All My Rage: A Novel Paperback – March 7, 2023

All My Rage was my #1 anticipated release for this entire upcoming year. Not only am I a HUGE Sabaa Tahir fan, but we have an established YA fantasy author jumping over to YA contemporary? I say this a lot but SIGN ME UP.I was not let down.I knew from the dedication page, which simply reads "For those who survive. For those who do not." That we were in for an emotional ride, and it was the BEST emotional roller coaster.I dont want to explain the plot. The synopsis explains. I want to touch on why this story is worth reading.We have main characters who are so accessible and real that even when they do something you WANT to be angry with them for, you aren't. Because they are human and relatable and you understand their pain.We have people making good decisions and bad decisions. Whether they are good or bad people doesn't matter. What matters is the question of : why is this person this way? Can they change? Where will they end up in life?This story is not black and white. No choice is easy or right or wrong.We have casual racism, hard-core straight up outward racism, Islamophobia. Which is so difficult to read but also so necessary. There are moments that you think to yourself "this is so ridiculous." Until you realize it's NOT ridiculous, and that it is a struggle people go through daily and that we need to be reminded of.We have inside looks to how substance abuse hurts loved ones. But instead of it feeling like an after school special or life lesson it is just life and facts and honesty about a disease.The trauma and grief the characters are hiding from is expressed so well and so heartbreakingly real.We have all the love and relationships the characters have with each other, the growth and journeys they go through. It really is such a coming of age story that hits hard in all the right places.And most of all we have a story that consistently expresses a spark of hope in dark times, even when the characters don't feel it.I could quote hundreds of lines from the book but you should just go read it instead.5/5 and it would be higher if I could.

An absolute must-read!Sal 17, lives in Juniper, California with his sick mother and alcoholic father. Sal attends school while trying to help keep the family hotel afloat. Sal and Noor, 18, were best friends until they had a fight months ago and haven’t spoken since. Sal’s mom collapses and needs to be taken to the hospital while Noor happens to be visiting her. Sal’s mother passes away and her last words to Noor were to forgive. Sal and Noor try to mend their friendship but they’re both keeping secrets and trying to persevere through their own harsh situations. When life implodes, they both have to make some tough choices.Likes/dislikes: I enjoyed learning about Pakistani culture and its languages. The author gives a comprehensive, concise content warning at the beginning of the book and lists resources at the end for help with domestic violence, child abuse, sexual assault, immigration and refugee rights, children’s defense fund, and women of color. I appreciate how the author portrayed harsh realities to readers in a way that is educational and with empathy but not graphic. This book is a must read.Language: R for 147 swears and 3 f-bombs.Mature Content: PG for brief undescribed kiss, drug dealer selling pills, mention of marijuana (weed), deeper kiss.Violence: PG-13 for child abuse (a push against the wall), bloody face from abuse, kicking ribs, mentions of repressed sexual assault, continued abuse.Ethnicity: Sal and Noor and their family members are Pakistani living in a predominantly white community. There is a Pakistani religious leader and his wife is Black. The Judge is Mexican American and the story contains mixed ethnicity police officers.

I liked this book. I really did. It was a good story and a nice little twist. Unfortunately, The author drug out every poster board social issue from racism to domestic violence, child abuse, opioid epidemic, healthcare, immigration, etc. I felt a little beaten up when I finished. A lighter hand would have made this book significantly more appealing. Not to mention paring off a couple (or five!) social issues, Other than that, a good read

Sabaa does it again. This is a must read. About the struggles of growing up in the US as Pakistani immigrants. Sabaa makes you hurt, but she makes you understand the struggles people like our main characters have experienced.

This is a great novel. The story took me some time to get into. I think that this was because the topics were so intense and visceral. The story takes place in the Mohave Desert. There are several main characters Misbah, Salahudin, and Noor. Misbah is the voice of love, devotion, and strength in this novel. She is Salahudin's mother but also Noor's spiritual mother. She left her homeland in Pakistan to start her life with her husband. Marriage was something that was forced on Misbah but she has no bitterness in her life. She lives for her husband and son. Misbah also loves the motel that the family owns. Salahudin is a difficult character to embrace. His storyline takes a long time to evolve. Some of Salahudin's life choices are appalling but he has a big heart. Noor is a wonderful character. She wants out is the desolate place, her uncle does not want her to have any hopes or dreams. Noor dreams of college and a chance to get out of the horrible life she is living. There are so many different aspects to this novel, I found myself taking awhile to read this novel. This novel packs quite a punch.