All the Rage Review

Brief description (from the back of the book): 

The sheriff’s son, Kellan Turner, is not the golden boy everyone thinks he is, and Romy Grey knows that for a fact. Because no one wants to believe a girl from the wrong side of town, the truth about him has cost her everything—friends, family, and her community. Branded a liar and bullied relentlessly by a group of kids she used to hang out with, Romy’s only refuge is the diner where she works outside of town. No one knows her name or her past there; she can finally be anonymous. But when a girl with ties to both Romy and Kellan goes missing after a party, and news of him assaulting another girl in a town close by gets out, Romy must decide whether she wants to fight or carry the burden of knowing more girls could get hurt if she doesn’t speak up. Nobody believed her the first time—and they certainly won’t now — but the cost of her silence might be more than she can bear.

With a shocking conclusion and writing that will absolutely knock you out, All the Rage examines the shame and silence inflicted upon young women after an act of sexual violence, forcing us to ask ourselves: In a culture that refuses to protect its young girls, how can they survive?

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WARNING: may contain some spoilers.....

"He covers her mouth. That's how you get a girl to stop crying; you cover her mouth until the sound dies against your palm."

All the Rage is a brilliant and moving novel with powerful narration.  I particularly loved Courtney added the detail that Romy uses her red nail polish and lipstick as armour against the hate from the small town she lives throws at her. I also loved how Courtney Summers chose to write Romy's rape scene in the third person. It shows that this can happen to anyone... not just Romy. It makes you feel as if you were that girl and stirs you with emotions. The horrifying details and gives you a sense of realization that this is what happens to people everywhere in the world; and the fact that people in today's society have chosen to discredit the victim of rape. In my opinion, it was a unique touch and very significant throughout the story. 

I have to say that about halfway through the book, I felt like throwing most of the people (especially Sheriff Turner) off a cliff!!! I don't understand how the Sheriff kept defending his son after he raped a teenage girl and then have the audacity to say that she deserved it/ was asking for it to HER FACE!! In addition, he said that she was just desperate for attention after she told him what another student did (and possibly what he was going to do to her when she was unconscious on the side of the road). This book had my blood boiling with rage at these characters.

"You know all the ways you can kill a girl? God, there are so many."

What I hate about the story is that even though  Brock is in jail, Kellan was never charged or even had to deal with the consequences of his actions. I was hoping for more closure for Romy and for Kellan to be brought to justice, but that just didn't happen. In a way, I actually understand why Courtney decided to end the story like this because, in the real world, these cases do end up like this. the victim isn't taken seriously or is blamed for what happened to them and the accused walks freely; never facing the charges or consequences. I believe this accurately portrays the stigma behind rape and struggles the victims have with coping with what happened to them. 

Overall, All the Rage left me very disgruntled and an emotional wreck. It was a fantastic read and I definitely recommend this book to anyone and everyone (especially if you were a fan of thirteen reasons why). It sends a real eye-opening message about rape culture that I think more people should be aware of.

"I make sure to tell her I love her because more and more, I'm thinking about the last things I say before I leave."

I'd give this book 4 out of 5 stars