Publishing Date: April 14, 2015
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Pages: 336 pages
Young Adult Contemporary
The Premise: Romy Grey has been branded a liar after an encounter with Kellan Turner, the sheriff's son. He is not the golden boy everyone thinks he is, but unfortunately in a society where he is the sheriff's son, no one believes Romy. Romy is bullied relentlessly by friends and her community and is the target for the people she used to call friends. She finds solace in her job outside of town, Swan's, where she is able to not be the girl that everyone in her community believes she is. Romy has kept the encounter with Kellan hidden, until a girl that Romy and Kellan both know goes missing. Romy must decide whether she wants to fight so that no more girls can get hurt, or if she wishes to stay silent, as they try and find the missing girl. The premise by St. Martin's Press expresses that the book's central message is to tackle the topic of sexual violence and the question of: "in a culture that refuses to protect its young girls, how can they survive?"
My overall thoughts and review: THIS BOOK. THIS BOOK. I think the title is absolutely perfect for the text because I definitely felt all the rage all the way through the text and long after I finished reading it. This was my first time reading a book by Courtney Summers and I immediately wanted to run to the bookstore to pick up all of her other books. Her writing is so beautiful and her ability to capture this subject matter in a way that not only encourages the reader to not sit idly by, but fuels a fire in each of us. There are not enough YA books that tackle the subject matter of rape and rape culture and what Summers is portraying in her books really rings true. We live in a society where young girls and women are sometimes branded the liar in the cases of sexual violence, when instead they should be given help. Women and young girls who experience sexual violence should not be made to feel "less" - I was incredibly angry at the bullies in the text that abused Romy, but also, my heart constantly broke for her with every chapter because Romy felt like she had to deal with it alone. Summers brings up such an important point that individuals should not feel as if they have to deal with alone. It is how society has developed and this is definitely something that has to change.
Although, I was incredibly angry by the end of the book, I really loved it. I think the feeling of being angry and upset over the sexual violence that occurs is a good thing. If you aren't feeling All The Rage, well clearly, something is wrong. I like the Summers pushes the reader out of their comfort zone and encourages the reader to contemplate experiences. Summers also creates such multi-dimensional characters like Romy, and you just can't help but become incredibly emotionally invested in the character and their feelings and experiences. I know that the subject matter of the book may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I think if the topic does scare you, it is the only reason you need to try and read it. I think that there aren't enough YA books that tackle this subject and if so, they do so in a way that sugar-coats the subject. This book is incredibly raw and truthful and that is exactly what is needed in a story about sexual violence against women. I definitely had to put it down at moments because it is quite intense. It needs to be truthful because the book is tackling the subject of what happens when the victim is branded a liar, especially with the truth. There aren't a lot of YA books that stick with me long after finishing the book and this book is definitely one that I will be contemplating and sticking with me for quite some time. If you are looking for a YA book that pushes boundaries and tackles difficult subject matter, you should definitely add this new book by Courtney Summers to your reading list.
My rating of the book: ✮✮✮✮✮ (5/5 stars)
Now available for preorder at:
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And now..
Author Q&A with Courtney Summers
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| Photo from C.S. Website |
How did you come up with the title of your book?
For the longest time, All the Rage's working title was 'Grey' which I knew I wouldn't be keeping--but I was stuck on what it should be all while writing it. When the book sold, and we had to have a title in place for the announcement, it sort of hit me. It's a play on words like some of my other titles and it encompasses the story so well.
For the longest time, All the Rage's working title was 'Grey' which I knew I wouldn't be keeping--but I was stuck on what it should be all while writing it. When the book sold, and we had to have a title in place for the announcement, it sort of hit me. It's a play on words like some of my other titles and it encompasses the story so well.
What inspired you to write a book that tackles the issues of sexual violence and rape culture?
I feel strongly about these issues. I think we live in a culture that often fails victims and survivors of sexual violence. There is so much victim-blaming. It's heartbreaking. It's infuriating. It needs to change. It was important for me to explore that.
