HEADSHOT by Rita Bullwinkel

The title could refer to a professional photograph, but that’s not the case.  Here we are talking about boxing but not just blows that result in a black eye or bloody nose.  Here the author is getting into the minds of eight teenage girls who are competing in a national boxing tournament at a rundown gym in Reno.  One girl was on duty as a lifeguard when a young boy drowned, and her negligence still haunts her.  Another girl recites the value of pi to umpteen decimal places under her breath while she is boxing.  One wears weird hats, such as a raggedy coonskin cap, as a scare tactic.  Another is a 15-year-old whose quarterfinal bout is against her 17-year-old cousin.  The lives of these girls are almost as compelling as the fights themselves.  The book dissects each bout from quarterfinals to final but primarily from inside both fighters’ heads.  As another reviewer noted, this novel does not depend on dialog, as it has none.  Also, the outcome of each match is almost moot, especially as far as these girls’ futures are concerned.  In fact, the author gives us a glimpse of each girl’s adult life, especially her career as it relates to their teenage selves, which, in every case but one, has nothing to do with boxing.  I loved the format of this book, especially the tournament brackets which helped me keep straight who competed against whom.  The problem for me is that, unique as this book is, there is no real drama, no protagonist, and no real plot that you can sink your teeth into.