All the Rage

by Courtney Summers

[kimbacaffeinate]

If you grew up in a rural town that still has social ladders where everyone knows your name, and your family secrets and some family names are untouchable then you will at once identify with the characters and events in this book.

Chillingly realistic Summers’ shares the story of Romy Grey a girl from the wrong side of the tracks. Who had to endure the unthinkable and when she spoke out, she was branded a liar by the town. Friends of Kellan Turner relentlessly bully her. He is the wildly popular sheriff’s son who changed her life in a single evening. He is one of the untouchables. Summers shares Romy’s deepest thoughts and fears as we see her try to find normalcy. When another girl goes missing and rumors begin to circulate that a girl in another town was assaulted Romy has to decide to fight or live with the consequences.

We spend a lot of time in Romy’s head and it is a very dark and difficult place to be. We experience her emotions, witness her coping mechanisms and see her try to adjust as she deals with the bullying, a romantic interest and her concerned parents. We feel her anguish, the constant need to be clean and the fragile shell she has become. You can feel her rage, tears and frustrations just below the surface. Imagine no one believing that one of the most horrific things to happen to you actual happened. You are told you are a liar, you were wasted and that these pleas for attention need to stop. Summers’ does not stop there, as our protagonist needs to make a stand, and speak out for the sake of others. As difficult, as the subject matter is I was riveted and my emotions ranged from outraged to frustration. If I were Romy's parent I would be in jail right now.

In typical Summers’ fashion, she balances the darkness with light and in All the Rage; she does that with a young man named Leon. Patient, sweet Leon who dares to fall for a girl that is fragile and cracked. The romance was light, sweet and not without hurdles. Leon works at the diner a place where Romy feels some anonymity. The diner is located on the outskirts of town and is not a local hangout for her peers. Her job waitressing offers her an escape. Her parents are present and supportive but even they feel the pressures from this small-town.

All the Rage while gritty really makes the reader think about the shame and stigma young girls face when they speak up. If you ever wondered, why so many rapes go unreported step into Romy’s shoes. If you have read any of Summers’ book you know they tend to open ended and while we got some closure a lot was left open. I have come to appreciate the way in which she ends her stories and this one was exceptional and left us with hope.

Copy provided by publisher. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer