Moving engaging memoir of a kid growing up in a violent and unstable environment. Recommended by Ellen. ( )

diverse graphic memoir (Black boy growing up in 1980s-1990s South amidst poverty, abuse, bullying, violence, trauma)

I recently finished [b:The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness|6792458|The New Jim Crow Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness|Michelle Alexander|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1328751532l/6792458._SX50_.jpg|6996712], which provides additional information to consider when thinking about the various situations that Joel and his peers find themselves in. The stark differences between the world he grew up in, and the world his children have grown up in, and the world that this reader grew up in are eye-opening.
this is classed as an "adult" book by my library (for language and traumatic violence and sexual situations) but I don't think there's anything in here that older teens haven't already seen. ( )

This book is very affecting. It's often sad but above that it's just very very real; the dialogue feels (reading as a white person) very right. Even though as a reader you don't get a huge amount of detail about an entire period of Gill's life, it feels like you come to know him and care about him, and finish the book with a little regret, as it means saying goodbye to him. ( )

Shows the impact of abusive parents, family members, classmates. Claims a better solution. Doesn't show the path from one to another. ( )

Joel Christian Gill's Fights gravitates toward a cartoonish style, but it's done with some skill. There are lots of nice illustrative details throughout and the colors really pop.

I absolutely love the idea for this story, and at times I was very much pulled in, but the overall arch felt very disjointed. Some events in the story happen without explanation (ie, what happened to Mr. Charles?), and the pivotal moments in the protagonist's journey to overcome violence didn't carry the weight I'd hoped for. It felt like the author had more he wanted to express, but perhaps wasn't able or allowed to channel. ( )