Knockout Games

Reviewed by: Karen Sandlin Silverman - Scarborough High School, Scarborough, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: December 9, 2014

Review

Erica is the ultimate misfit. She's not only the new student in her high school; she's a white girl in a mostly African-American school. Erica has recently moved to urban St. Louis from suburban Little Rock with her mother after her parents' divorce. With the encouragement of her art teacher, she explores her new world through the video camera her father gave her. Her new friend Destiny (their friendship was forged during detention) invites her to bring her camera and meet her friends. These friends turn out to be gang members who participate in "knockout games." Egged on by their leader (the "knockout king"), the boys choose random people to attack, trying to knock them unconscious. Erica finds herself quickly sucked into life with the gang -- chronicling their "games" with her camera, falling for the "knockout king," and even throwing a punch herself. Readers will not be surprised when the situation spirals out of control and people end up really hurt. Sadly this is based on actual events. In addition to the brutal violence and sad tone, the voice of the girls is a bit off-putting -- Erica starts talking like a gang member almost the minute she starts hanging out with them while Destiny often sounds like a suburban high school student. Near the end of the book, the author switches from first-person to third-person during a pivotal scene but the abrupt shift is more confusing than dramatic.

Overall Book Score: good