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All the Rage

Courtney Summers (Goodreads Author)

3.82 · Rating details · 13,632 ratings · 2,484 reviews

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 ...more

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Hardcover, 321 pages

Published April 14th 2015 by St. Martin's Griffin

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YA Novels of 2015

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My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga

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Average rating 3.82 ·

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· 13,632 ratings · 2,484 reviews

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Feb 03, 2015 Navessa rated it it was amazing

Recommended to Navessa by: Emily May

Shelves: normalized-sexism, trolls-love-me, all-the-feels, what-teens-should-be-reading, saved-the-genre, believe-the-hype, broke-me, young-adult, says-fuck-you-to-rape-culture, strong-themes

TRIGGER WARNING: RAPE

I mean it. This is the most visceral reaction to a book that I have ever had. This is the most personal book review that I will ever write. Because there is nothing more personal than what I am about to tell you. If depictions of rape are triggers for you, back away now.

They say the devil’s in the details. I disagree.

Details are nothing more than the pieces of truth we choose to bring to light. Everyone knows the devil can’t abide the light. His kingdom is rooted in the sha ...more

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Feb 06, 2012 Emily May rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2015, arc, contemporary, young-adult

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

This story... these characters... those words... Courtney Summers has done it again.

I don't think, on the whole, I am a person who is afraid of much. I'd even go so far as to say I have a somewhat reckless, risk-taking personality at times. But I am scared of a few things... you want to know what one of my biggest fears is? Telling the truth and having no one believe me. Honestly, I think that's truly terrifying. Knowing you'r ...more

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Mar 28, 2015 Shelby *trains flying monkeys* rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, young-adult, read-2015, everyone-loved-but-me

Unpopular opinion time:

The blurb of this book says The sheriff’s son, Kellan Turner, is not the golden boy everyone thinks he is, and Romy Grey knows that for a fact.
The thing is....we never meet Kellan Turner in this book.

The book starts after Kellan Turner rapes Romy. (That is not a spoiler)

This is the after effects of Romy's story. It begins with her using her nail polish and lipstick as armor against the hate from the small town that she lives throws at her. She accused the sheriff's pr ...more

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Oct 17, 2014 Kristin (KC) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: young-adult, abuse, favorites, psychological-thriller, thriller, suspenseful

:::5 Stars::: Utterly gripping!

Even better than expected and, after loving Some Girls Are, my expectations were set pretty damn high.

There are writers who tell stories, and then there are those who give their stories a pulse. All The Rage felt alive, and every breath it took was jagged, labored, and suspenseful.
You know all the ways there are to kill a girl? I do.

Courtney Summers knows how to captivate her readers by constructing some of the most flawed characters I’ve come across ...more

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Nov 26, 2015 Angela rated it did not like it

Shelves: 1-star-reads

All the Rage is constantly being compared to Speak and here's what I have to say about that... The two books both about the effects and aftermath of rape and this is where the similarities stop. Speak is a book I personally think should be required high school reading while ATR is a novel I could have gone without reading. It didn't pack the punch or have the impact on me that Speak did.

The first thing I want to mention right away is that the summary for ATR is a bold face lie! "Kellan Turner, ...more

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Apr 16, 2015 Dakota★Magic in Every Book rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, standalone

I was a rape victim. And believe me when I say, announcing this to all of you anonymous faces over the internet is very scary, especially when I’ve told less than five people until this day. But writing a book review about All the Rage wasn’t enough. I need to convey to people in some way, that this book is a monumental movement that captures so much of the trauma forced on girls, even in this day and age. Romy’s story, while much crueler than mine, still resonated so deeply with me because of t I was a rape victim. And believe me when I say, announcing this to all of you anonymous faces over the internet is very scary, especially when I’ve told less than five people until this day. But writing a book review about All the Rage wasn’t enough. I need to convey to people in some way, that this book is a monumental movement that captures so much of the trauma forced on girls, even in this day and age. Romy’s story, while much crueler than mine, still resonated so deeply with me because of the shared feelings: body shame, blaming ourselves, depression, denial, the list goes on. And not just feelings I shared with Romy, but cruel, unfair feelings that one in four girls will experience. Romy’s story is one of a girl who was victimized, and because of the lack of support, the bullying, the inability to cope, she had developed a hatred for herself that runs so deep, it would’ve destroyed her in the end. And this is the state of the world, even worse in places outside of my own country. All the Rage is not for the faint of heart. It’s real, raw, gritty, completely and brutally honest as it examines the treatment of women today, from general abuse, to sexual assault, to sometimes even worse consequences. It’s not a pretty book, but it’s the truth that a lot of people don’t want to face.

