I often read about the lack of adolescent males reading books these days. As a male teen, and an avid reader, I can see exactly why. Much of the reason is because there just doesn’t seem to be much choice out there! I am not interested in vampire’s romantic escapades. That fact is, there is very little out there for male teens. That’s why I think series is perfect. I don’t believe it glorifies violence in any way, and while there is no sex or coarse language, I think the themes are mature enough even for adults.
There is little doubt that UFC is now one of the biggest sports in the world. I wasn’t a big fan at first, but I have gradually been convinced that it is one of the most exciting things you can ever watch. So, when I came across the new fiction teen series Cageside Chronicles, I investigated further and downloaded the first novel for my Kindle.
There is currently a full trilogy available (Tommy Knuckles Trilogy) in the Cageside Chronicles series, but more are promised to come, and the start of a new trilogy (The Brothers Trilogy) is actually previewed at the end of the third Tommy Knuckles book.
When I first began reading Fighting the Storm (the first book in the series) it immediately took me to a place that I was not expecting. I guess I assumed this would be some kind of teen-style UFC story, much like the movie Never Back Down. But I soon realized this book is so much more than just a simple action story for boys.
It’s really an emotion coming-of-age saga about a young boy in Mexico named Tommy, struggling to live his life day by day. His American father is long passed, and Tommy has little to live for. But when the famous boxer Cesar Condor returns to town for a weekend, Tommy’s father’s past is slowly revealed and Tommy is taken in a new direction in life as a man named Sonny takes him under his wing. Soon enough, Tommy is off on an adventure attempting to cross the border illegally, and making his way to the fighting cages of Las Vegas. Along the way he not only fights the men in the cages, but also the demons of his father’s past as more and more history is unveiled – and there is even some genuine romance for good measure.
I loved this book! And the sequels are even better. I loved how the main story is taking you through his growth and fighting, but there is always this mysterious dark past in the background, slowly unveiling a much deeper story.
The characters are very memorable: especially Tommy’s little brother Esteban, the fight promoter Miguel, and even the coyote that helps him cross the border. I found him hysterical.
This was a surprise delight for me and I would recommend it to anyone. Even if you don’t like UFC and fighting, this book is so much more.