Warrior Angel [Hardcover]

Robert Lipsyte (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2004

Sonny Bear is a champion. . . but he needs the help of an angel.

Sonny Bear, the Tomahawk Kid, is on a fast downhill slide with the heavyweight championship at stake. He hardly knows who he is anymore, or why he should keep on fighting.

Then the first e-mail arrives.

Do not lose heart. I come on a Mission from the Creator to save you.

-- Warrior Angel

The Warrior Angel might be just what Sonny Bear needs -- but will Sonny be prepared to save him, too?

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 9 Up-Sonny Bear, the youngest fighter ever to win a heavyweight boxing crown, is in trouble. Despite barely winning his last bout, his promoter immediately announces that he will defend his title against a formidable opponent. Clearly, the champ is not physically or emotionally ready for the match. Sonny always seems to be running away, from the reservation and his Native American heritage, from the people who want to control his life, and from his true friends. Starkey, a self-described Warrior Angel, is convinced he is the only person who can help Sonny. Unfortunately, Starkey is in a group home for emotionally disturbed youth, and needs to find a way to get to "The Tomahawk Kid" before it's too late. This thought-provoking, suspenseful, psychological sports thriller makes readers feel as though they are inside the minds of the protagonists. However, some teens may be initially confused when the chapters switch from Sonny's viewpoint to Starkey's, and may have even more difficulty when Starkey begins hearing voices in his head. Many characters from The Contender (1967), The Brave (1993), and The Chief (1995, all HarperCollins) make appearances in this novel and readers who have read at least one of those books will have an easier time sorting out the supporting cast. Lipsyte effectively keeps the action flowing through Sonny's boxing sequences and Starkey's fights with his demons and struggle to complete his Mission in time. The author pulls no punches with the raw, real-life language. This book, along with the earlier titles, will be an easy sell to many teens, especially those enamored with the sports world.
Michael McCullough, Byron-Bergen Middle School, Bergen, NY
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Gr. 7-12. Sonny Bear, still struggling with his ethnic identity, returns in the fourth book in the boxing saga that began with The Contender (1967). Half Moscandaga Indian and half white, Sonny continues to feel like an outsider in both worlds, and although he's now the heavyweight champion, he finds no comfort in his fame or fortune. Feeling burnt out and hopeless, he has no stomach to fight Jamaican boxer Navy Crockett to retain his title. But his outlook on life changes when he encounters Starkey, a suicidal young man who sends Sonny e-mail fan letters using the name Warrior Angel. Starkey imagines himself on a mission to protect and support Sonny. As the two grow closer, Sonny and Starkey end up saving each other from their self-destructive impulses. Lipsyte's combination of gritty emotional realism and vivid descriptions of boxing action makes this fast-paced story a gripping read. Ed Sullivan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 183 pages
• Publisher: Perfection Learning (January 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0756931029
• ISBN-13: 978-0756931025
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,144,980 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Warrior Angel, March 14, 2005

By 

Dan "student" (Port Huron, MI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Warrior Angel (Paperback)

Warrior Angel, by Robert Lipsyte, is a fictional story about a Moscondaga Indian, named Sonny Bear, who dreams of being a professional boxer. Along his rise to the top, he has a mental breakdown, and one of his biggest fans, Warrior Angel, comes to save him and put him back on the right trail to stardom. This book was somewhat confusing. I couldn't tell who the narrator was sometimes. Besides that, it's not too long, but it's not too short. I have also read other stories in the series by the same author. In my opinion, the other novels were better. The Contender, The Brave, and The Chief are all more exciting. I think Warrior Angel is not as exciting because it does not have as good of a plot as the others did. It just talks about Sonny Bear's struggle to be the best. The other novels have more problems going on throughout them. Still, if you like action and sports (mainly boxing) you should enjoy this book, but you have to read The Contender first, because Warrior Angel is its sequel. So what do you think, does Sonny Bear make it to the top with the help of Warrior Angel?

3.0 out of 5 stars So-so, December 11, 2007

By 

Joan Kuhns - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Warrior Angel (Hardcover)

I teach the novel The Contender to my 8th grade classes. Every year I have students who want sequels, and since I had previously purchased both The Brave and The Chief, this year I added Warrior Angel to our library. My students who have read it enjoyed it. While The Contender is one of my favorite novels to teach, personally I think Lipsyte should have abandoned this track. The characters are plastic, the action is confusing, and the mystical overtones just don't cut it. Sorry, Mr. Lipsyte. Keep punching!