Rating: 
Summary: A struggle
Review: As much as I hate to say it, I found this book to be a great disappointment. I hate to say it because I expected a great deal from Ms. Smith based on her work with Vibe magazine. After reading the jacket cover, I was all set to settle in for an enjoyable read. The problem is, the book never seemed to go anywhere, making the read a slow and laborious one. The story moved along at a snails pace and never seemed to take off. Despite the plot twists (and admittedly,there were a few), the story started off flat and remained that way. I will admit that I only got 3/4 of the way through and that it may have picked up at the end. But I doubt it. And in my opinion, it wasn't worth the struggle to find out.
Rating: 
Summary: More Like a Smash Hit
Review: Danyel Smith's debut novel about Paige and Pinch, two sisters coming of age amidst the violent drug culture of Oakland, CA, is the kind of big splash that readers revel in and reviewers live to write about, for here is a book that introduces a unique voice that snaps your head and makes you say, "My God, I have not heard this before. This one is unique." Despite the enervating aspects of the lives Paige and Pinch lead - their mother leaves them to their own apartment when still in their early teens, more than one friend meets an early and unnecessary demise, etc - there is pride in place in this book and a strong core message that the saving graces in a pain-filled world are the love you're smart enough to give and the love you're lucky enough to receive. As such, this book about two bastards out of California belongs on the shelf right alongside the surprise bestsellers of last year - The Lovely Bones and Dive from Clausen's Pier - because not only does it get the grim reality right, but it doesn't forget about the other reality: the light that saves.
Rating:
Summary: A struggle
Review: I could not get into this book, and I honestly did try. I finally gave up on this book halfway through. It goes from past to present, from character to character...
The characters other than Paige and Pinch (who are obviously the main ones) seem to be insignificant, but we keep hearing about them. Maybe if I had finished the book all the way through I would have seen why each character was important. But I am surprised i even made it halfway through...this book was boring.
Rating:
Summary: the voice
Review: I had the pleasure of hearing Danyel Smith read from More Like Wrestling when I was about halfway through it, and reading the last half of this book with that voice in my head made me enjoy it even more than I already was. This voice is unique and strong, conveying a rhythm and feel for her home turf of Oakland that brings you right into every part her world. I look forward to what this talented writer has to offer in the future.
Rating:
Summary: Boring
Review: I pickedp up this book with great expectations,However i found this book very hard to get into. The dialouge was weighed down.
Usually i can read a book like this a few days but i couldnt get into the flow of charactors. I agree with previous reviewer for Ms Smith to be journalist i expected a smoother flow in dialouge. The subject matter was great and reading about black youth coming of age in Oakland i could relate to. Reading this book was very labor intensive.
Rating: 
Summary: Could not get into it
Review: I really wanted to like this book, because I have met the author and read other things she had written--which were very good. But this book--talk about tedious writing. All of those stream of consciousness, endless babbling about nothing. Switches from past to present, character to character. I couldn't get past the first two or three chapters.
Rating:
Summary: The Art of Life is More Like Wrestling Than Dancing
Review: In her debut novel, More Like Wrestling, Danyel Smith, former editor at Vibe and Time Magazines, emerges as a new, fresh voice that speaks for the masses.The time span is 1980s in Oakland during the bloodiest time period of that city's history with drug wars that are being rivaled only by the present time as we go into 2003.
Beautifully crafted in first person voices of two sisters as they evolve from young teens into adulthood, this novel was sobering and poignant, at times melancholy. Paige, the oldest and Pinch, younger by two years are happily living with their mother surrounded by the familiar landmarks of San Antonio Park, Diamond Pool and Lake Merritt as their playgrounds. They are thrust into adulthood at ages fourteen and twelve when their mother's boyfriend, Seth, in a drug-infused rage, physically attacks the sisters. The girls runaway and their mother finds them and rents an apartment that she eventually leaves them in when she returns to her man. Thus the girls are more or less raising themselves among the burgeoning crack drug trade of Oakland. Pinch and Paige are like peanut butter and jelly; you see one, you see the other. Together they travel in a pack with Maynard, their long time childhood friend, Oscar, Jessica, Cedric, LaNelle, and Donnell and assorted acquaintances moving through life in a haze of 80s tunes floating in their young heads. Pinch clearly has the strongest voice as she wrestles with how she fits in with the crowd, riding on the coattails of Paige. Silent, observant, and all knowing, at times she appears to be not a part of the adventures or misadventures of the crew, but lingering as an afterthought. The boys in this group are a mixture of basically middle-class/working class kids, who though they are college students become swept up by the glamour and allure of the drug-selling scene. Maynard, a manchild, whose parents have substance abuse problems, is forced into a role as provider, protector and eventually marriage and fatherhood. The girls, rarely voicing their fears and concerns to the guys, .... "I don't get into all his business all like that..." preferring to believe it is a temporary condition. In a constant state of denial of what their men are doing, they see only what they want. "Our boys weren't typical vengeful ghetto Negroes.... " Paige, a Cal Berkeley drop-out hooks up with Oscar, who also drops out of college to deal drugs and the two wander aimlessly into marriage. But it is not long before the fast money, flashy cars, and other expensive trappings begin to crowd in on them leading way for inevitable tragedy and life altering events. Lives are changed as friendships are tested and trusts are eroded. These are children growing up too quickly--- wanting to skip the hard part of adulthood and get right to the real living. This reviewer found it necessary to step away many times in reading this story, some things were too close to what is going on now. The last few years have seen a series of novels showcasing the drug trade activity of Oakland and the thought of reading another rendition was somewhat daunting. But at no time did I think this was for commercial effect or gain. Instead, the raw truth was done tenderly while showing the good and bad of the area as well as the ambiance of a city that sits amidst some of the country's finest institutions of higher learning and culture.
