I decided to take a chance on the book "Fence," about the sport of fencing, since two of my preferred authors contributed to it. Normally, I'm not particularly interested in books about sports. However, I've enjoyed a number of fantasy novels by Sarah Reese Brennan, the author of this book. I also liked the title "Dark Rising" by C.S. Pacat who wrote the original series of award-winning graphic novels that Brennan based this book on. Yes, Brennan's book "Fence" is actually an adaptation of a series of graphic novels written by Pacat, who also usually writes fantasy titles.
The story unfolds in alternating viewpoints from the four members who have just made the fencing team at a boys' prep school. Our teammates consist of: Nicholas the scholarship student, Harvard the team captain, Aiden the gorgeous self-centered slacker, and Seije, ultra-disciplined, socially awkward and the best fencer on the team. We learn each boy's backstory and how their individual characters came to be shaped.
There are lots of things to like about this book. First off is the humor. Nicholas and Seiji are both misfits at this exclusive school, Nicholas because of his financial background and Seiji because of his lack of social skills. Brennan was sympathetic to these characters (and not mean-spirited). Aiden's self-centeredness also generates a good deal of hilarity. While I didn't care for Aiden much, I did have sympathy for him as his backstory was revealed.
I appreciated the diversity of the characters. Various ethnic groups are represented. The coach is a Black woman and the team captain, Harvard, is Black. Aiden and several other characters are gay. An important secondary character is non-binary. I also appreciated that each character had an important backstory that explained how their personality was shaped. It was fun to learn about fencing, a sport I haven't encountered much.
I enjoyed the story so much I checked out all of the graphic novels in the series I could get my hands on. If you like humor and diversity, I recommend you check this book out.
Qhyrrae Michaelieu is the Adult Services Manager at the Missouri River Regional Library.