Fighting Words

Author(s): Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Young Adult

"Fighting Words is raw, it is real, it is necessary, a must-read for children and their adults--a total triumph in all ways." --Holly Goldberg Sloan, New York Times bestselling author of Counting by 7s


Bestselling author Kimberly Brubaker Bradley's confronting, heartbreaking, and ultimately uplifting story for young adults.

Della can't work out why her adored older sixteen-year-old sister Suki screams in her sleep. Suki has always been Della's protector, especially after their mother went to prison and her boyfriend took the sisters in. But who has been protecting Suki?

Della is in trouble at school for having a big mouth, but after she stands up to the class bully other girls rally to her cause. When Suki tries to kill herself, Della decides it's time to tell their secrets and speak out about the terrible things that happened to Suki. Bound by love and trauma, these two sisters must find their own voices before they can find their way back to each other.


Based on the author's personal experience, this gripping and essential story explodes the stigma around child sexual abuse. Written from the heart, with tenderness, compassion and humour, Fighting Words is about finding the words to talk about the most difficult things in young adults' lives.

"Believable and immensely appealing...At once heartbreaking and hopeful." --Kirkus (starred review)
"One of the most important books ever written for kids." --Colby Sharp of Nerdy Book Club
"Gripping. Life-changing. Essential." --Donna Gephart, author of Lily and Dunkin
"Compassionate, truthful, and beautiful." --Elana K. Arnold, author of Damsel
"I am blown away. This is a powerful, necessary book...[It] may be Kimberly Brubaker Bradley's best work yet." --Barbara Dee, author of Maybe He Just Likes You
"One of the best of the year." --Betsy Bird for A Fuse #8 Production/SLJ
"A book that lets [kids] know they have never been alone. And never will be." --Kat Yeh, author of The Truth About Twinkie Pie


Product Information

A candid, at times confronting, teen novel about sisterhood and sexual abuse, by Newbery winner and #1 New York Times bestselling author Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, who says of her latest work- 'Parts of this story are scary, but trust me- no one needs to be afraid. Hope and love win out.'

Kimberly Brubaker Bradley is a Newbery Honor winner and a #1 New York Times bestselling author. She earned her degree from Smith College in 1989. She is popular for her fiction and nonfiction.

General Fields

  • : 9781922330628
  • : Text Publishing Company
  • : 0.215
  • : May 2020
  • : {"length"=>["19.8"], "width"=>["12.8"], "units"=>["Centimeters"]}
  • : books

Special Fields

  • : Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
  • : 256
  • : 813.6
  • : English
  • : 2009
  • : Paperback