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About Caged Warrior
Product Description A ferocious novel, Caged Warrior is like a great fight movie, a tour-de-force of relentless conflict, but one that is leavened with rich characters and meaningful and loving relationships. McCutcheon Daniels' life is full of bone-cracking violence. As a star fighter in the gritty underground Mixed Martial Arts circuit in the poorest section of Detroit, McCutcheon fights under the tutelage of his volatile and violent father, not so much for himself but to survive as protector of his beloved five-year old sister, Gemma. As McCutcheon battles opponents who are literally trying to kill him, he struggles to find a way to protect her and himself. Along the way, he decides to trust a teacher who has taken an interest in him and begins to redirect the path his life is taking. Until he discovers the truth about his mother who seemingly disappeared on his thirteenth birthday. From School Library Journal Gr 9 Up—In run-down Detroit, 16-year-old McCutcheon Daniels's mother has left, and his druggie, lowlife father is training him to be a champion in a mixed martial arts ring—sometimes dubbed human cock fighting. When McCutcheon describes a fighter who is "carried out of the coop with a pool of blood flowing…one eyeball dangling from an empty, hollow socket attached by a few thin shreds of meaty string," that term fits, and more cringe-worthy scenes abound. The teen is forced to compete in these bloody and dangerous matches for the Mafialike Priests, where life and limb are at risk as his father racks up thousands in gambling dollars. McCutcheon gets a pittance in return that he uses to lovingly care for his five-year-old sister, Gemma, in a shabby apartment. Despite all his challenges, the protagonist is likable and tries to be a good guy, and when his science teacher gets him into a competitive, highly academic charter school, he knows he is at a crossroads. However, his evil father and the Priests refuse to let go of their star. This fast-paced, engrossing, and intense story balances repulsive behavior, profane language, and even child prostitution with gentler moments where McCutcheon cares for Gemma and is attracted to a nice girl out of his league. Several truths are revealed toward the drop-off ending as McCutcheon enters a witness protection program, leaving the option for a sequel. Mature readers of the similarly tough, disturbing, and well-written Tap Out by Eric Devine (Running Pr., 2012) will be drawn to this book as well.—Diane P. Tuccillo, Poudre River Public Library District, CO From Booklist On the mean streets of Detroit, McCutcheon Daniels—aka Bam Bam—has a mean rep in the underground sport of mixed martial arts. Trained by his father, McCutcheon has been preened to be a fighter with killa instinct whose no-holds-barred battles are his family’s sole source of income. Out of the cage, this weekend warrior is a tenth-grader and loving brother who does everything he can to keep his little sister safe and provided for. When a teacher takes a special interest in McCutcheon, offering him a future that isn’t determined by his fists, he is given a choice for the first time in his life, but it’s one that might incur the wrath of his father as well as the men running the fight circuit. Sitomer pulls no punches in this novel where fights and life alike are merciless and characterized by grit, blood, endurance, and smarts. Yet amid the violence, McCutcheon’s inner strength shines, guaranteeing readers will back him through the book’s harsh twists and turns. Grades 9-12. --Julia Smith Review Praise for Caged Warrior: "The book is a brisk read, made all the more appealing by the author's blend of heartfelt sentiment and sensational sports drama. . . . Smart, insightful and brimming with earned optimism."― Kirkus Reviews About the Author Alan Lawrence Sitomer is a nationally renowned speaker and was California's Teacher of the Year in 2007. He is also the author of multiple works fo
