This is really a 3.5 stars book for me. Mac is a wrestler with a short fuse (not a huge surprise, as he has an abusive father and seems to have had no counseling to deal with that or the anger he feels in general) and when he makes a mistake that leads to potential jail time, he runs away instead to become a brawler. Brawlers are underground fighters that compete in matches much more dangerous than high school wrestling or even professional. The book leads Mac into situations that make him think about how far he will actually go and if he is leading the type of life he wants.

There are things I like about this book: wrestling is not a popular topic, so that adds diversity in topic to your bookshelf. You also learn about Muay Thai, a different form of martial arts than the ones we commonly see. Additionally, there is no romance, which can appeal to some readers. It is violent, which would be the main objection I could think of. I also thought the ending tied things up a little fast, but I liked that we still had consequences for the protagonist.