I didn’t think a boxing novel would be my favorite book of the summer. But Rita Bullwinkel’s Headshot isn’t just about boxing—it’s about ambition, identity, and the fire that drives young women to fight.
Released in 2024, Headshot was longlisted for the Booker Prize and earned a spot on The New York Times‘ 100 Notable Books of the year. I picked up my copy at House of Books in Kent, CT (shoutout to indie bookstores) while stocking up on August reads. By the end of the first chapter, I knew it was something special.
I’m a Sports Fan—but Not a Boxing One
Like many, I love watching women’s sports. But my fandom has never extended to boxing—male or female. I do appreciate a well-crafted boxing movie (Million Dollar Baby is in my top 25 films, The Fighter in my top 50), but I’ve never once paid to watch a live match. Boxing as a spectator sport just never appealed.
What does draw me in are the personal stories—the training, the grit, the motivation behind the punches. That’s where Headshot lands its best hits.
Eight Girls, One Ring
Set during a fictional Daughters of America Cup youth boxing tournament in Reno, Headshot follows eight of the country’s top under-18 female fighters as they converge in a sweltering gym in the middle of summer. They’re here to compete, to win, and to prove something—to themselves and to the world.
Each chapter centers on a different bout, giving us a window into the lives and minds of these extraordinary young women. Their motivations vary—rivalry, love of the sport, grief, even pure rage—and it’s this range that makes the book so compelling.
Here’s just one quote that stopped me in my tracks:
“Girls are born with all of the eggs they will ever make. Tiny future fighters are nested inside the infant bodies of baby girls. Men are dead ends, but girls are infinite backwards and forwards…”
Let that sink in. Men are dead ends, but girls are infinite. If you’re looking for a summer read with feminist energy and literary weight, this is it.
A Fast, Fierce Read
At just over 200 pages, the book moves briskly, but the writing never feels rushed. Bullwinkel’s prose is sharp, unflinching, and often darkly funny. It doesn’t glamorize the sport—but it does respect it. You feel every jab, every breath, every moment of doubt and determination.
“Rachel Doricko wants to be amazing. She wants to be the wildfire equivalent of a girl boxing…”
One of my favorite lines (and there are many) paints a vivid character with just a few words:
“He looks like the relative everyone wished declined the obligatory invitation to Thanksgiving dinner.”
It’s that kind of cutting, clever writing that kept me hooked. I brought this on a plane to Charleston and nearly finished in in one seating.
Time Jumps and Character Payoffs
Another thing I loved? Bullwinkel plays with time. We get glimpses of where these girls end up 20 years after they hang up their gloves. This approach adds depth without feeling forced—it’s not a tidy epilogue, but a layered, earned resolution.
Final Bell: Why Headshot Stands Out
Headshot surprised me. It’s not just a sports novel. It’s a powerful meditation on girlhood, ambition, and what it means to be seen—as an athlete, as a competitor, and as a person. It delivers style, substance, and a fresh perspective on a sport too often overlooked in women’s fiction.
It’s hands-down my favorite book of the summer.
Read On: The plane to Charleston, SC on a girls’ trip.
One Line Summary: A fierce, fast-paced novel that uses the boxing ring to explore girlhood, ambition, and the quiet power of being seen.
For Fans of: Think Million Dollar Baby meets The Power—with teenage girls, boxing gloves, and literary fire.
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