Name: Madison Craft's review of Fence: Striking Distance by Sarah Rees Brennan
Item: Fence: Striking Distance
Rating: 5
Author: Madison Craft

Sarah Rees Brennan

C.S. Pacat

The boys of Kings Row bout with drama, rivalry, and romance in this original YA novel by The New York Times bestselling author Sarah Rees Brennan--inspired by the award-nominated comic series by C.S. Pacat and Johanna The Mad. Sixteen-year-old Nicholas Cox is the illegitimate son of a retired fencing champion who dreams of getting the proper training he could never afford. After earning a place on the elite Kings Row fencing team, Nicholas must prove himself to his rival, Seiji Katayma, and navigate the clashes, friendships, and relationships between his teammates on the road to state championships--where Nicholas might finally have the chance to spar with his golden-boy half-brother. Coach Williams decides to take advantage of the boys' morale after a recent victory and assigns them a course of team building exercises to further deepen their bonds. It takes a shoplifting scandal, a couple of moonlit forest strolls, several hilariously bad dates, and a whole lot of introspection for the team to realize they are stronger together than they could ever be apart. The first installment of this enticing original YA novel series by Sarah Rees Brennan, rich with casual diversity and queer self-discovery, explores never-before-seen drama inspired by C.S. Pacat's critically acclaimed Fence comic series and boasts original cover and interior art by Johanna The Mad. Text and Illustration copyright: © 2020 BOOM! Studios Fence(TM) and © 2020 C.S. Pacat

Fence: Striking Distance

The boys of Kings Row head to France with exes, rivalries, and secrets in this fun and hilarious novel by a New York Times bestselling author—inspired by the award-nominated comic series by C.S. Pacat and Johanna The Mad. The boys of Kings Row are off to a training camp in Europe! Surrounded impressive scenery and even more impressive European fencing teams, underdog Nicholas can't help but feel out of place. With the help of a local legend, though, he and the rest of the team finds it within themselves to face superior fencers, ex-boyfriends, expulsion, and even Nicholas's golden-boy, secret half-brother, the infamous Jesse Coste. Will Aiden and Harvard end up together, though? En garde! The second installment of this enticing original YA novel series by Sarah Rees Brennan, rich with casual diversity and queer self-discovery, explores never-before-seen drama inspired by C.S. Pacat's critically acclaimed Fence comic series. Text and Illustration copyright: © 2021 BOOM! Studios Fence(TM) and © 2021 C.S. Pacat

Fence: Disarmed

Alisha Tarran

Madison Craft

i love these characters a lot, and i love the team-bonding plot, and i love harvard and aiden's storyline. it's a solid 3.5. some things could be have been more explored, but this was cute nonetheless.

Julia

2.5/5. I appreciate some fake dating, but it took way too long to set up the trope. I think I could like it more, but the dialogue and some situations just seemed unrealistic. To be fair, I haven’t read the graphic novel series so I’m unfamiliar with the characters.

miraj

** spoiler alert **
           "Arrêt. The term meant stop, putting an end to any fencing bout. Harvard always said it, never seemed to feel embarrassed about his ready surrender. He would always surrender rather than risk hurting Aiden."
-
"Aiden’s hand went behind Harvard’s head so Harvard wouldn’t hurt himself without breaking the kiss, starving and soothing, biting and gentling at once. They were almost clinging together and almost clawing at each other, and Harvard had to stop this, had to, but he couldn’t find the words.

Sunk lower than the sun and trembling, Aiden whispered, 'Arrêt.'"

So I was already not acting normal about the Harvard and Aiden we got in the graphic novels, so you can guess how I am feeling about this.

I usually really hate the miscommunication trope, but for the most parts in this book, I get it. I get why it happened. and it doesn't bother me because of course it would happen. And Haiden is so considerate and so tender to one another that i was close to ripping my hair out (positively)

I couldn't put it into words myself, but there are layers to Seiji feeling like Jesse's mirror to Nicholas telling Seiji he is never broken to Nicholas breaking Seiji's watch in the beginning to Seiji saying he doesn't wanna be 'Jesse's broken mirror' to Nicholas getting the watch fixed and Seiji not taking it off. There is some unexpectedly complex writing going on in there. Someone smarter than me can you please explain it better — I am having trouble sorting the thoughts swiveling in my brain.

