Two teenagers steeped in anger make all the wrong choices as they barrel toward graduation. They were bonded together as outcasts in their small California desert town until The Fight tore them apart. Now Noor is determined to get out of Juniper, and away from her uncle, secretly applying to universities far away from the desert. Sal puts his plans aside when he takes over running his parents’ inn after his mother falls ill and his dad is swallowed by alcoholism. As their situations begin to look hopeless, the teens are driven back together, bonding over their shared grief. But when Noor is caught up in Sal’s selfish decisions, her careful plans are in jeopardy.
I really loved this book, it’s one I wish I could read again for the first time. Sal and Noor’s backgrounds are so different from my own, but I grieved with them. I felt helpless with them. And I loved them. One of my favorite things about this book is Noor’s songs. It was the musical soundtrack to my teen years, and it was another link to this amazing book. When it was announced that Sabaa Tahir’s next book was going to be contemporary fiction, I hesitated like most of the readers of her beloved An Ember in the Ashes series. Authors who step so far out of their genre aren’t usually met with great success. But the reader gets the sense that she lived every word of this book; she’s deeply connected to every word. This book deserved every award it won, and even more.
All My Rage is a standalone Young Adult contemporary fiction book that will rip your heart out in the best way. I recommend this book to absolutely everyone! This is an important book that speaks to an uncomfortable topic, and impossible choices. For further reading, I recommend The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson, Hollow Fires by Samira Ahmed, and We Deserve Monuments by Jas Hammonds.