In the Ring

By: Sierra Isley

Narrated by: Lauren Ezzo

Rose Berman is losing her mind. At least, that’s what everyone at school seems to think. Plagued by panic attacks that started after her mother’s death, Rose is the target of frequent teasing and rumors. But when the star quarterback takes it too far, the school’s tattooed, cigarette-smoking time bomb―Elliott King―steps in and punches him in the face.

Rose’s therapist recommends she try out a sport to manage her anxiety. She can’t help but think of Elliott―maybe if she could punch like him, she’d feel safer and stronger. She sticks out like a sore thumb at the boxing gym, but she soon finds power in the sport and a reprieve from her panic attacks. As their worlds intertwine, Rose and Elliott are forced to face their most daunting opponent outside the Ring: their growing feelings for each other. But Midtown Ring isn’t just a gym. As Rose falls deeper into the world of boxing, she learns Midtown is a front for a late-night, underground fight club where Elliott King is the headliner.

Surrounded by violence and destruction, Rose’s anxiety begins to spiral. She starts hallucinating, just like her mother did before her death, leaving her to wonder if everyone at school might be right. If her newfound physical strength can’t keep her grounded in reality, she may be doomed to walk the same path as her mom.

©2023 Sierra Little (P)2023 Blackstone Publishing

Super fun, couldn't put down read!

I had so much fun reading this book! The plot was exciting and captivating; the romance was compelling and thoughtful. I enjoyed Rose as a protagonist and loved getting to see all the nuances of her as a person. She was strong-willed, insecure, passionate, and open-minded all at once.

I found the depictions of anxiety to ring true (no pun intended) and to be extremely vulnerable in the best way. This book gracefully tackles the parts of mental illness people tend to shy away from. It also stands its ground in its queerness in a way you don't see often—Rose is bi, in a relationship with a guy, and it's never an issue.

And that guy...Elliott is a mess and a half but also such an earnest product of his environment just waiting for a way out. Rose and Elliott really find something life-giving in each other, and yet, the book never steers into "romance fixes everything" or other tropes about people saving each other. Rose and Elliott get to be there for each other in big BIG ways but also maintain their autonomy.

Besides being taken out of the prose by some of the dialogue tags, my only major wish is that we got more closure. I love an open-ended ending—the kind where everything isn't fine but you know it will be—which was definitely the vibe here. But I didn't really feel like I knew everything was going to be okay. I don't know how they're going to dig themselves out of the hole they find themselves in. But there was at least some closure...and with lots of unanswered questions about the future, I guess there's sequel potential too. I'd read that :)

Shout out to the cover as well, it's one of my favorites. Bi colors! While listening to the audiobook I found myself just staring at the cover as I listened. To be honest, I didn't love the narrator but I got used to her over time and did come to appreciate her approach to portraying Rose.