Title: All the Rage
Author: Courtney Summers
ISBN: 9781250021915
No. of Pages: 336
Genre: Young Adult; Fiction
Origins: St. Martin’s Press
Release Date: 14 April 2015
Synopsis:
“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, Courtney Summers’ new novel All the Rage examines the shame and silence inflicted upon young women in a culture that refuses to protect them.”
Thoughts on the Novel: All the Rage is a tough book to read. Not only is the subject matter a difficult one, but also Romy’s emotions are so raw. Yet, this all serves a purpose as it drives home the issues women face across the country and around the world and hopefully ignites a much-needed discussion on the ongoing rape culture within society.
With Romy, readers get an inside understanding of the devastation rape can and does wreak on its victims. For many, as in Romy’s case, the trauma manifests itself in easily-ignored mannerisms or actions. The dedication she displays towards her nail polish and lipstick, for example, are stunning in the details but also heart-breaking in their symbolism. Readers will find themselves traumatized by the flood of emotions or the absolute absence of them as she struggles to find her place in a world she no longer recognizes as safe.
While the main driver of much of the action in the story, in many ways the disappearance of the girl are secondary to Romy’s fight for normalcy. The disappearance is the catalyst which forces Romy to confront the demons from which she has been hiding. It is a painful process for both her and for the reader. In fact, Ms. Summers immerses readers into the story so thoroughly that it is all too easy for readers to blur that line between reality and fiction.
Romy’s experiences in the aftermath of her accusation are sadly all too common even today. The lasting damage from not only the act itself but the lack of support are devastating to watch. Brutal but powerful, All the Rage is this generation’s version of The Accused and a must-read for women of all ages.
BOTTOM LINE: An absolute must-read for anyone with two X chromosomes. Or a Y chromosome. Pretty much everyone on the planet.
