I don't know what I was expecting when I first started reading Boxers, but it certainly wasn't a war. That may give you pause, but I went into this one blind. I didn't read the synopsis and had only seen a few of the illustrations at the BEA last year before deciding I wanted to read it. Overall, it was eye-opening and violent. I enjoyed the way Yang told a historical story with fantasy elements and was impressed with the amount of detail. I also liked how religion itself was handled. It plays a huge role in the story and I never felt it got too preachy either way. It's very violent in nature, just as the Boxer Rebellion was, so I'd recommend this one for mature YA readers and up.