The Knockout Queen

I don’t mean to make a terrible pun, but “The Knockout Queen” was a knockout of a read. I have never read a book that depicted a friendship between misfits that was so heartbreakingly honest and realistic.⁣
There were often graphic descriptions of violence and sexual acts mentioned, so sensitive readers should take heed. The author created two characters who were painfully real, complex, and at times unsympathetic. All Michael and Bunny desire is love and to be loved in return, and their desperation for it is felt through the pages. Despite their shortcomings, I often found myself rooting for both Michael and Bunny to have their happy endings.

***SPOILERS HIDDEN***

Bunny Lampert and her next-door neighbor, Michael, are unlikely to be friends. She’s a star volleyball player at their high school—pretty, wealthy, and admired. He’s gay, ordinary, friendless, and not well-off. Nevertheless, shortly after meeting, Bunny and Michael develop a soul-bond, striking up the kind of friendship many can only dream of.

These two live different lives yet suffer equal pain; however, Bunny is “The Knockout Queen” of the title and the star of the story. Her ostentatious house isn’t so impressive on the inside. Her popular, successful real-estate father is unethical, often drunk, and more a friend to Bunny than a parent. But beyond this, Bunny wrestles with some serious demons. Author show more Rufi Thorpe wrote an ironic story: The girl who appears enviable has little to truly envy, and the boy who should be broken isn’t that broken after all.

The Knockout Queen is narrated from Michael’s point-of-view. Many stories would be just as successful told from a different point-of-view; the author could flip a coin and begin. Here, point-of-view matters tremendously. There’s a jarring mismatch going on: A first-person point-of-view normally indicates the story primarily, or at the very least equally, affects the character narrating, but the opposite is true here. The incidents that most define The Knockout Queen don’t happen to narrator Michael; they happen to Bunny—and all happen off the page and summarized later because Michael is never part of them. Such limp storytelling robbed these crucial moments of their power, leaving me feeling curiously indifferent during tragic and disturbing parts. Meanwhile, Michael’s redemptive story line, important in its own right, ends up getting short shrift.

Michael has real hardships that could have added dimension to The Knockout Queen, but Thorpe underdeveloped some; glossed over others; and, inexcusably, failed to cast pedophilia as abhorrent, much less an actual crime. Despite all the difficulties in his life, Michael never experiences any as acutely as he should. For this boy, substance abuse, risk-taking, self-harm—all manner of dysfunctional coping responses would be understandable, but he rises above all problems with an unrealistically mature, almost zen-like outlook and ends up thriving. Thorpe did throw in a homophobic assault almost for good measure, as if she suddenly remembered that Michael’s circumstances necessitate more pain for them to reflect reality. But then his subsequent week-long hospital stay is preposterous, getting resolved far too conveniently, then promptly forgotten.The Knockout Queen is an ambitious story. In less than 300 pages, Thorpe wrote about queer identity; violence; bullying; family dysfunction; wealth and class difference; dishonesty and unethical behavior; and, most of all, how changed circumstances alter relationships. To all these she gave more or less cursory attention when they merit either a huge page-count or their own books.

She was most successful in her characterization and insight. Her trio of main characters—Bunny, Michael, and Bunny’s dad—come alive, and even though Bunny and Michael seem like they’d never be friends, Thorpe made it believable that they not only are but that they love each other intensely. The Knockout Queen is eloquent in parts, with Michael’s thoughts revealing a wisdom beyond his years.

Despite finding the story pretty empty, I enjoyed Thorpe’s writing and main characters. Her style appealed to me as she evoked Janet Fitch’s style a little. The candor and intelligence is there. The emotional intention is there. The unique story idea is there. What’s missing is an instinct for the most effective storytelling approach and heartrending feeling. The Knockout Queen shines brightest as a portrait of platonic love. Thorpe knows how to write a friendship that’s one of the most well-crafted I’ve ever read. She kept that sacred, and although her story goes to some unexpected, weird places, the touching bond between Bunny and Michael anchors it. It’s the whole reason to read the book. show less

A knockout. Literally. This unique coming of age story has many layers and complexities but the enduring friendship of two oddballs is perfectly captured on the page. Michael is a loner. His mom got out of jail and only reclaimed custody of his sister so he's living in his aunt's tiny house. He has no friends and is the loneliest gay kid in the world. Until his six foot three, intimidatingly awkward neighbor, Bunny takes a shine to him. They soon become thick as thieves. He finally has a friend in high school and he can go next door to Bunny's mansion anytime he likes. Things are looking up. Until the fight that is. The fight will transform their friendship and their futures and there is no telling if they'll be able to survive the show more consequences. Heartfelt, moving, hilarious, and deeply insightful. This coming of age story is one for the books. show less

I love the unconventional duo of Bunny and Michael, though it's difficult for me to believe that the powerful and wealthy Bunny would have so quickly adopted Michael. In some ways, these characters and their actions aren't always believable, yet they are at other times. Despite issues of plausibility, they bring this story to life.

Rufi Thorpe tackles so many subjects in such a small space: abuse, addiction, sexuality, violence, class, ethics... Even though the book asks all the right questions, there doesn't seem to be a lot of room for emotion. Most telling to me was the lack of empathy for Bunny's victim. These characters gloss over any substantial remorse for this girl while the author shows constant empathy for Bunny and Michael. show more Despite their status as outsiders, Bunny and Michael are incredibly selfish, and I never got the impression that this was what the reader was supposed to learn from their characters. A broader understanding of compassion would've given this novel a deeper well of affect to draw from. show less

The Knockout Queen packs quite a punch, starting with that multi-layered title, continuing with the careful and emphatic character portraits, the vivid scenes, the startling wordplay, the distinct descriptions of people and places, and a voice that carries the story right along, not effortlessly, not even smoothly, but with a muscular authority that feels very fluid and natural. Highly recommended.

This book is delicious, so fresh, and enjoyable in a dark and twisty kind of way. I couldn’t put it down. It is so raw and human and brought back deep emotions for me from my high school experience that FINALLY wasn’t in a cheesy way. This book made me feel the feels. And when I said I couldn’t put it down, I mean that I started it at 11pm and finished it at 10am at an especially quiet overnight at work. So so so gorgeous and good.

A beautifully written novel about the friendship between a gay teenager, Michael and over six feet tall BFF Bunny. The dysfunctional family traumas, gay bashing, and mental illness are covered with a combination of sweetness and horror.