The Bones of Me

Using dynamic verse and sincere prose, debut author Duckhouse chronicles teenage boxer Molly Levine’s past and present in this “old school East End”–set London mystery. Chapters titled “The Before Days” take place in Molly’s past, depicting her close relationship with older brother Denny, also an amateur boxer, who starts coaching Molly at a local fitness center while hiding her training from their disapproving, mercurial father. Chapters titled “Nowadays” center Molly’s present and Denny’s unexplained disappearance the night before her first fight, her desperation to find him, and her boxing aspirations. When police release a warrant for Denny’s arrest in connection with an assault that occurred near their fitness club, Molly enlists fellow boxer Kwaku to help find him before the cops do, and prove his innocence, even as she secretly trains for her upcoming match. Duckhouse slyly drops clues about Denny’s disappearance, their father’s mysterious past, and an increasingly sketchy situation that culminates in Molly’s tense climactic match, all told in cockney-slang-laden and sensory verse. Prominent messages about classism and forgiveness add layers to this insightful rendering of the amateur boxing world. Ages 14–up. Agent: Julia Churchill, A.M. Heath Literary. (Oct.)