Joel Christian Gill's Fights: One Boy's Triumph Over Violence is a searing and poignant graphic memoir that vividly captures the tumultuous journey of a boy growing up amidst violence and adversity. This deeply personal narrative is a testament to resilience, hope, and the power of self-discovery.
Gill's memoir takes readers through his early years, marked by bullying, physical confrontations, and a home environment fraught with instability. As a young boy, Joel grapples with a world where violence seems to be the only language understood. The graphic novel format allows Gill to convey the raw, unfiltered experiences of his youth, using powerful visuals to depict scenes of conflict and struggle. Despite the grim realities, the memoir is imbued with moments of light and hope, showcasing Joel's journey toward self-acceptance and peace.
One of the central themes of Fights is the pervasive impact of violence on a young mind. Gill does not shy away from illustrating the psychological and emotional scars left by his encounters. However, the memoir is not just a recounting of hardships. It is also a story of resilience and the relentless pursuit of a better life. The narrative explores the importance of education, self-expression, and the transformative power of art. Gill's love for drawing becomes a refuge, a way to process his experiences and envision a future beyond his circumstances.
The artwork in Fights is both striking and evocative. Gill's illustrations capture the intensity of his experiences, from the chaotic scenes of street fights to the quieter, introspective moments of personal growth. The use of color and shading enhances the emotional depth of the story, making the reader feel intimately connected to Joel's journey. The graphic novel format is particularly effective in conveying the immediacy and impact of violent encounters, as well as the slow, gradual process of healing.
Gill's writing is honest and unflinching. He does not sanitize his story or gloss over the more painful aspects of his past. Instead, he presents his experiences with a raw authenticity that is both compelling and heartbreaking. The dialogue and narration are straightforward, allowing the illustrations to carry much of the emotional weight. This synergy between text and image creates a powerful, immersive reading experience.
Fights: One Boy's Triumph Over Violence is a remarkable memoir that offers a deeply moving and insightful look into the life of a young boy navigating a world of violence. Joel Christian Gill's story is one of pain and hardship, but also of hope, resilience, and the transformative power of art. This graphic novel is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the complexities of growing up in a violent environment and the strength it takes to overcome such challenges. Gill's memoir is not just a story of survival; it is a celebration of the human spirit's capacity to endure and thrive.
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While this is a difficult book given the subject matter, it is a much needed story to be told. It's a stark reminder that not all kids grow up in a privileged, safe environment and that their bullies and abusers aren't just the kids at school, but many times their own family members, too. Joel Christian Gill could have easily ended up further in the school-to-prison pipeline, but he realized early enough what to do to get himself out of it. Joel was one of the lucky ones and I am glad that the decisions he made got him to where he is, so that he can turn around and shine some hope for the next generation. I challenge those who couldn't connect with the story to take a closer look at their own privilege.

4 STAR
A review copy was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

t/w: dead animal, death, blood, physical violence, profanity, abuse, sexual assault, racism

This is a memoir written in the form of a graphic novel about a light-skinned black man from a poor family, raised with violence all around him.

Nothing about this book is light. If you're looking for a light, fun and easy read, this is not a book you should pick up now, but I do recommend that you save it to read in the future.

This book sheds light on how trauma affects everyone and how children, especially, absorb the behaviour of their surroundings. It is definitely a wake up call, especially when violence, bullying and abuse cases are going up everywhere in the world.

In this book, the author uses a kindling fire above the characters as a visual representation of anger, of course, but I also understood it as events that eventually add together to cause someone to burst.

From a stylistic point of view, it does a great job in censorship, especially the scenes of sexual assault since it is a graphic novel. It is handled carefully, with a pitch-black scene and speech bubbles.

Although this book is a memoir, some characters were not exactly real but a combination of different people in the author's life. Though the ending was heartbreaking for me, since I really, really appreciated the character. But it also emphasised on the importance of checking up on our friends, especially those who were always the calm, levelheaded ones in most situations.

It isn't a preachy book, but it does make you reflect, especially when you see children bullying one another and picking up abusive and harmful behaviours from their parents. It's definitely our duty to heal from our traumas so we won't pass it on to anyone else.

A memoir of Gill's childhood, growing up poor and black in the burgeoning crack era of the 80's. Constantly pushed to fight to defend himself, Gill reflects on a childhood where the have-nots look to take out upon one another in a culture learned from older children and adults. As kids are picked on by those larger than themselves, they then learn similar behavior they dish out to those smaller than themselves. As Gill's grows older, he learns to become more at peace with himself, but still must navigate the troubled waters of adolescence and the teen years when some conflicts can't be avoided. I like how he learned from his childhood and kept from passing the behavior onto his own children. The cartoony art works well here in juxtaposition to the heavy subject manner.

I hardly feel qualified to review this book. It takes you on all the ups and downs -- chaos and catharsis -- of one black American childhood. If there's one thing the medium of fiction is good for, it's encouraging empathy (and unfortunately sometimes non-fiction loses that element during the attempt to deliver accuracy over relatable narrative). Delivering Gill's story in graphic novel format is an incredible choice that allows the reader to connect even more emotionally thanks to powerful imagery. I don't know if there's hope for America at this point (and it's certainly not the responsibility of the black community to save us), but if there is hope -- this kind of raw vulnerability and honesty is the brightest of it.

