Book Review: "Fence: Striking Distance" by Sarah Rees Brennan

Fencing is far more fun than team bonding, that’s for sure!!

Over the last year, I’ve read four volumes of a great YA graphic novel series called Fence, by CS Pacat and Johanna the Mad. The series follows the adventures of the Kings Row fencing team, the rivalries, relationships, and challenges they face.

Sarah Rees Brennan has now written Fence: Striking Distance, an original novel featuring these characters. It was fun to spend an extended amount of time with them. This book delved more deeply into the dynamics between teammates and the emotions involved.

While Coach Williams knows that her team has some solid fencing skills, they can’t seem to work together. She knows if she can foster a sense of teamwork it may improve their success in competition as well.

She makes Harvard, Aiden, Seiji, Nicholas, and Eugene try to bond with each other. What she doesn’t count on is how much work that will require, particularly in some cases. It’ll take a few disastrous dates, a major prank carried out by an unlikely prankster, and lots of self-realization for this to work—if it will at all.

I love this series because the dynamics between the characters feel natural. I enjoyed getting to spend more in-depth time exploring their relationships than you usually get in the graphic novels. The book also treats sexuality as a non-issue, and I love the relationships between Nicholas and Seiji and Harvard and Aiden.

Looking forward to another graphic novel—or another novel—soon!

Book Review: "Fence: Rivals" (Volume 4) by C.S. Pacat, Johanna the Mad, and Joana LaFuente

We return to Kings Row Boys School for more adventures with the fencing team, in the fourth volume of the Fence graphic novel series.

When Volume 3 ended, the members of the fencing team were chosen. To no one's surprise, prodigy Seiji Katayama was selected, but much to his own shock, Nicholas was selected as one of two reserve team members. But when an old rival of Seiji's comes to visit and tries to encourage him to return to his old school, it makes him more determined than ever to stay at Kings Row...but he still thinks he's better than everyone else.

But just as the team starts getting into a groove, the coach throws them for a loop: they're going to have an exhibition match with Methodist Lads College (MLC), the school that knocked them out of the state championships last year. While Seiji is prepared to lead his team to victory, what neither he nor Nicholas understand are the strategies involved with a team fencing event. Since fencing is usually an individual sport, a team event is entirely different, and it's going to take more than talent to win.

Will Kings Row be able to pull out a victory, or will they fall prey to their rival once again? Will one team member be responsible for the win, or will they finally start working together? Will Aiden show up for the match?

In Fence: Rivals, the relationships between the teammates start to develop into more than simple competition with one another. Friendships start to build, and who knows what could happen next?

I enjoy these graphic novels because the characters are so diverse without any discussion (Aiden goes from guy to guy, but there's never any conversation about his sexuality, just that he's a bit of a slut) and they teach me a lot about fencing, which I knew nothing about!

The downside is they're super, super slow-burn, so I hope the next volume advances the plot a little quicker. There are so many threads I'd love to see develop and I hate having to wait, lol! But I'm super excited because a full-length novel called Fence: Striking Distance, based on this series, will be published at the end of September.

See my review of Volume 1 here, and see my review of Volumes 2 and 3 here.

Book Review: "Fence: Vol. 2" and "Fence: Vol. 3" by C.S. Pacat, Johanna the Mad, and Joana LaFuente

More fencing, more drama, more suspense!

We return to Kings Row and the tryouts for the fencing team. Ever since he surprised everyone by showing up at this school rather than someplace more prestigious, everyone is expecting Seiji Katayama to make the team. But who else will join him?

Nicholas has wanted to do nothing but fence for as long as he can remember. But can his skills overcome his lack of training and technique? Will his desire to make Seiji respect him cause more friction with his sullen roommate?

Volume 2 and Volume 3 of the series cover the remainder of the tryouts, culminating with the selection of this year's fencing team. Will Aiden finally get his comeuppance for being the cocky, love-em-and-leave-em fencer who only wants to be on the team to prove his superiority? Will Eugene finally make the team? And of course, will Nicholas, or will he watch his dreams and his scholarship go up in smoke?

What I really enjoy about this series is not only how well it is drawn, but how C.S. Pacat delivers tension, emotion, and so many facts about fencing. I like that the characters (at least most of them) are starting to get a little more depth. I also like that the sexuality of the characters is a total non-issue, which you wouldn't expect in such close quarters.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like Vol. 4 will be published until the summer, although I may be able to read the rest of the 12-volume series online. I hate having to wait to see what happens next!

I’ve been loving graphic novels lately, particularly those with LGBT themes. Anyone have any recommendations?

Book Review: "Fence Vol. 1" by C.S. Pacat, Johanna the Mad, and Joana LaFuente

Who knew there could be this much drama in fencing?

Nicholas dreams of becoming a fencing champion. Despite natural ability, he’s never had the opportunity to train properly or learn the right skills and strategies to succeed, but the fire of his determination fuels him on.

When he encounters teen sensation Seiji Katayama, he longs to make his mark so that the champion will notice his talent, but the match doesn’t go well, and Seiji dismisses him as a zero.

The two meet up again when Nicholas gets a scholarship to the prestigious King’s Row School and he must fight for a place on the fencing team against Seiji, who has nothing but disdain for him and anyone who dares challenge him.

Along the way there are rivalries, romances (one-sided ones, mostly), and challenges, as the entire team fights for their slots. Will Nicholas get out of his head and fence the way he truly can? Will Seiji face humility? Will dreamy Aiden get his comeuppance from all the boys he loves and discards?

This was a fun, tremendously well-drawn graphic novel which was mostly a set-up for future volumes. I’m totally hooked, though, so I’ll be ordering the next few volumes quickly, because I don’t like to be left hanging!

Definitely a quick, enjoyable read.