on! The love interest was cute tho (maybe a bit tot perfect) and I liked how their relationship unfolded over ...more

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Dec 26, 2020 Michelle Huber rated it liked it

I really enjoyed this book!
It was packed with action, family, and a real exploration of struggle and trying to defy odds.
I found Kareena's character to be so relatable, thinking of her family, studies, but also wanting something so badly.
I found myself holding my breath for some of the scenes, I liked the descriptions! ...more

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Dec 30, 2020 Samantha (WLABB) rated it really liked it

Shelves: contemporary, ya, arcs, diverse

Rating: 3.5 Stars

While the rest of her world was crumbling, Kareena earned the chance of lifetime - an invitation to compete in the US Muay Thai Open. This could be a door-opening opportunity, and Kareena could not help but see hope for more in her future. The related financial obligations, though, might derail her plans unless Kareena learned to open up and trust in others.

I absolutely loved the premise of this book. Elite athletes intrigue me, and I love getting into their heads and seeing th Rating: 3.5 Stars

While the rest of her world was crumbling, Kareena earned the chance of lifetime - an invitation to compete in the US Muay Thai Open. This could be a door-opening opportunity, and Kareena could not help but see hope for more in her future. The related financial obligations, though, might derail her plans unless Kareena learned to open up and trust in others.

I absolutely loved the premise of this book. Elite athletes intrigue me, and I love getting into their heads and seeing them in action. Their drive and passion is always so inspiring, and I am thrilled to cheer for them as they give their all for their dream.

Kareena was an easy character to root for. She had been training in her sport for about a decade. I have no doubts about her dedication, but she had many obstacles in her way. First and foremost was the cost of the sport. Since her father's illness worsened, Kareena's family struggled with their finances. They never put that worry on her, but she knew her mother was working two jobs, and that they were essentially living paycheck to paycheck. Though this was a source of stress for Kareena, it was also a driving force, pushing her to excel and go further than she ever imagined in this sport.

She also had to deal with the isolation of participating in a combative sport. I have said this before, I do not think there are girl-things or boy-things, but we all know this line of thought exists. Kareena knew she would be harshly judged for partaking in such a non-ladylike sport. Though her parents supported and cheered her on, she felt the need to keep this part of herself a secret. I really felt her pain there. Feeling like she had to hide a big piece of who she was in order to be accepted.

One of my favorite parts of the book was when Kareena finally opened up, and realized there was this wonderful community simply waiting to be there for her. They really rallied the troops when she needed them. The outpouring of friendship and support was touching, and I was so happy Kareena was finally able to trust others and allow them to share in her dream.

Though some of the community and girl drama didn't really work for me, I loved just about everything else about Kareena's story. I pick up sports based books, because they tend to be inspiring and feel-good. My heart was definitely filled with warmth and joy at the end of this book, and I enjoyed cheering for Kareena as she put her heart and soul into making her aspirations a reality.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS ...more

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Jan 14, 2021 Monica rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2021, contemporary

Initial Thoughts

I was so super excited to be chosen for this tour. When I read the description of this book, I knew it would be an #ownvoices review for me, but I had no idea how much I would identify with the main character. And no, before anyone even thinks it, it’s not because I am any kind of athlete 😂.

Some Things I Liked

Themes of cultural identity. Never have I ever felt more like a main character in a contemporary story than when Kareena said she’s “not Indian enough”. As an Indian America ...more

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Apr 20, 2020 Sylvs (NOVELty Reads) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arcs

ARC given through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

When I first came across The Knockout, I thought it would be just another sports or Indian-culture themed book but I got so much more than I hoped for. It was a book about self-love, friendship, family, support and of course, Muay Thai.

The story follows Kareena Thakkar, an Indian girl who just got the opportunity of a lifetime to compete in the US Muay Thai Open which could result in her getting onto the first ever Muay Thai Olympic t ARC given through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

When I first came across The Knockout, I thought it would be just another sports or Indian-culture themed book but I got so much more than I hoped for. It was a book about self-love, friendship, family, support and of course, Muay Thai.

The story follows Kareena Thakkar, an Indian girl who just got the opportunity of a lifetime to compete in the US Muay Thai Open which could result in her getting onto the first ever Muay Thai Olympic team! If only her sport wasn’t seen as too rough for girls and something she should be afraid to share with people outside her family. With debts rising and Kareena struggling to afford her competition entry, Kareena starts feeling as if she’s not “Indian enough” with Muay Thai only making it worse. On top of Kareena’s training she starts tutoring the “perfect Indian boy” Amit Patel, the boy that Kareena refuses to fall in love with.

I honestly loved everything about this book. I felt like I could relate to the character’s struggles and how the author, S.A Patel particularly focused on Kareena’s self-doubt and struggles fitting in with other girls especially who share her culture. Kareena was portrayed as a strong character however you could definitely see her layers underneath that façade as the book progressed. I truly started to respect her character even more for her bravery and courage which was displayed throughout the novel.

There was another character, Amit who was seen the “smart kid” or “soon-to-be-valedictorian” type of guy. His struggles also unfolded in a way that was completely surprising and unexpected (in a good way). For someone so clever as him he definitely had a lot of struggles living up to those expectations put on him and I think the dynamic between him and Kareena really helped him with those issues. There were times at which I absolutely fell in love with Amit and could definitely see why Kareena was falling in love with him. He was sweet, caring and kind but there were times when I felt like he might’ve been too much which definitely changed my perception of him over the duration of the novel.

Characters aside, there was a major spotlight towards friendships both healthy and toxic and it was explored in a way that I enjoyed reading about. The book starts off with Kareena having one main friend she talks to at school however as the book progresses, she comes out of her shell more and meets all sorts of people like her who are accepting and supportive of her and her accomplishments. But on the other hand, Kareena experiences bullying and the toxic nature of another student at her school. The way the author wrote about that character dynamic was done so well and I could feel both pity and hatred towards that character because she had a lot of character development much like Kareena and Amit.

All in all, I definitely loved this book with all its depictions of Muay Thai, friendships, culture and self-esteem. Throughout the whole novel I easily fell in love with all the characters and even more so with how they developed from start to finish.

ACTUAL RATING: 4.5 STARS
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About Sajni Patel

Sajni Patel

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Sajni Patel is an award-winning author of women’s fiction and young adult books, drawing on her experiences growing up in Texas, an inexplicable knack for romance and comedy, and the recently resurfaced dark side of fantastical things. Her works have appeared on numerous Best of the Year and Must Read lists from Cosmo, Oprah Magazine, Teen Vogue, Apple Books, Audiofile, Tribeza, Austin Woman’s Mag ...more

Books by Sajni Patel

The Trouble with Hating You (The Trouble with Hating You, #1)

First Love, Take Two (The Trouble with Hating You, #2)

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Quotes from The Knockout

“Here's how I see it: If someone doesn't like you, then that's their problem. Not yours. You keep doing your thing and not give them a minute of your time. Whatever narrow-minded, inferior judgement others pass is a cloud of negativity living in their head. Meanwhile, you're living your best, most positive and happy life. Eventually, their heads will explode from the pessimism while you're frolicking in a field of joy.” — 0 likes

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