This is a brutal, insightful graphic memoir that which deals with the constant fights that Joel Christian Gill got into as a result of racism, bullying at school, sexual assault during his this growing up years at the backdrop of the crack cocaine boom of 1980s.
I love the illustrations showing the angst of a young Black boy , the bright use of colours, the absolute pitch black panels portraying the sexual assaults and the image of flame and water, to show the rising anger /point of breakdown of the characters.
I would highly recommend everyone to read this memoir.

One of the better graphic memoirs I've read in a long time. The author doesn't try to sugarcoat any of his past: extreme poverty, physical and sexual abuse at several hands, the fear of growing up in the big city during the late 80's and finally the reality of being a dad in a world very different from what he grew up in. With all that he still manages to make is funny and heartwarming and hopeful.

This is heavy. Trigger warning heavy. But incredible. And the author is able to bring a sense of joy on the depths of his life experiences to push out something into the world that was better than the horrendous things he endured. Read this. Thanks to the author, publisher, and netgalley for providing me a copy of this in exchange for my review.

'Fights: One Boy's Triumph Over Violence' with story and art by Joel Christian Gill is a graphic memoir about the author. Very graphic.

In a moving memoir, the author tells about his childhood. His father was distant, and died when the Joel was quite young. He grew up being abused and beaten by those around him, and had no one to fend for him. He learned to fight back, but he also, eventually, learned how to avoid fights.

The story is brutal in nature, but has some moments of humor. This is balanced incredibly well. This is a book for a young person in your life that may not see a way out of their circumstances. It is an amazing story of endurance and transformation.

I've been fortunate enough to read a few graphic novels that Joel Christian Gill has written. It's safe to say I'm a pretty big fan of what he does.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Oni Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

Gill's story is one of violence and the way that it becomes an intrinsic part of a person's life. Even a person who is naturally gentle. It is circumstance and fear that leads a young Joel to violent action. And once it finds entry into his life he comes to rely on in more and it becomes harder to separate. This memoir invites the reader to consider the background of people involved in fights and riots that we hear about on the news, to see them as a whole person rather than the action we've heard about. It's a thoughtful journey that doesn't hold back when it comes to harsh realities

A wonderfully executed graphic novel memoir about a young man's experience with violence. Gorgeous illustrations and an excellent narrative.

I loved loved loved this graphic novel!!!! The art style was beautiful and unique and the story itself was so engaging. It is such a heartbreaking but important story that needed to be told. Absolutely loved this.

Gobbled up this memoir by Joel Christian Gill in one sitting. I love his other graphic novels about Bessy Stringfield and Bass Reeves, and I am grateful that he's written his own story now, as well.

Fights is his own story of growing up and trying to navigate a turbulent, ever-changing environment. Gill has to fight for his safety, fight to make his own way, fight to break a chain of violence and dysfunction.

I love his work. It's beautifully drawn, powerfully worded, and deeply moving. It's an important story.

This was an intense retelling of Gill's childhood to adulthood. He puts a lot of himself out for the public to see in a very open and raw way. I honestly don't know how to really speak about this review, except to say that I know this isn't a single experience, and that many children of color go through very similar experiences. I think this is a novel that many people need to read, not only to understand the experiences, but to understand the reason so many of these young boys fight back so much. There's no one there for them, and it takes a long time to figure out how to be there for themselves.

Gill talking about the library being a safe place for him really struck me as a librarian. I know there are many times when young boys are kicked out just for being a little louder than most. I'm glad he was able to be there and found a chance to let the fire cool.

I liked the artwork and all the color that was used in this, it really helped expressed what Gill was feeling throughout the novel. Some of it became a little too cartoonish, but still had that raw emotional aspect to it. I really enjoyed reading this.

Copy provided by NetGalley.

This was a really tough read at times with content and language. There were often slurs on every page and Gill did not live an easy life. However, I urge you to read it to understand what went on in his life, as it is a really eye opening experience. The word choice and metaphors used in this novel are absolutely breathtaking and since they go on throughout the novel, they urge you to keep reading as the memoir progresses. The art style is really simple and easy to follow, while also being its own unique entity in the memoir.

Fights has unique artwork and a powerful story to tell. A fantastic example of the graphic novel medium.

I wouldn't say it was my fave book ever, but if I am honest I do sometimes struggle with the lack of fluidity in graphic novels so I have taken that into account when I picked a rating.
I feel like this graphic novel was sensitive, honest and unflinching. The way this text deals with childhood and burgeoning masculinity is really wonderful. I think it's inspiring and cautionary, and will benefit the reader whatever the age.

Love the novel graphics and how it told an amazing life story. I felt like I understood the life story and would recommend this book to all my friends.

Fights is an autobiographical graphic novel that tells the story of Joel Christian Gill. The wording of this story is easy to follow and engaging. The illustrations are gorgeous and realistic. As the title suggests the recurring theme of the graphic novel is fighting. Each phase of the author’s life has some type of fight involved. I was gifted this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow... what a powerful book!
Joel's story is a difficult one, full of ~Fights~ but also full of love.
I cried multiple times while reading this and would recommend to anyone. It has an amazing message.