The complexity does end there for Nichoji (Nickseiji? I think it's Nichoji) though. Seiji is still my favorite and is the best character (along with Mr. Katayama now, what an icon already), but Nicholas was my blood relative, my little brother, my second cousing thrice removed. I can't recognize him anymore. 

I have no clue why SRB decided to baby-fy him so much, but it really isn't appreciated. Nick's entire world does revolve around fencing and he is oblivious to most facts of life because of it (mirroring Seiji — ha! mirror.) but to mold him to a point where he doesn't know what romance is? Or he is incapable of reading social cues like Seiji? What is the point of Nicholas being Seiji's appointed social bodyguard then? Not only does it not make sense within the book itself, it doesnt coincide with the canon established by the comics either. I don't get why this happened to Nick, it really shouldn't have. 

He was the most fleshed out character of the comics (and since this is more a Haiden spinoff I get why he isn't the focus, that is not my point), he is a shell of what he was mixed with defined characteristics of Seiji. Not in his usual way, not in a "they have been friends for so long" way. It's September.

Someone in the reviews said Aiden reads like Fanon Draco Malfoy and to that I say, you are absolutely correct, fine reader. You put to words what I couldn't. I never much cared for Aiden, though this book made me type "I feel so bad for Aiden right now." at least six times because of HOW. OBLIVIOUS. HARVARD. IS.

Seiji and Eugene were interestingly the only characterizations Brennan got right, in my opinion. Their collusion, or friendship, was also a welcome addition because they are just so funny together, bro.

Character Assasinations aside, this book made me go hand-on-mouth, audibly gasp, tear up on two ocassions. And I actually do adore the writing style.

AND THE YEARNING. Who can forget about the yearning.


  Bottom Line:
 The yearning. The humor. Nick and Aiden were so far off their comics self I cringed a few times. THE MIRROR AND THE WATCH AND THE FAKE DATING AND THE SEIGENE BROMANCE. I rest my case. Book good, comics excellent.

--------------


  before review:


okay review still to come in the morning however i did change my rating from 5 to 4 after the initial haze of this book was over. will explain. i prefer the graphic novels more i think.

The boys of Kings Row head to France with exes, rivalries, and secrets in this original YA novel by New York Times bestselling author Sarah Rees Brennan--inspired by the award-nominated comic series by C.S. Pacat and Johanna The Mad. The boys of Kings Row are off to a training camp in Europe! Surrounded impressive scenery and even more impressive European fencing teams, underdog Nicholas can't help but feel out of place. With the help of a local legend, though, he and the rest of the team finds it within themselves to face superior fencers, ex-boyfriends, expulsion, and even Nicholas's golden-boy, secret half-brother, the infamous Jesse Coste. Will Aiden and Harvard end up together, though? En garde! The second installment of this enticing original YA novel series by Sarah Rees Brennan, rich with casual diversity and queer self-discovery, explores never-before-seen drama inspired by C.S. Pacat's critically acclaimed Fence comic series. Text and Illustration copyright: © 2021 BOOM! Studios Fence(TM) and © 2021 C.S. Pacat

dnf'ed at around 60%, found myself not caring enough anymore. probably won't follow through with any of the other novels but i definitely will still read the comics. word of advice to the newcomers to the series, the novels are not necessary, and not worth your time — regardless of what the fence drought might be causing to your brain.

brianna

“he realized now why people said at sea to express feeling bewildered and lost, nothing but mysterious distance all around them with nobody else in sight and only fear of what might he become.”
 

are these books actually good? mmm maybe not but they bring me an immense amount of comfort and i love these characters SO much

Amanda

Cute story, well-written with great characters. Not fond of the ending. I know it's the first of a series and based on other source material, but it just didn't work for me. This feels like the kind of story that could have been closed in one book and then focus on another couple in the next book. If you're not into open endings for your romance, maybe wait until more of the books come out.

Aditi

A solid 3/5.

I believe that these books are part of the Fence universe and when the next volume of the graphic novels arrive, they will take these stories into account.

