I enjoyed this a lot more than I anticipated, which is great, since this has been on my TBR for a couple years. Though, the 3.75 instead of a 4.0 comes from the side characters not being as strong(and this is a character-focused contemporary with little plot), along with some of the dialogue feeling long-winded(it’s a little too accurate to actual conversation, probably due to this story’s original play format).

(And to those noticing the character’s name is slightly different than the one on the cover, there’s a really great explanation for it! Don’t worry.)

But Alonda felt like an actual teenager, and her friend group was fun. If you’re reading this and expecting the actual sport of wrestling, you’re not getting that—the RIZE troupe focuses a lot on the theatrics part of mainstream wrestling, with their own characters and (sometimes) even gimmicks. Admittedly, that could get a little ridiculous, but considering half of the group didn’t exactly know what to do with their lives and careers and just wanted a hand in creating something fun for the Brooklyn locals, I’m partially dismissing it. (But also, I think narratives about kids/teens playing are adorable.)

I also liked how Alonda’s wrestling persona tied into both how she dealt with her grief, and her own queer self-discovery. Typically, in stories like this where you have a queer awakening and a more serious plot, it’s hard to balance them out, but I felt they were given an equal amount of attention. (And regarding the grief but not the wrestling persona part, I especially appreciated how Alonda’s subplot of finding her mom’s diary was handled unexpectedly realistic, and although one part of it was important to a bonding moment with Theresa at the end, the diary wasn’t the source of her catharsis.) I will say, though, that although parts of the romances/love triangle were cute, I didn’t feel a particular attachment to them. (And the foreshadowing for who Alonda would go with was painfully obvious.)

And also, Theresa and Alonda’s mother/aunt figure-daughter relationship was multifaceted and sweet. There were times where it shifted slightly differently than an ordinary mother-daughter bond, and I thought the realistic-sounding dialogue worked in favor of that particular element.

The ending is open-ended in a bittersweet way, but I liked how the overall story captured the spirit of summer friendship, and the kinds of bonds that, although it’s uncertain how long they’ll last(or maintain that strength), they stick with everyone involved.

I’m kind of disappointed I don’t see many people talking about this, to be honest. I liked the more visual writing style that persisted even in novel format, and this was a solid summer read. But I can understand other readers having mixed feelings on this.

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pre-review:
3.75! To quote one of my notes: “god they’re all so embarrassing but also i love their whimsy”