"Passion, grief and the personal growth of an unforgettable chess-boxing heroine, this is a knockout novel in every way."
October 2019 Book of the Month
New Yorker Leah is a tenacious, snarky queen of quips. She’s also an exceptional chess player but decides to give up the game after losing a match that, had she won, would have seen her move up the rankings to grandmaster status. Feeling the pressure of her mom and coach, feeling that she’s let down her beloved dad, she decides to get a tattoo, “proving to myself and the world that there is life after chess and that I’m not just a pawn for other people to push around.” Leah’s certainly not a girl given to being pushed around but, with the skills of a master weaver, the author sensitively shows how grief’s deep wounds underpin her anger and tendency to drive people away. When her tattoo plan is foiled by one of her blog readers, Kit, who makes big bucks from illegal chess hustling, Leah winds up making a thousand dollars in a couple of hours. It’s through the police busting one of the illegal games that she finds out about chessboxing, “the ultimate contest of brains and brawn”.
The thrill Leah feels for this hybrid sport’s speed and tension is palpable, and she’s a natural at it too, with her boxing coach praising her exceptional resilience: “You never know what’s inside a fighter until they’re flat out on the canvas”, a perceptive comment that encapsulates Leah’s story journey. She’s grappling with grief, but making emotional breakthroughs and learning new skills, to the point that she’s ready to fight Death (a formidable champion chessboxer) in Vegas.
With a truly pulse-quickening climax, this exceptional novel rages with raw emotion. It’s a bona fide page-turner seared with life-affirming insights into grief, friendship and finding new paths.
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It’s a fast read, with a lot of heart.
In my opinion, I really enjoyed Chessboxer because Leah, who is the main character, is very inspiring and I have even started playing chess myself. Although not everyone would agree, I strongly believe that you should read this book. I would recommend Chessboxer to over eleven-year-olds because this book is very mature and I had to check some words in the dictionary. While reading through the book, I was on the edge of my seat itching to find out what happens next during some of the closing chess rounds. I can understand why Leah was feeling angry and not dealing with her grief. After self-sabotaging her chance to become a grandmaster, she quits but slowly finds her way back to herself, and chess, through chessboxing. It’s a fast read, with a lot of heart.... Read Full Review
A fast-paced, unusual story with a gutsy central female character who is struggling to cope with grief and her genius ability to play chess. Then she discovers chessboxing.
Told through a series of blog posts, the story is centred around Leah, a chess champion who is close to becoming a grandmaster. However, following her father's death, she finds herself weighed down by grief and makes the momentous decision to quit chess. When she discovers chessboxing, a high-intensity sport, it helps to fill the void in her life. She finds a new sense of purpose, makes new friends and it reignites her passion for chess.... Read Full Review
This book is very gripping and intense.
This book is very gripping and intense, but for me it took a bit of reading to get into it.
The main character, Leah Baxter, is portrayed as a strong and spirited girl who does not like to share some parts of her past. She is willing to give up chess until she finds a hybrid of boxing and chess, chessboxing. Her mother was not so keen though, as she loathed the prospect of boxing. Leah's chess coach sides with her mother but Leah still does it.
I like the way the author tells this as a blog which Leah creates to share her experiences. Her coach and mother think she may be sabotaging herself as she is consumed with grief.
Overall this is a good book and describes certain events in a lot of detail.... Read Full Review
