by Ayad Akhtar
First published 2020
Seven college students come together to form their own self-defense workshop. A sorority sister has been raped, and they need to learn how to protect themselves. They transform their bodies into weapons, practicing kicks and blocks and holds. But the workshop becomes something more complicated. As they grapple with each other physically, they confront their own desires and fears. The students discover that learning to fight back opens channels for their rage and trauma. They wrestle with what they want from each other and how to ask for it. The workshop forces them to examine how rape culture threatens not just their bodies but their sense of belonging on campus. Through sweat and struggle, they search for ways to heal in a world that feels dangerous.
Genres: fiction, drama, contemporary, social-issues, activism, academic
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, friends-to-lovers
Setting: Campus
Period: 21st-Century
139 pages · Paperback · Yale University Press
Content warnings: rape, sexual-assault, violence