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by: Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Recommended Age: YA (12+ years and above)
Lexile: 710L
Content Warning(s): Attempted suicide, bullying, drug addiction foster care, neglect, abuse
Book Summary
"Ten-year-old Della has always had her older sister, Suki: When their mom went to prison, Della had Suki. When their mom's boyfriend took them in, Della had Suki. When that same boyfriend did something so awful they had to run fast, Della had Suki. Suki is Della's own wolf -- her protector. But who has been protecting Suki? Della might get told off for swearing at school, but she has always known how to keep quiet where it counts. Then Suki tries to kill herself, and Della's world turns so far upside down, it feels like it's shaking her by the ankles. Maybe she's been quiet about the wrong things. Maybe it's time to be loud."
My Thoughts
I had been looking forward to reading Fighting Words for a long, long time. It always caught my eye at the school library, with its very vibrant cover, but even so, I didn't pick it up. I, truly, am glad that I finally did. It is certainly not a light and easy read – it tackles topics that I was horrified and shocked by all that a ten- and sixteen-year-old had to go through. However, I loved the sisterly bond but I do get Suki's point of view – Suki has had to take care of Della since she was only six-years-old and has never really gotten the chance to be a kid herself. I really, really enjoyed reading about Della's full circle evolution, characteristically. In the beginning, she thinks that the only way to be heard is by fighting. But, she learns the actual power of words later on in the book. Having read a few of Ms. Brubaker Bradley's other books, most notably the "The War That Saved My Life" duology, I wasn't worried about the quality of writing – I knew that it would be on-point, and it was! As I said earlier, as this tackles a lot of unfortunately-very-real topics that should be taken seriously, only read this book once you're ready for it and I would recommend to only read this once you're at least 12 years old. If you are still unsure, ask an adult for their thoughts before.
Fighting Words has received a Newbery honor
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