Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

 

This weekend, I read Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley. This realistic fiction novel is about Della, a ten-year-old girl who has been raised by her sixteen-year-old sister, Suki. The story begins just after Della gets a tattoo of an ampersand and she reflects on what happened in her life that led up to that point. Years ago, Della and Suki ended up living with their mother's boyfriend, Clifton, after their mother had a psychotic break when she caused an explosion in their hotel room's bathroom. After Clifton touches Della inappropriately, the sisters run away to their friend Teena's house. Within days, they are put into the foster care system with a woman, Francine. Although Della struggles at school where she is bullied by a classmate, Trevor, she likes living with Francine and makes a new friend, Nevaeh. Soon, things take a heartbreaking turn when Suki tries to take her own life. In that moment, Della realizes that what Clifton did to her was only the tip of the iceberg. As the weeks go by, Della wonders who was looking out for Suki all those years and must find her voice to speak out on abuse and harassment.

This novel was such a powerful and riveting story that I couldn't stop reading. Although some parts were difficult to read, it shines a light on the important issue of child sexual abuse. I definitely appreciated that the author used humor sometimes to lighten the mood. For example, it was funny when Della substituted the word "snow" for any swear words she said when telling her story. I also loved the relationship that she had with Suki. It saddened me when Suki began to push away Della and it was terrifying how close Della got to losing Suki forever. I also enjoyed Della's relationship with Francine, Nevaeh, Coach Tony, and a deli worker at Food City, Maybelline. These four characters were definitely a great support system for Della. On the other hand, Trevor was completely annoying and I just wanted to slap him for harassing Della even though I know that violence is never the answer. Although Clifton isn't in many scenes because he was being held in jail for most of the story, he's a lingering presence due to his impact on Della and Suki. I hated him for the pain he caused them. I would recommend Fighting Words to anyone who wants to read an incredible story of sisterhood.