"Sixth-graders Lev and Mikayla are both wrestlers.

They narrate in their own voices in alternating chapters, often overlapping in time and perspective, allowing readers into their thoughts and concerns, for they are wrestling with middle school friendships and family dynamics as well as on the mat. Mikayla believes that her divorced father spends all his time on her big brothers’ wrestling practices and tournaments. If she joins a team, maybe he will value her more. The prejudice of her brothers’ coach forces her on to a different team, the Gladiators. There she meets Lev, who reluctantly becomes her training partner. Lev is haunted by his failure last year to make the state tournament and is determined to get there this year. Lev is Jewish, and his best friend is a Chinese boy who loves music. Mikayla is a white Christian whose best friend is a biracial brown girl who loves to work with theatrical makeup. Their diversity is treated matter-of-factly, accepted as part of what makes them unique. Although the jargon of wrestling is not always clearly defined, readers will find the action exciting. The characters, both adults and children, are well-developed and likable. Not everything is wrapped up neatly, but there are some twists that will satisfy readers.

Mikayla and Lev are winners. (Fiction. 9-12)" www.kirkusreviews.com

Literary merit: Outstanding
Characterization: Outstanding
Age Appropriateness: Tweens

Two points of view
Gender-neutral appeal
Multi-dimensional, multi-cultural characters:
Lev is Jewish. His best friend is Asian. His mom’s mom (Gran) is married to O.G. (“other” Gran). He started wrestling as a way to deal with his sensitivity to noise and his need to get out his energy. He might be on the spectrum, even though this is never explicitly stated. Mickey is new to travel-wrestling and not used to being the only girl on the team; now that she’s in middle school, her best friend has discovered new interests and has given up on wrestling.
Addresses the culture of toxic masculinity:
Mickey’s dad is kind of a jerk, seems to favor her older brothers over her, and looks the other way when Evan (Mickey’s oldest brother), losing control at a match, breaks an opponent’s nose.
Consent:
Lev realizes that his non-wrestler best friend might not actually like being tackled and rough-housed. From page 240:
“I’m serious, Bry. When I wrestle with you at the bus stop, and in front of school, is that okay?”
Bryan shrugs. “Not really. When we were little it was kind of fun.”
“You didn’t say anything.”
“You never asked me before.”

Recommended: YES! Essential to all elementary and middle school libraries and public library collections. Give this to anyone into sports (whether wrestling or otherwise) or any kid who prefers realistic fiction. This book is so well-done. ( )