Exclusive Cover Reveal: In the Ring by Sierra Isley

Today on the site, we’re revealing the cover of In the Ring by Sierra Isley, a YA contemporary about a bi Jewish girl named Rose who starts boxing to cope with her anxiety. In the Ring releases September 15, 2023 from Little Press, and here’s the story:

Rose Berman is losing her mind. At least, that’s what everyone at school seems to think. Plagued by panic attacks that started after her mother’s death, Rose is the target of frequent teasing and rumors. But when the star quarterback takes a joke too far, the school’s tattooed, cigarette-smoking time bomb — Elliott King — steps in and punches him in the face. Rose’s therapist recommends she try out a sport to manage her anxiety. She can’t help but think of Elliott – maybe if she could punch like him, she’d feel safer and stronger.

She sticks out like a sore thumb at the boxing gym, but she soon finds power in the sport and a reprieve from her panic attacks. As their worlds intertwine, Rose and Elliott are forced to face their most daunting opponent outside the Ring: their growing feelings for each other.

But Midtown Ring isn’t just a gym. As Rose falls deeper into the world of boxing, she learns Midtown is a front for a late-night, underground fight club where Elliott King is the headliner. Surrounded by violence and destruction, Rose’s anxiety begins to spiral. She starts hallucinating, just like her mother did before her death, leaving her to wonder if everyone at school might be right. If her newfound physical strength can’t keep her grounded in reality, she may be doomed to walk the same path as her mom.

And here’s the cover, illustrated by David Habben!

A teen boy and girl are standing back to back with the Atlanta skyline behind them. Both are wearing a tank-top and sweat shorts. Both have their hands wrapped for boxing with blood sprinkled on their knuckles. The boy has short hair and bruises on his face. The girl has bangs and shoulder-length wavy hair. The boy has a sketched out drawing of a broken crown on top of his head, and the girl has a sketched drawing of a worried thought bubble above her head. They are connected by sketched drawings of vines and roses. The bottom half of the girl has sketched drawings of a crack, like her lower half is cracking. The title “IN THE RING” envelopes them in a ring in the center of the image. The picture is a gradient pink to purple and the title is in black. The author's name, Sierra Isley, is in white at the bottom of the image.

Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon | Little Shop of Stories

Sierra Isley is a young adult author originally from Atlanta, Georgia, but currently based in Philadelphia, PA. She graduated from Florida State University in 2021 with a degree in Editing, Writing and Media. Outside of writing, her passions include filmmaking, social media communications and drinking chai lattes. IN THE RING is her debut novel. You can visit her website: sierraisley.com for more information.

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