All the Rage’s main character is just a snap shot of what it could be like for millions and millions of women, and what it is for many. It’s deftly written, honest, with startlingly real characters, and so many strong statements that it’s painful but also enlightening to read. This book put feelings into words that I’ve struggled with since I was a victim. I haven’t read a book with such an honest and important portrayal of these issues since Laurie Halse Anderon’s Speak. This book is more important to me, and could be to many others, than I could possibly put into words. It can help victims cope and put things to words, it can help others sympathize and understand, and it could help people make the movement towards fixing these issues. This book is an ugly, painfully honest portrayal of the struggles of more women than we can ever know, but maybe if people see the stark reality, we can make it better. ...more

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Nov 10, 2018 Kai Spellmeier rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: owned, favorites

“You know all the ways you can kill a girl?

God, there are so many.”

This book hurts. It's like an open wound, oozing and burning. It needs a lot of stitches. And while this book alone won't heal the life-threatening wound that is rape culture, it might hopefully open people's eyes.

I am glad that All the Rage doesn't romanticise the harsh reality of rape and the trauma and struggle it leaves behind in a world that blames a rape victim for being raped in the first place. A world where we show compa ...more

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Apr 28, 2015 Karlyflower *The Vampire Ninja, Luminescent Monster & Wendigo Nerd Goddess of Canada (according to The Hulk)* rated it it was amazing

Shelves: not-always-a-monster, this-is-my-life, terrifying-traditionals

Trigger Warning: Rape

My finger has hovered over the delete button for a few minutes now, and decided to leave that warning, despite the fact that my attacker gave me no such courtesy.

I am a statistic.

I am a percentage.

I am a warning story.

“When I was sixteen I was raped.” Put like that, it sounds really simple doesn’t it? I woke up one morning an innocent girl who had never been, and the next I was a girl who had been. Raped. How can five letters change your entire life?

In every possibl ...more

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Sep 07, 2016 Aj the Ravenous Reader rated it really liked it

Recommended to Aj the Ravenous Reader by: Eilonwy and Vane

Shelves: young-adult, contemporary

3.5 stars

By now, I’ve already read almost all of Courtney Summers books and it is no secret how I am a huge fan of her writing and the risks she takes when writes her stories. She reveals naked ugly truths (thanks for the term, Aunt CoHo) about people in her stories with assertion and undeniable truthfulness and for these things; my salute goes to her (always).

But even though she wrote dark stories in the past including an apocalyptic duology with zombies in it, I think All the Rage is her da 3.5 stars

By now, I’ve already read almost all of Courtney Summers books and it is no secret how I am a huge fan of her writing and the risks she takes when writes her stories. She reveals naked ugly truths (thanks for the term, Aunt CoHo) about people in her stories with assertion and undeniable truthfulness and for these things; my salute goes to her (always).

But even though she wrote dark stories in the past including an apocalyptic duology with zombies in it, I think All the Rage is her darkest novel yet. It turns out I had good reasons all along by trying to avoid this book the longest time possible because (damn!), that was a seriously heavy read. I know I vowed to keep myself away from cheesy romances with happy endings but after reading this book, I think I’d gladly go back to those comfort books.

I emotionally and physically suffered through the story, at the sadness and grimness of the tone and the unkindness of the people. I don’t understand why people would commune to aim for something really bad but it is a really sad and ugly fact that it does happen. People could do really ugly things. The entire narrative wasn’t easy to read either because it seems a bit disjointed at times and there were certain places I’m not sure I’m reading a present event or a past.

And yet despite the challenges I went through during the entire reading experience, I am once again thankful for yet another eye-opening novel that courageously takes on an issue most of us would rather avoid and develops it into a believable story, perhaps not that of a hero’s or a survivor’s story but of someone broken and lifeless and how she in spite of it all tries to keep moving on, how she could still have the strength to simply breathe and do the usual things she was supposed to do even after losing herself.

In retrospect, she IS a survivor and even though there weren’t real resolutions to the conflicts in the story like most Summers books, it ends with a tiny sliver of hope to the characters and to the reader and that little hope is all it really takes to make us believe that the good could still prevail.

To Ate Holly (September 9) and Vane (September 19), [You can check out their brilliant reviews by clicking on their names]

...more

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Aug 01, 2016 Jaidee rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: both women and men, young and old

Recommended to Jaidee by: my streetcar friend.

Shelves: four-ana-half-stars-books

4.5 "heartbreaking, devastating, unflinching" stars !!

2016 Honorable Mention Read

Romy could be your best friend or sister or cousin or daughter. Romy may have had a similar story to your mama, or auntie or even granny. Romy also has many male counterparts and perhaps this is your buddy, sweetheart, brother, uncle or papa. Think of all the people you hold dear to you and think of the secrets they may have never shared. One of them could be rape, sexual assault or molestation. Let this truth hit ...more

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Apr 15, 2015 Natalie Monroe rated it liked it

Shelves: real-problems, bittersweet-ending, my-inner-feminist-cries-with-joy, possible-creepers, great-but-not-quite-there-yet, watch-out-for-puddles-of-angst, not-as-good-as-i-expected

3.5 stars

Cynical Natalie: ...

