‘Headshot’ book review: Bold & heartfelt

Rita Bullwinkel’s debut novel ‘Headshot’ was longlisted for The Booker Prize 2024 as well as the Center for Fiction Best Debut. It also made it to Barack Obama’s 2024 Summer Reading List. Bullwinkel’s writing has gotten her many accolades. Her short story collection ‘Belly Up’ won a 2022 Whiting Award. Her writings have been featured in various publications. She is the Assistant Professor of English at University of San Francisco in the US. 

Headshot is the story of eight teenage girl boxers. The story is narrated in a series of face-offs during a championship tournament. I hadn’t read anything like it before. The concept was new and refreshing and Bullwinkel keeps the story tight and action packed. As the girls box and compete, you get to know their stories—their past and their hopes for the future, their weaknesses and strengths, what drives them and what makes them tick, and the many characteristics that make them unique. Each girl has her own baggage and hang ups and they are all fighting their own battles, whether it is with themselves or within their families. 

The characters are complex and compelling. There’s Artemis Victor who thinks she’s the prettiest girl in the tournament but who will, even if she wins, always be second best to her sister. Her opponent Andy Taylor is haunted by the image of her father’s dead body. Without him, she needs someone to rely on. Rachel Doricko wears a strange hat and likes to intimidate people. Kate Heffer, on the other hand, is governed by plans and rules and thinks it is what will help her achieve success in life. Izzy and Iggy Lang are cousins. While Iggy has been inspired by Izzy to take up boxing, Izzy doesn’t understand why her annoying cousin would want to copy her. 

The narrative isn’t linear, hopping between the past, present, and the future, and the characters make frequent appearances which allows you to get to know them better. A commonality among the characters is that these are all teenage girls on the cusp of adulthood and they all belong to working class families. The author shows their struggles of trying to break free from whatever holds them back as well as their hopes for the future. I was invested in the story as I wanted to know what became of these girls after the tournament. Headshot isn’t a big book but it’s so nicely written and structured that the story feels complete. 

Bullwinkel has an eye for details and that makes the scenes come alive. I felt like I was watching a match while it happened and the girls were right there in front of my eyes. Even their thoughts and emotions were so beautifully described that I was totally consumed by these characters. The story also anticipates how the girl’s lives will pan out when they stop competing and whether they will even forge a career in boxing. In that way, it also examines what it means to be a sportsperson and how it defines their life. I was especially enthralled by the writing and found myself reading certain passages over and over again. 

The book isn’t that long but there’s a lot to unpack in the story. You might be able to resonate with a character or two or find that you identify with certain traits in different girls. It calls for a lot of introspection and that is what made Headshot an important read for me. I would recommend it to anyone looking for something new and immersive. You won’t be disappointed. 

Headshot

Rita Bullwinkel

Published: 2024

Publisher: Daunt Books 

Pages: 248, Paperback