** spoiler alert **
           I just found the ending with Aidan and Harvard so cliched and annoying, but otherwise it's an interesting take on the graphic novels. Which I prefer. But any Fence story, especially one written in close collaboration with CS Pacat is of course welcome, and I think the author does a good job with writing something that was clearly born in someone else's mind. I think she got most of the characters down really well, except that while I was reading I found a couple of obvious story errors that threw me out a little, since I was certain CS Pacat would not make them, but now I cannot remember what they were, just that they were there. 

Please just fix the Aidan Harvard thing. I hated that bit, and I love those guys, especially Aidan.

Edit: Yes, I now recall one of the OOC things that had annoyed me: apparently the narrator character for the chapter did not recognise/ had to introduce Kally and Tanner. WTF?? I also feel like Kally and Tanner should have been a much larger part of this story? Like why are Bobby and Dante there so much and not the guys who were actually in the team the previous year? Yeah, so I'll give this something like a 2.5/5.

Vajas Johanna 

Aditi Verma

✨Tyler ✨

Tiffany Robinson

OMG I loved this book. It was so good. I need more Fence novels in my life.

The only complaint I have of this book is that it was to short. I really liked that we got to know the characters better. I can not wait until the next book comes out!!

Hannah

I expected more fencing out of this but still loved every single page

Abi Baker

all of these kids are oblivious idiots and it's going to make me scream.

The boys of Kings Row bout with drama, rivalry, and romance in this original YA novel by The New York Times bestselling author Sarah Rees Brennan — inspired by the award-nominated comic series by C.S. Pacat and Johanna The Mad. Sixteen-year-old Nicholas Cox is the illegitimate son of a retired fencing champion who dreams of getting the proper training he could never afford. After earning a place on the elite Kings Row fencing team, Nicholas must prove himself to his rival, Seiji Katayma, and navigate the clashes, friendships, and relationships between his teammates on the road to state championships -- where Nicholas might finally have the chance to spar with his golden-boy half-brother. Coach Williams decides to take advantage of the boys' morale after a recent victory and assigns them a course of team building exercises to further deepen their bonds. It takes a shoplifting scandal, a couple of moonlit forest strolls, several hilariously bad dates, and a whole lot of introspection for the team to realize they are stronger together than they could ever be apart. The first installment of this enticing original YA novel series by Sarah Rees Brennan, rich with casual diversity and queer self-discovery, explores never-before-seen drama inspired by C.S. Pacat's critically acclaimed Fence comic series and boasts original cover and interior art by Johanna The Mad. Text and Illustration copyright: © 2020 BOOM! StudiosFence(TM) and © 2020 C.S. Pacat

nothing gives me serotonin quite like this series does

karl

‣ TITLE: Fence Striking distance 

‣ AUTHOR: Sarah Rees Brennan

‣ GENRE: Young Adult

‣ RATING: 5/5

‣ SUMMARY
Coach Williams decides to take advantage of the boys' morale after a recent victory and assigns them a course of team building exercises to further deepen their bonds. It takes a shoplifting scandal, a couple of moonlit forest strolls, several hilariously bad dates, and a whole lot of introspection for the team to realize they are stronger together than they could ever be apart. 

‣ THOUGHTS
I LOVE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THE CHARACTERS. i ship two main ships so much they own my heart. i am excited to read the second book. i will never get over this book and the characters

Natali Topliff

Based on the comics, this novelisation takes place after the first volume (I believe) and follows a group of teenagers who have one thing in common, fencing! When their coach says they must learn to bond as a team, each approaches it in their own way, leading to some wonderful realisations about each other, and true character development.

Lisa Beasley

While the characters did read a bit differently than the graphic novels I still really enjoyed the story. My heart hurt for Aidan and Harvard, I just want a happy ending for them. Aidan definitely grew on me in this book, I felt so sorry for him as we learnt more about his past and the moment with his stepmother got me in the feels.

Seiji and Nicolas are both so oblivious and adorable I want to protect them at all costs.

3.75/4 stars.

Madison Craft &
Fence: Striking Distance by Sarah Rees Brennan

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