Nice Natalie: ...

Cynical Natalie: Well, we're not going to get anything done by staying quiet, so I'll start: All The Rage is not worth the hype.

Nice Natalie: ...

Cynical Natalie: Well? Aren't you going to get up all in my face and say it's a scarily accurate book about rape and feminism and completely aligns with our values?

Nice Natalie: I'm trying to disassociate myself. So when the mob comes, I won't be implicated.

Cynical Natalie: Coward. Fine, I'll do the talking. ...more

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Sep 17, 2014 Giselle rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc, own

This is some terribly gritty stuff! This story revolves around a rape, and soon enough, you can add in a girl's disappearance. So yes, this book is harsh, and Summers tackles it head-on with her immensely poignant writing style. She has a way of dissecting her characters until you can't help but feel just as lost, just as completely broken as they are. I was honestly emotionally and psychologically confused for much of this novel. This book also touches on one of today's biggest challenges with This is some terribly gritty stuff! This story revolves around a rape, and soon enough, you can add in a girl's disappearance. So yes, this book is harsh, and Summers tackles it head-on with her immensely poignant writing style. She has a way of dissecting her characters until you can't help but feel just as lost, just as completely broken as they are. I was honestly emotionally and psychologically confused for much of this novel. This book also touches on one of today's biggest challenges with gender violence - society's disbelief and victim blaming. Especially when the accused is the son of a prominent town figure. Stories like this are, sadly, the reality for many girls in our own world.

With that said, this is not a story to tread lightly. This is not the book you pick up when you want a light read, or even just a diversion. This book will make you feel uncomfortable. It will put you into the skin of a girl who feels dirty, filthy… dead. It's not the kind of novel where you will connect with the character in the way one might expect. How can you connect with someone who's so broken, she doesn't even feel worthy of living? Instead, you become one with her. You become one, and you hope against all hope that she gets through this seemingly impossible hurdle - if it can even be called that. In other words, she's a character who forced me to stay at arm's length emotionally, if only to protect my sanity, while still drawing me entirely into her psyche. This girl does not only bear the weight of an assault, she also has to deal with being the school pariah. The person who "cried rape" while her peers bully and mock her for "wanting attention". What's worse is you can glimpse at what a wonderful person Romy truly is… or was. You can see that she is kind, caring, and only wants a freaking break! She harbors so much fear and mistrust, that she can't even see when someone good finally comes around.

Leon is the light at the end of this tunnel, and I was glad that even though she doesn't see it, he brings at least a little bit of warmth to her life - to this book. I was so happy to see him not give up so easily, realizing that this isn't the real her, something is eating her up inside. Furthermore, there's her mom and step-dad who are both there for her, present at just the right times. Similarly, her job at the diner and this work dynamic is a welcome change from the isolation. It sort of becomes a safe haven for her and I loved that. When we're not focusing on Romy's internal struggles, the plot follows the disappearance of the only girl who gave Romy the benefit of the doubt. It's not a plot that ended up surprising me - even though I didn't guess every detail of what transpired, it's easy to predict the bigger picture. However, this story is more about what happened to Romy, than what's happening presently. It's about her finding the strength to at least try. As expected - having read Summers' books before - the ending is somewhat open ended, though full of hope. It's realistic, but I can't say I didn't wish for more. Like a short "one year later" prologue. But that's the thing with her books, you need to know her characters to be okay, so these somewhat open endings, while appreciatively realistic, can feel very abrupt.

All the Rage is raw to the bone. It's painful, bitter, heartbreaking, and incredibly important. Summers has been an auto-buy for me from the very first page of hers I ever turned. She's a powerful storyteller, and she has done it again!

--
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.

For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads

...more

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Mar 04, 2015 Aimee ♥ | Aimee, Always rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc, i-think-my-heart-stopped, i-am-not-pleased-with-that-cliffie, favorites, i-cried, nails-are-gone-from-biting, swoony-book-boys, did-not-see-that-coming, holy-shit-that-ending, might-make-you-shit-bricks

want more awesomeness by courtney summers? do yourselves a favor and check out sadie

Essential Items When Reading All the Rage:

1. One stress ball (two could work, but you'll need your other hand to flip pages. Duh.) - This book will make you so angry at how horrible some people can be. You'll want to scream, kick a brick, bite the head off a gummy bear... You get my point. The stress ball will help during these moments.

2. A box of tissues - I don't know about the next guy, but this ...more

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Feb 10, 2018 ♛ may rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 300-pgs, contemporary, ded, standalones, my-heart, kickass-heroine, perfection, real-problems, tears-so-many-tears, aaaaaaaaaa

wow, im destroyed. this is fantastic.

