Fence: Striking Distance

I preordered this book months ago based on the comics. This story was written by a different author, needless to say it has a notably different tone. As the coach attemps to bring the team together she is waylaid by differences in temperament and upbringing. While the writing has plenty of humor and plenty of fun (and awkward) dialogue those who enjoy fencing and a story based on teamwork and competitiveness will definitely be disappointed. What you get instead is pages of teenage angst in the form of Aiden\’s and Harvard\’s relationship, literal chapters of their back and fourth. Add to that some truly stereotypical drama, cue the I\’m selfish and self centered and treat people like garbage cause daddy had money and that\’s what he used to do and you got yourself a story that feels like it\’s been written a thousand times before. The part\’s that focus on Seiji and Nicolas stay fairly superficial, never delving into any significant interactions or realizations. Is it worth the read? Sure, but definitely not at the asking price. The $10 pre-order for some whinny teenagers and spotty writing was a bit much.

4.5 stars If you are a fan of Kings Row and its fencing team you would love reading more about where the boys are coming from and where they are heading. If you are an impatient fan of romance you may find this interlude into their fencing season a little bit like torture. The apple is dangled, and you get. a bite but it gets swiftly snatched back. I must say that at first I was very reluctant to accept how the voices of each of the boys came through. There was a bit of dissonance between what I was reading and what I remembered from the comics. But as pages went along this feeling went away and the boys started sounding more like I thought they would. Looking forward to more of the comics.

Based on the popular and incredibly charming “Fence” comics from C.S. Pacat and Johanna the Mad, this novel takes place in the same universe with the same characters, but a completely new story separate from the comics. In this book we get a lot of Nicholas and Seiji, but the real story is between Harvard and Aiden. The coach of King’s Row fencing is concerned with her team dynamics. She wants them to bond as a team. Aiden misses practices and matches to go on numerous dates. Seiji is committed but doesn’t have social skills. Harvard works really hard taking care of everyone but himself. The team is required to write an essay about teamwork to teach them a lesson. The coach convinces Harvard to do something for himself so Harvard gets set up on a date. The galavanting Aiden is annoyed at Harvard’s new independence. In the meantime, when Nicholas is bulled by some King’s Row students in town, Seiji and Eugene team up to help him out. This book was utterly charming and delightful. It was fantastic to spend more time with these characters, especially Aiden and Harvard. This novel is perfect for middle school and older with themes of queer romance, but without the adult aspect. This is a light read that will make you feel good at the end. A well-read individual can probably track where the novel is going early on, and it’s not full of twists and surprises. But the humor, the gentle cadence, the satisfying ending all make this a fun and entertaining book to read. I love it and I can’t wait for more from “Fence. ★★★★★ • Trade Paperback • Fiction – Gay, Romance • Published by Little Brown for Young Readers on September 29, 2020. ◾︎

I love the Fence comics, and I have been so excited to continue the story with these amazing characters. Was it nice to be with them all again? Yes (kind of). Was the book readable? Yes (kind of). The truth is that the characters feel and sound different. Aiden and Harvard are pretty much the same. So is Eugene. However, a number of characters who were big parts of the comics have been left out. Meanwhile, Nicholas and Seigi are similar to their comic counterparts but act less mature and certainly more ignorant than they seemed in the other books. Dialogue. Motivations. Personality. Something changed… for the worst. Most of the conflict was superficial. My only assumption is that the true story (of the team trying to beat Exon in the championships) is something they are saving for the books. I will say that some of the best descriptions of kissing, and secret feelings for your best friend, are in this book. However, the end result, in this book, of two characters’ “will they won’t they” relationship frustrated me because the conflict felt contrived. If you were hoping for the skillful weaving of teen drama and exciting fencing (and fencing education. I’ve learned a lot about this sport through the comics), stick with the comics and wait for CS to come out with another volume.

So I super enjoyed this novel. It was very interesting I loved seeing all the characters stories get developed. I also found Aiden and Harvard\’s miscommunication to be realistic. However, I also ultimately I feel like Aiden should have just explained how he felt. Why I\’m giving this three stars is because I hate how Nicholas is made out to be an idiot. Also it seems to be suggesting he is an idiot because of his socioeconomic status. Also I found it odd how Aiden abruptly changed after meeting one of his step moms. I like that he experienced some character growth but it was very abrupt and without him contemplating how he felt. Ultimately, due to four character perspectives some characters were skimmed over. Especially Nicholas and Seiji.

Galaxyaudiobook Member Benefit

- Able to comment

- List watched audiobooks

- List favorite audiobooks

- Bookmark will only available for Galaxyaudiobook member