In the Ring

by Sierra Isley, Lauren Ezzo (Read by)

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798212413428
Publisher:	Blackstone Publishing
Publication date:	09/19/2023
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 7.50(h) x 0.00(d)
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Sierra Isley is a young adult author originally from Atlanta, Georgia, but currently based in Philadelphia. She graduated from Florida State University in 2021 with a degree in Editing, Writing, and Media. Outside of writing, her passions include filmmaking, social media communications, and drinking chai lattes.

Lauren Ezzo, an Earphones Award–winning narrator, is a commercial voice talent and Chicago-based actor and graduate of Hope College. She has acted in Peppermint Creek Theatre Company’s world premiere of Or You Could Kiss Me. Her narrations have placed her on several “Best of the Year” lists, including AudioFile’s Best Audiobooks of the Year list. In 2018, she was part of a full cast of narrators nominated for the prestigious Audie Award for Best Original Work.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"In the Ring gets that sometimes learning a new sport can look a lot like falling in love. If you like ride-or-die besties, bad boys with heart, and girls who can throw a punch, you’ll enjoy this debut.” - Emma Kress, author of Dangerous Play

"A bold and brave new writer to watch. In the Ring will keep your pulse elevated in all the good ways." - Terra Elan McVoy, author of Criminal

Editorial Reviews

A gritty, graphic glimpse of the physical and mental realities of anxiety with a streak of romance.- Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

A bold and brave new writer to watch. In the Ring will keep your pulse elevated in all the good ways.”

author of Criminal Terra Elan McVoy

2023-07-13
An Atlanta teen struggling with her mental health learns to regain control and garners strength through boxing.

Three years ago, Rose Berman, 17, lost her mother, who had anxiety and derealization disorders, to suicide. Afterward, she experienced a blackout-inducing panic attack in front of her class, earning the nickname Psycho. When the star quarterback assaults her at a party, Rose is afraid she’ll lose “whatever fragment of sanity” she has left. Her therapist suggests she join a boxing club, and she hopes the physical exertion will help. At the ring, Rose gets close to Elliot King, a cool kid with his cigarettes, tattoos, and mysterious bruises—and the person who intervened to help her at the party. Even though they’ve been neighbors since childhood, their lives didn’t intersect much, but now he’s becoming a true friend. When Rose discovers the underground fight club that’s the cause of Elliot’s injuries, she becomes embroiled in a violent world she’ll have to fight her way out of. While navigating intense issues, including sexual assault, mental health, and domestic violence, the novel doesn’t lose sight of the intriguing, accessible sports storyline and romance at its heart. The well-drawn and likable characters invite empathy, and the subject matter will intrigue readers who are drawn to edgier works. Rose is Jewish and bisexual; Elliot reads white.

A gritty, graphic glimpse of the physical and mental realities of anxiety with a streak of romance. (discussion questions, author interview) (Fiction. 14-18)

Kirkus Reviews