RTC

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

it's time for a courtney summer's marathon reread, folks, i can't wait to get my heart punched again by ms. summers

buddy read with my #1 contemp trash ...more

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Feb 11, 2018 sunny rated it really liked it

Shelves: romance, contemporary, v-emotionally-moving, young-adult, boring-af, endless-pain

3.5 stars but rounded up to four because this book doesn't deserve less than 4. Honestly, I'm still confused and it was a little meh but it was also powerful and left me a little shook.

Rtc maybe but honestly my feelings are just akdhskbdksd.

《》《》《》《》《》《》《》《》《》《》《》
I can't believe I haven't read every Courtney Summers book out there. I'm a fake fan. :((

BUT THAT'S GOING TO CHANGE.

Buddy read with an exasperated mother ...more

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Jan 29, 2015 Marga rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-feb-2015, arcs, realistic-fiction, favorites-2015, are-you-kidding-me, young-adult, believe-the-hype, made-me-cry, abuse, 2015-releases

This review was also posted on HER BOOK THOUGHTS.

"...and how do you get a girl to stop crying?

You cover her mouth."

I won't tell you anything about this story because I want you guys to have the whole experience for yourself. BUT. I would tell you how this story made me feel.

I am no wordsmith and this was one of those times that I wished I was so I can tell you guys how fantastic this book was for me. This freaking ripped my heart out in tiny pieces and then it wasn't still satisfied so it stom ...more

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Jan 29, 2014 Sarah Elizabeth rated it really liked it

Shelves: contemporary, young-adult, death, mystery, netgalley-edelweiss, read-2015, read-with-abbie, as, r2r-read, abuse

(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley.)

“His hands are everywhere and he’s a vicious weight on top of her that she can’t breathe against so she cries instead, and how do you get a girl to stop crying?
You cover her mouth.”

I have to say that this book is aptly named; because boy did I feel rage!

I felt so sorry and angry and frustrated for poor Romy in this story. Not only had she gone through one of the mos ...more

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Feb 23, 2012 Tatiana rated it really liked it

Shelves: 3, starred-2015, 2015, ya

Finally a YA novel worth reading!

Very angry, very painful, very real look at the current rape culture and victim blaming.

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Nov 19, 2014 Faye, la Patata rated it really liked it

Shelves: humans-are-scary, haunting-narration, contemporary-fiction, heartwrenching, complex-hero-heroine, psychological, dark-and-gritty, complex, young-adult, tragedy

The title could not be any more appropriate. If ever there were a time when I was very close to transforming into a She-Hulk, it would be while reading this book. But don't get me wrong - I didn't want to actually smash it to a million pieces; rather, I wanted to go inside the book and punch several awful characters many, many times due to how disgusting and sickening their narrow-minded mentalities were.

This book might just be the most realistic portrayal of the awfulness of rape culture and v The title could not be any more appropriate. If ever there were a time when I was very close to transforming into a She-Hulk, it would be while reading this book. But don't get me wrong - I didn't want to actually smash it to a million pieces; rather, I wanted to go inside the book and punch several awful characters many, many times due to how disgusting and sickening their narrow-minded mentalities were.

This book might just be the most realistic portrayal of the awfulness of rape culture and victim-blaming. Both of these things make me very mad, having seen people actually blame victims of rape for what happened to them, and this book did just that. It made me RAGE. It made me angry, and sad, and so confused at how people can be so nasty to others who are already so down and miserable. To think there used to be a time back in my childhood years when I naively thought the world was made of rainbows and butterflies, when the contrary is ever more true today. I'm not afraid to admit that this book made me cry in frustration and anger and, to be honest, helplessness; helplessness that the world is like this and it's a reality for thousands, millions of victims.

And you know what? It's alright to be angry. It's alright to cry. Because when you have reached that point, that's when you realize the injustice of it all - you are moved so much by their plight that you cannot muster anything but tears and compassion for them. And All the Rage definitely makes all this more than just a statistic to people who feel this problem is far away from them, because of the honest, angry, and genuine way it was written, portraying this awful reality in the rawest way possible. You'd think that by 2015 we'd have evolved from the primitives we were, but we have not, andthis book really makes you see all the hardships, all the mental and psychological and emotional torture victims of rape and victim-blaming go through.

And my fucking god, does it hurt a lot. No book has made me this angry for a character before. All I wanted to do magically transport myself inside and teach the people in this small town a lesson on humility and compassion, and rescue Romy from their clutches.

I really don't have anything else to say than that. I don't want to talk about it too much because this is a book that demands to be read and felt without any hint of spoilers whatsoever. It is very emotional and engaging in the realest way possible. The only other time I've read such an honest, genuine narration was when I read Andrea Portes' Anatomy of a Misfit, so trust me on this that it Romy's voice and experience will gut you, pierce you, pull your heartstrings, empty your tearducts, and make your nerves pop out in anger.