I feel strongly about these issues. I think we live in a culture that often fails victims and survivors of sexual violence. There is so much victim-blaming. It's heartbreaking. It's infuriating. It needs to change. It was important for me to explore that.
I found it particularly interesting that you decided to split up the sections of the book into “before” and “after” - was this the original plan for the text? Or did you begin solely for Romy’s encounter with Kellan?
All the Rage went through a lot of different incarnations and the opening changed a lot. Romy waking up on the road was a consistent starting point, but I thought it was more powerful when it included that glimpse into her past. Especially since it informs so much of her present.
All the Rage went through a lot of different incarnations and the opening changed a lot. Romy waking up on the road was a consistent starting point, but I thought it was more powerful when it included that glimpse into her past. Especially since it informs so much of her present.
What is one central message that you hope your readers walk away with when they finish the text?
I think the ultimate takeaway of any work is up to the reader--but I do hope they'll think about the consequences of rape culture, especially if that's not something they've thought about before.
I think the ultimate takeaway of any work is up to the reader--but I do hope they'll think about the consequences of rape culture, especially if that's not something they've thought about before.
What do you set out to achieve when you write?
I always want to tell the most honest story I can.
I always want to tell the most honest story I can.
What upcoming projects do you have that readers can look forward to?
After All the Rage releases, I have a short story in Violent Ends, an anthology edited by Shaun Hutchinson. It centers around a school shooting. There are so many wonderful authors contributing and their stories are incredible, thoughtful, provoking, sensitive. I'm honoured to be part of it. It comes out in September of this year.
After All the Rage releases, I have a short story in Violent Ends, an anthology edited by Shaun Hutchinson. It centers around a school shooting. There are so many wonderful authors contributing and their stories are incredible, thoughtful, provoking, sensitive. I'm honoured to be part of it. It comes out in September of this year.
Lastly, I was reading your blog post titled “Writing for girls” and it surprised me to read that a person in publishing had issues with one of your texts indicating that there was already a book about a girl dealing with rape. You raise such an important point because yes, we do need more books like this. It is a topic of taboo that people are often afraid to approach and does not get enough exposure, especially in YA. It should not be limited to one or two books that have a girl dealing with rape, there shouldn’t be a number to it. This was starting out as a question, but it is coming out more as a solidarity statement. Thank you for writing for girls. Thank you for continuing to write books that deal with these experiences and I hope you never stop doing so.
Thank you so much! That means a lot to me. I think it's so important we advocate for girls, that we tell their stories and let them know their stories matter. I'm so glad and so grateful to know there are readers out there like you, who feel the same way.
Thank you for having me on your blog, Christine!
You can follow Courtney on twitter @courtney_s and read more about her and her books on her website: http://courtneysummers.ca/!
Check out the other Book Bloggers participating in the ALL THE RAGE Book Tour:
March 28 - Lindsay @ Me On Books ; Nicole @ Nicole About Town
March 29 - MaryAnn @ Chapter by Chapter ; Siobhan @ Conversations of a Reading Addict
March 30 - Indigo @ Adventures in YA Fiction ; Liz @ Midnight Bloom Reads
March 31 - Jenn @ Lost in a Great Book; Christine (ME!) @ Padfoot's Library
April 1 - Melissa @ YA Bookshelf ; Jessica @ Read My Breath Away
April 2 - Giselle @ BookNerd Canada ; Kristen @ My Bookish Fairytale
Disclaimer: This book was sent to me by Raincoast Books for consideration/review. All opinions are my own.
This sounds like an excellent novel! I completely agree, there's so much victim-blaming in our society and it needs to stop. It's really good to hear that this kind of story with this kind of message exists - we need more! It's now on my to-read list. Great review and questions, and great stop on the blog tour! :)
ReplyDeleteIt really is a wonderful novel. :D There needs to be more books like this that are willing to tackle such a topic! :D Thanks for commenting!
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ReplyDeleteI can't WAITT for this book to come out! Great review :)
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