The Graphic Library
  • Home
  • Reviews
    • Review List by Author
  • Terminology
  • Info Postings
  • About Me
  • Other Resources
    • Research
    • Collection Development

Fights by Joel Christian Gill

2/4/2021

0 Comments

 
Cover of Fights
Fights: One Boy's Triumph Over Violence is an autobiographical memoir of Joel’s childhood. As a small boy, he is forced to learn how to fight in order to protect himself from kids at school and in his neighborhood. He makes the assertion that children are sponges so can only absorb so much violence and negativity before it explodes out of them, often violently as well. As he grows, Joel learns to control hours outbursts and tries to get away from the constant threat of violence, but he is frequently the target of other people’s anger. As he becomes a teenager, he becomes a target for other males well don’t like how popular he is with the ladies, and he also gets on the wrong side of drug dealers.

Let me start by saying I have run a club on campus for 11 years dealing with domestic violence, so this topic is dear to my heart.  I'm getting out the soap box on this one.

Joel’s life is heartbreaking. Childhood violence is a really difficult topic to read, and especially to see, but it is an important one for inclusion in our libraries.  Physical violence in this story is depicted on the page, as you can see in the cover, and there is a bit of blood.  There is also a fair amount of cussing, from the mouths of babes and adults.  This book will need to come with trigger warnings for readers who might be upset by content and the frankness by which Gill tells his story.  There are a few hints at sexual situations, and child sexual abuse that happens entirely unseen (panels all happen in the dark).  It would be tempting not to include this book because of these difficult topics and the fear of what they might bring, but censoring a story as raw and real as this, with situations our students are unfortunately facing or have faced in their lives, means we would be telling them that their entire lives are not appropriate.  This book makes us uncomfortable, and it's meant to.  Gill's ending message is that he has done all the fighting and suffering so that his kids won't have to.  If we shy away from the topics of this book, we may not be able to break the cycles that continue to subject children to this type of violence.

Sara’s Rating: 9/10
Suitability: Grades 10-12


​Tags: Rating: 9/10, Suitability: High School, Graphic Literature, Memoir, Family, CSLA 2021 

Never miss a review! Subscribe and get the best delivered to your inbox.

* indicates required
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    About Me

    I've been reading Manga and comicbooks for years.  Now, it's time to share my knowledge with you.

    Read More

    Search this site


    Picture

    Never miss a review! Subscribe and get the best delivered to your inbox.

    * indicates required

    Ratings, Audience, and Subject Tags

    All
    Action Adventure
    Adaptations
    Autobiography
    Biography
    Comicbooks
    CSLA 2021
    Culinary
    Deities
    Demons
    Dystopian
    Family
    Fantasy
    Farming
    Folklore
    Friendship
    Graphic Literature
    Graphic Nonfiction
    Grief
    Historical Fiction
    History
    Horror
    Humor
    Isekai
    LGBTQ+
    Magic
    Magical Girl
    Manga
    Mecha
    Memoir
    Mental Health
    Music
    Mystery
    Native American
    Race Relations
    Rating: 10/10
    Rating: 3/10
    Rating: 4/10
    Rating: 5/10
    Rating: 6/10
    Rating: 7/10
    Rating: 8/10
    Rating: 9/10
    Realistic Fiction
    Romance
    School Age
    Science
    Science Fiction
    Slice Of Life
    Sports
    Steampunk
    Suitability: Adult
    Suitability: Elementary School
    Suitability: High School
    Suitability: Middle School
    Superheroes
    Supernatural
    Surrealism
    Survival
    Theater
    Video Games
    War
    Western

    Archives

    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018


​Follow Me

Picture
  • Home
  • Reviews
    • Review List by Author
  • Terminology
  • Info Postings
  • About Me
  • Other Resources
    • Research
    • Collection Development