This is my second Courtney Summers book, and you bet I'm not going to be stopping anytime soon. ...more

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Feb 18, 2015 Chelsea ❤Peril Please❤ rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: courtney-summers-rules-all, buddy-read, could-read-over-and-over-again, tearjerkers, favorites, my-favorite-covers

When all you can do is watch, you see.

Well, I begrudgingly give this five stars....Oh, come on. Yeah the hell right. Did anyone really expect me to give this any less than a bajillion stars? I am still awaiting the day I'll pick up a Courtney Summers novel and not be floored by her simple words that portray deep, meaningful messages so many authors gloss over today. And even if that day comes? I know to the bottom of my soul, even if the story isn't for me, I will still write her name, like, ...more

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Apr 10, 2015 ✦❋Arianna✦❋ rated it really liked it

4.5 Stars!!

description

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

This book is about life and how hard is nowadays to be a teenage girl, about society and last, but not least about rape and how survivors of rape are struggling to move on, to accept they deserved more, to accept they are more than a victim. Like many realistic fiction novels this is a read you are not supposed to enjoy. It supposed to open your eyes, to make you realize how society really is, how is easier to believe that someone is lying than believe that someone’s innocence was stolen. It goes without saying this novel felt REAL. The message of the story and the main character, Romy will certainly make you feel. Now…]..if I’m honest here I have to say this book made me so, so angry. Of course I knew before that life and our society are not perfect. And of course I knew people can be ‘ugly’ (inside), but to be reminded so often of these realities is gut-wrenching every damn time. “All the Rage” is a book that will make you think, that will open your eyes and that will make you FEEL.

Now...imagine you have been raped. No one believes you, because your rapist is ‘someone important’ and his family is an influential family in your community. On top of that, you are bullied because you were brave enough to speak out against rape, you are bullied because THEY think you don’t have the right to live (no like them) because you are a 'LIAR', because you are just a girl who 'wants attention'. How can you move on from something like that? How can you learn again how to act, think, feel and trust after everything was stolen from you – your right to choose, your innocence, your voice.

Romy Grey is a 17 years old who knows what is like to be seen like a liar, a girl who lost her friends and not only, just because she ‘dared’ to speak the truth. Romy was raped. She’s damaged, but she’s not totally broken, not like she thinks she is. To read her story was truly heart breaking. The author did a fantastic job portraying her character and her inner turmoil. Romy’s voice was honest, raw and REAL.

She has people in her life that really care for her, people that loves her and believes her – her mother, her mother’s boyfriend and a boy, Leon who works with her. Leon represents the light in Romy’s life. I really liked him and I liked how determined he was to do something good for the girl he likes. Not to save her, no, because Romy is the only one who can save herself, but to do something...anything to bring some happiness in her life.

I have to say I really liked the ending. It’s exactly how is supposed to be - full of hope.

This was my first read by this author and I’m certain it won’t be my last. I really liked Courtney Summers’s ‘voice’ and her writing style – simple, yet powerful.

Overall, a fantastic read! ...more

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Feb 28, 2016 Elle (ellexamines) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: catharsis-dot-mp3, 5-star, y-2000sreleases, favorite-characters, z-2015favs, z-2015reads, trope-subversion, she-did-that, contemporary

“You know all the ways you can kill a girl?

God, there are so many.”

This is a book of self-righteous anger that, more than four years after my initial read, still sticks with me on a deep emotional level. It is angry, yes, but it is also sad, and real, and deeply heartbreaking.

All the Rage is one of the most excellent portrayals of rape culture I have ever read, in my life. Courtney Summers doesn't shy away from the godawful things that go along with being a victim. The feeling of cl ...more

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Feb 06, 2012 Catie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: mystery-thriller-noir, read-in-2015, ya

This book made me feel All the Rage, plus all the depression, paranoia, hopelessness, trauma, and fear. After finishing it, I was in such a funk that my husband asked me if something terrible had happened that day. I proceeded to tell him all about the amazing, powerful book I had just finished. To which he said, “WHY would you want to read that?” There are so many reasons why (starting with because I love reality and ending with I don’t want my literature to coddle me). But the main reason why This book made me feel All the Rage, plus all the depression, paranoia, hopelessness, trauma, and fear. After finishing it, I was in such a funk that my husband asked me if something terrible had happened that day. I proceeded to tell him all about the amazing, powerful book I had just finished. To which he said, “WHY would you want to read that?” There are so many reasons why (starting with because I love reality and ending with I don’t want my literature to coddle me). But the main reason why I recommend this book for everyone is that I think that this book is truth. It’s hard, sharp, uncomfortable truth, but it needs to be heard. This book is like bitter medicine for all the easy, comforting lies we tell ourselves. Lies like:

She really shouldn’t dress like that.
Some girls are just asking for it.
She led him on.
She wanted it, really.
Why else would she have been at a frat party at night? And drunk?