Much of it is written in fragmented and run-together sentences, defying standard rules of English---- but Smith makes it work as she takes us into the heads, minds, and feelings of Paige and Pinch. Metaphors candidly jump off the pages weaving images of an era and place that become visible and remain lingering with readers. Oakland and surrounding areas are brought to life in her lyrical writing. Trying to pigeon hole her style, one sees glimpses of the staccato phrases of Sandra Cisneros, and the lyrical poetry of June Jordan, complex, at times convoluted, but even so this is a unique voice, one that will no doubt becoming classic and timeless to reign with the aforementioned authors.
I applaud the author for stepping out and taking a chance with her voice and thank her for the gift for which she has graced Oakland, her hometown, the Bay Area and the literary world. Dera Williams
APOOO BookClub
Rating: 
Summary: great plot...slow-moving story
Review: ok...for the author to be a journalist i thought this book would be an easy read. while i enjoyed the nostalgia of remembering what life was like in the 80's, Pinch and Paige's story moved very slowly. the constant back and forth between past and present along with the friction between the characters private and public lives made me grow weary early in the novel. the title's symbolism will not be lost on the reader. the life these young girls led was truly like being wrestled from one situation to the next with no time to recuperate from the last sucker-punch life dealt them. Danyel uses beautiful metaphors and adjectives to make real the pain the sisters endured from the people who supposedly loved them the most. Pinch has to watch those she cares about make poor life choices while she struggles to break free and live the life she knows she is entitled to. everyone except their mother could see that her abusive relationship was taking a toll on her children. Paige needed counseling at an early age, but most families back then did not even consider emotional health issues. Pinch, although being the younger sister managed to be more mature than Paige. how they rallied together to overcome the obstacles that threatened to swallow them is to be commended. a dysfunctional childhood will lead to a dysfunctional adult life unless the issues are addressed...that's the book's message, but it sure took the scenic route to get there. Ms. Smith, you have true talent, hopefully your sophmore attempt will be less laboring for the reader.
Rating:
Summary: Sisterly Bonds
Review: Pinch and Paige are two sisters growing up in Oakland, California. When their mother's boyfriend becomes physically abusive, she opts to stay in the situation, however, she rents the girls their own apartment. The girls, who at the time are ages 12 and 14, find that they have to grow up fast in order to be self-sufficient. Paige takes on the role of guardian, and the two form a bond that is unbreakable. The girls soon meet friends who love to hang out at their apartment without adult supervision. These friendships continue to grow and flourish, and follow the girls into adulthood. Once the girls become adults, their lives change in ways that they could never have imagined. Their once close-knit clique of friends begin to find themselves drifting apart as some members become involved in the lucrative, albeit dangerous, drug game. Pinch and Paige find themselves questioning everything that they once held sacred including their bond to each other. Danyel Smith has written a wonderful, engrossing novel. The characters are well developed and have so much history with each other. The story reads smoothly and her use of flashbacks and diary entries helps the reader gain insight into past situations, helps with understanding the characters actions, and provides insight into their psyches. Her vivid descriptions made me feel as though I was in Oakland and that I personally knew all of the characters. I definitely recommend this book and eagerly anticipate future works from this author. Reviewed by Latoya Carter-Qawiyy
Rating:
Summary: Excellent portrayal of sisterhood
Review: This book is about a lot of things: Oakland in the 80s, young men and women trying to make their way in a harsh world, the fall-out for children of a mother's bad choices. But mostly, it's about sisterhood. Paige and Pinch know each other better than anyone else knows either. And they care for each other as no one else can or will. For both, this relationship is a source of strength, but it is also in part what keeps each sister from venturing into the world. My heart ached as I read this book. But when I turned the last page, it ached with more hope than despair.
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