#Review: Sucker Punch by Scaachi Koul

Scaachi Koul is back, and this time, she’s throwing punches—metaphorically, of course. Sucker Punch is raw, biting, and unflinchingly honest, taking us through the complete unraveling of the life she thought she had figured out. A crumbling marriage, a vanishing job, and her mother’s declining health—it’s the kind of trifecta of chaos that forces a person to reexamine everything. And Scaachi does just that, with her signature wit and brutal self-awareness.

What makes Sucker Punch such a compelling read isn’t just the weight of its subject matter—it’s the way Scaachi tells it. Her humor is razor-sharp, often making you laugh in the middle of something heartbreaking, though at times, the snark can feel like a defense mechanism rather than genuine introspection. The book jumps between past fights—with parents, exes, internet trolls, and even herself—and asks whether all that arguing ever really changed anything. Did it make her stronger, or just more tired?

That said, Sucker Punch isn’t a perfectly structured knockout. The narrative can feel scattered, jumping between timelines and topics in a way that sometimes muddies the emotional impact. Moments of deep vulnerability are occasionally undercut by a quick joke, making it feel like the book is hesitant to sit too long in its own pain. And while Scaachi is refreshingly honest, there are times when her cynicism borders on self-indulgence—some readers might crave a little more resolution or warmth amid the wreckage.

Still, this book is messy in the way life is messy—full of grief, identity crises, and the strange, unexpected ways we’re forced to start over. By the end, you might feel like you’ve taken a sucker punch yourself—stunned, thoughtful, and still trying to decide whether to laugh or cry.

Find this book here.