These words are easy because they shift the blame. They shift it away from the large, scary, out of control attacker and onto the small, broken victim. They give us all the illusion that rape is something that we can control, if only we act, think, speak, dress, and comport ourselves in a certain way. And if a girl gets raped, it’s so easy to blame her, to think that she could have prevented it. If it’s true that there’s no possible way she could have prevented it, if it’s true that it can happen to anyone, anywhere, regardless of age, race, or class – then where does that leave us? It leaves us all as potential victims. And it leaves us in the difficult situation of having to question why this problem is so prevalent in our society. Why are so many girls (and boys) raped? And (here’s the truly scary question) why does our society produce so many rapists? How did we get to the place where our response to a gang rape at a fraternity house is to ask all women not to attend fraternity parties?

This book deals with all of this, but it is never an “issue” book and it never feels didactic. Rather, it is a chilling, immersive first person account of a girl who experiences rape and everything that happens in the after. Like everything Courtney Summers writes, it is masterfully crafted. She weaves together the before and the after, deftly showing us that although the rape itself is over, Romy is still living it every single day. Unlike every other first person rape account I have read (Speak and Raw Blue come to mind), this one acknowledges that anger is an acceptable part of a rape victim’s emotional array – not just anger, but blinding, murderous rage. This book is also impressively plotted. It is not only a slow-building, emotional account, but also a suspenseful mystery with a truly creepy twist. I loved every sickening minute of it.
...more

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Oct 07, 2014 Vanessa J. rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: Everyone. It deals with serious stuff, though, so you should consider that.

Recommended to Vanessa by: Emily May

Shelves: young-adult, contemporary, 2015, ate-my-heart, psychological, feminism

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

Romy's had a difficult life. She was raped and no one believes her. And to make things worse, people not only think she's a liar – they also make fun of her and play horrible and cruel pranks on her. So obviously she feels there's no use for her to speak up. No one is going to take her seriously after all.

and how do you get a girl to stop crying?
You cover her mouth.

The name of the book is simply perfect: All the Rage. Indee ...more

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Jan 27, 2015 shady boots rated it it was amazing

Shelves: oh-my-god-marry-me, all-time-faves, 2015-faves, i-just-have-a-lot-of-feelings

Okay, how do I even begin to describe how this book made me feel.

Contemporary YA has been heading in the right direction lately. I've mentioned before that I didn't like the quirky, whimsical bullshit that most YA contemp was doing. I want my YA contemp to be realistic as hell, cause it's supposed to be contemporary. In our world, in our time, tackling real world issues and dilemmas.

But this book, I realized, was somehow too realistic, at least for me. Painfully realistic. I felt sick and uneasy Okay, how do I even begin to describe how this book made me feel.

Contemporary YA has been heading in the right direction lately. I've mentioned before that I didn't like the quirky, whimsical bullshit that most YA contemp was doing. I want my YA contemp to be realistic as hell, cause it's supposed to be contemporary. In our world, in our time, tackling real world issues and dilemmas.

But this book, I realized, was somehow too realistic, at least for me. Painfully realistic. I felt sick and uneasy and heartbroken throughout the entire thing, because this shit actually happens to girls. The wrong people are given power 85% of the time and it sucks. It fucking sucks.

Just... if any of you are going through something like this, there ARE people who will trust you and stand by you. Don't make other people's disbelief put a plug on your ability to speak up. Hell, talk to ME, even. I wouldn't really be able to help much, but I'd be there as a friend. If you feel alone, don't worry, I feel the same. So why not be alone together, y'know?

Back to the book itself, it is brilliant. It is powerful. But it is also cruel and disgusting and painful and frustrating and afkljhgdlkjdfghaghdagh. As much as I adore it, I wouldn't wanna read it ever again.

____

Side note: This is not really related to the book, but there's this game you guys should really check out called Life is Strange. ((It's on Steam here if you guys wanna play it on your computer, but if you have a PS4 or Xbox One you can play it there too.))

This particular topic is also tackled in that game with the main character's friend, and your actions in the game could literally determine if you could save her from killing herself. This is exactly what I was talking about when I said there will be people who will stand by you and care for you in this situation, because as you play Max, you'll be able to stand by Kate--the victim in question--since everyone else seems to be against her, and even save her life.

I strongly suggest you guys to play it because it tackles many issues like this. Even if you guys aren't necessarily gamers, I still think you'd enjoy it. Think of it as an interactive 3D young-adult novel. ...more

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Jul 14, 2012 Rose rated it really liked it

Shelves: psychological, drama, contemporary, favorites, tough-subjects, mystery, realistic-fiction, young-adult, crime, grief

Initial reaction: Review to come when I can pick my heart up off the ground. I was expecting an emotional read, and I got one. I felt so sorry for Romy's experiences, and her voice is raw, honest, and heartbreaking. I still feel like there were some threads in the story that weren't completely tied (which is why I'm giving this 4 stars instead of 5), but I really appreciated the read. It was beautifully written.

Also, thank goodness for an awesome POC love interest. I really liked Leon a lot.

Full Initial reaction: Review to come when I can pick my heart up off the ground. I was expecting an emotional read, and I got one. I felt so sorry for Romy's experiences, and her voice is raw, honest, and heartbreaking. I still feel like there were some threads in the story that weren't completely tied (which is why I'm giving this 4 stars instead of 5), but I really appreciated the read. It was beautifully written.

Also, thank goodness for an awesome POC love interest. I really liked Leon a lot.

Full review:

I'll admit it took me the longest time to reflect on this book because it hit home on a lot of things for me, particularly when it comes to discussions of sexual violence and how society at large treats young women and women in general when it comes sexual shaming. Courtney Summers has a way of gripping you in the measure of a teen's emotions and bringing their thoughts so intimately that it feels you're following right in their footsteps, which is why I end up loving many of her respective novels. There's always a strong sense of voice, emotion, and theme in each of Summers's novels.

Romy is a young woman in a lot of pain. She's raped by the son of a prominent figure in her neighborhood, accused of lying, slammed and shunned by her community. She attempts to find some space to escape, working at a diner and finding a friend who makes her feel like she can *feel* something again (Leon, who is so awesome of a love interest and support that I wish more teen guys could be portrayed like him. Plus, he's a POC!) But when a person from her past comes up with a bit of information that shakes her, let alone seems to disappear without a trace, Romy has to figure out what she should do in the aftermath.

This book seems to focus more on the overarching mystery/disappearance (which is intriguing and kept me guessing through the narrative), but there are some very true commentaries on sexual shaming/violence that stayed with me long after I finished "All the Rage". I wish the narrative could've expounded upon Romy's experience with the sheriff's son and how that came to pass, and I also wish that the ending of the novel could've felt a little more complete (then again, I think I've had this issue with some of Summers' other novels for endings, such as "Cracked Up to Be". It may just be a matter of preference). Even with that consideration, this book had me completely and emotionally invested. There were points where it did hit me emotionally, especially seeing what Romy goes through in terms of the bullying, and how she grapples with her own inner anger over her experience, the people who alienated her, her distrust, and wanting to hold onto that which makes her even the least bit happy (though she finds herself pushing away Leon in unfair ways because of her distrust).

The emotions were palpable and scenario very realistic, almost so much that I only put the book down when it hit so close to home, it left me trying to grapple with my own emotions and experiences. If it's something to say, I don't think I know any woman who hasn't had some unwelcome sexual advance or encounter, or hasn't been the victim of shaming in some sexual way. I can even name my own painful experiences, and I've talked about them in some capacities in the past in other discussions, though they weren't easy conversations to have.

If there's something to say, "All the Rage" is a novel that is an important part of a much larger conversation that should be open and encouraged, especially among young women. I think that'd be a huge stepping stone to eradicate the kind of cruelties of action and dialogue that Romy endures through this book.

Overall score: 4/5 stars ...more

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Jul 31, 2012 hayden rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2015-favorites

You should read this book.

Don't think you can handle it?

You should still read it.

Think it'll be too intense?

You should still read it.

Don't have enough time?

You should still read it.

Don't like reading?

You should still read it.

Don't know how you found yourself on this Goodreads page?

Hey, here's an excellent book for you to read. It's called All the Rage, by Courtney Summers. More information about it can be found by clicking on the cover image above. Yeah, you should totally read it.

Yes, it is a b ...more

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Feb 06, 2012 Kelly rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, read-in-2014, top-picks, ya-fiction

All the Rage is an incredible, authentic, painful book that looks deep into what rape culture is and how rape culture impacts the lives of girls.

Romy embodies what it means to have everything that’s yours taken from you, and she fights back tooth and nail to regain not just a shred of herself but she fights back to ensure that other girls don’t have to endure what she has. That being made to be “less than” because of someone else’s actions isn’t OKAY.

This book is important, and it needs to be All the Rage is an incredible, authentic, painful book that looks deep into what rape culture is and how rape culture impacts the lives of girls.

Romy embodies what it means to have everything that’s yours taken from you, and she fights back tooth and nail to regain not just a shred of herself but she fights back to ensure that other girls don’t have to endure what she has. That being made to be “less than” because of someone else’s actions isn’t OKAY.

This book is important, and it needs to be on your radar if you care about feminism, about rape culture, about girls and the way girls become victimized over and over again, especially when they’re already a victim. It’s about standing up when you know you are going to be knocked down again.

It’s a book about girls taking back what is rightfully theirs: the voices, their bodies, their place in society as humans.

Summers creates dynamic characters across the spectrum here, and without doubt, Romy is my favorite character she's written. Leon, one of the secondary characters, might be a close second to Romy, though. I also found myself really invested in Romy's mother in this story -- there was one part, in fact, where her mother made me cry with something she said to Romy. It hit one of those few soft spots I've got. Every character here is round, flawed, and compelling. Even the characters who filled me with rage and hate had me caring enough about them to allow those feelings to come up, hard, each time they returned.

The mystery is well-rendered, and the who-done-it element of this story never overpowers the greater story nor does it fall to the wayside. This isn't a book with a message, but the implications of what it is like to be a girl in a world that regularly chews them up and spits them up come through clearly in Romy and the entire diverse cast of characters.

I’ll say a lot more about All the Rage when it’s closer to release date, but if I had to give this a “meets,” it is spot on Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak meets Veronica Mars. This is Summers's best work, hands down, and her writing cuts straight to the bone. It's not friendly and it's not supposed to be.

But it's damn good. ...more

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May 05, 2015 ♛Tash rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommended to ♛Tash by: Lyn *GLITTER VIKING*

Shelves: oh-god-youths

Once in a while, you read a book that makes you question the worthiness of the human project, All the Rage is one of those books. Sure, the story is told through the eyes of a very angry and depressed teenager, but it's undeniable that slut-shaming, victim-shaming, rape culture, are still issues that are predominantly ignored. I won't get into the dirty because more discerning readers have better articulated these in their reviews. Plus, talking about these issues just infuriate me incoherent, a ...more

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Jul 12, 2012 Dahlia rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favoritey-faves, interracial-romance, i-own-in-hardcopy, sexual-abuse, soul-shattering, 2015-releases, smp, top-ten-contemps

Holy shit.

This was, hands-down, my most anticipated book of 2015. So much so that I put off reading it for weeks because I didn't want it to be over. The fact that it exceeded my expectations makes my heart explode in every way.

This book is brutal. It is harsh and cynical and scary and so incredibly full of truth about what it is to be a girl in the world that it physically hurts. And the thing about Romy is that she doesn't even have a horribly shitty family; her mom is OK, and her boyfriend i Holy shit.

This was, hands-down, my most anticipated book of 2015. So much so that I put off reading it for weeks because I didn't want it to be over. The fact that it exceeded my expectations makes my heart explode in every way.

This book is brutal. It is harsh and cynical and scary and so incredibly full of truth about what it is to be a girl in the world that it physically hurts. And the thing about Romy is that she doesn't even have a horribly shitty family; her mom is OK, and her boyfriend is OK, and yes, her dad is a complete and total waste of abandonment space who destroyed all their standing in their town, but Summers doesn't rely on the tactic of making Romy completely alone in the world in order to impress upon readers how lost she is, how dead inside. She has a boy who likes her, has a job. And all these things only further serve to show how much external things cannot save you when your insides have been destroyed. If anything, it only makes the good feel scarier, more fragile, more tenuous.

Romy is in a town without mercy, but it isn't an atypical town. She isn't an atypical case. She is a fully realized character with her own story - as if Summers were capable of any less - but she is so many girls across the country, across the world. She's so many girls who weren't believed, who were trampled for the sake of this golden boy or that one. She is terrifying story after terrifying story that happens every fucking day.

This is the kind of book that should be required reading for teen girls and anyone who ever interacts with them, even as it makes me hate the world to think so.

Favorite quotes (from ARC, so, subject to change, but hoping they won't):

[in response to Penny telling her she can still report her rape] "I almost laugh, but my voice has left me. The chance of that happening is as dead as the girl Penny's talking about and that's what I really want to say to her. She died, Penny, you know that? You know all the ways you can kill a girl?

God, there are so many. "

"Her eyes widen and she shoves me back and then there's a space between us, enough to paralyze me with all of the things I could do to her next. I could raise my hand and hit her in the face or bring my knee into her stomach, take a fistful of her hair and rip it out of her skull. You don't get to do this when you're a girl, so when the opportunity for violence finally presents itself, I want all of it at once."

...more

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About Courtney Summers

Courtney Summers

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Courtney Summers is the author of several novels, including the breakout hit Sadie, which appeared on over 30 ‘Best of’ lists and was published in 26 territories. In 2018, Electric Literature proclaimed her “a master of the bitch” for her years of writing “nuanced, wrenching stories about angry [and] unlikable girls.” Her work has been released to critical acclaim, multiple starred reviews and has ...more

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Quotes from All the Rage

“You know all the ways you can kill a girl?

God, there are so many.” — 133 likes

“I don't believe in forgiveness. I think if you hurt someone, it becomes part of you both. Each of you just has to live with it and the person you hurt gets to decide if they want to give you the chance to do it again. If they do and you're a good person, you won't make the same mistakes. Just whole new ones.” — 116 likes

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