All The Rage Blog Tour {review and giveaway}

I'm honored and thrilled to have the All The Rage Blog Tour stopping by today...

All The Rage

by Courtney Summers

4/15/15

St. Martin's Griffin

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?

goodreads / amazon / b&n / indiebound 

Praise for All The Rage

The narrative never shies from its charged subject, and Summers (This Is Not a Test) portrays the unforgiving mind-set of Grebe's citizens with grim realism. Through its resolution is neither tidy nor simple, Romy's powerful story creates a space for change. (Publishers Weekly (starred review))

With a plot that will leave you breathless and characters that will sink into your heart and stay there, it is Summers' ability to take on a painful subject with both nuance and stinging clarity that is the devastating genius of this narrative. All the Rage is full-on astonishing--and will be critical to future conversations about young adult literature. (Adele Griffin, author of The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone)

Powerful and heartbreaking - Romy and her story will stay with you long after you've turned the last page. (Kody Keplinger, author of The DUFF (Designated Ugly Fat Friend))

There are good books. There are great books. And then there are books like All The Rage, which take a piece of your heart and won't let go. (Elizabeth Scott, author of Living Dead Girl)

Smart, brutal, heartbreaking--Courtney Summers is at her unflinching best. (Brenna Yovanoff, New York Times Bestselling author of The Replacement and Fiendish)

All The Rage is a visceral indictment of rape culture and its far-reaching consequences and Romy is an incredibly strong and compelling character. Her story should be shared with both our daughters and our sons. (Rachel Vincent, New York Times bestselling author of The Unbound series and The Stars Never Rise)

The kind of novel that breaks you apart, and doesn't care if it puts you back together again. It's a story about hard choices and about the tumult of being a teenager. Sharp writing shot through with a soft vein of sadness. Courtney Summers doesn't flinch, and neither should you. Read this book. (Chuck Wendig, author of Blackbirds and Mockingbird)

Romy Grey is raped by the beloved Kellan Turner, the sheriff's son, and when she tells this horrific truth, she is met with hostility, disbelief, and torment by her peers and community. This is not a spoiler or a surprise. If you read the blurb for All The Rage you can easily figure out that this is a book about rape and its aftermath...but, it’s also so much more.

Courtney Summers’ explosive and provocative All The Rage is aptly titled. This book will make you feel ALL the rage and every emotion imaginable. The writing in All The Rage isn’t beautiful, it isn’t lyrical or full of dazzling passages you want to drown in. It doesn’t need to be because this isn’t a beautiful story being told. Yet, Summers’ writing is utterly captivating and every sentence, every word weaves an immensely raw, honest, powerful story that is felt soul-deep. Summers creates such an emotional atmosphere that burns and aches so palpably. All The Rage has a disjointed and, at times, messy and even disconnected narrative, but this narrative works for the story and proves to be exceptionally effective.

The aftermath of Romy’s rape is, in many ways, catastrophic. Romy’s world is torn apart, she’s branded a liar and slut, and is endlessly bullied and tormented by her peers...this is where all the rage comes in. With every insult thrown Romy’s way and every moment of fear and panic experienced by her, readers will feel more and more enraged and heartbroken...which means the author did her job incredibly well. This is a book full of gritty, brutal, painful stuff and Summers lays it all out in gripping, thought-provoking ways.

One of the things I love best about All The Rage, is how very little page time is given to Kellan Turner, Romy’s rapist, because he doesn’t deserve it. We aren’t forced to hear his side of the story and he isn’t given complex character development in hopes that, while readers won’t like him, maybe we’ll understand his actions and see him as more than just a villain...he’s a monster, pure and simple, and we are allowed to hate him for it. But, on the flip side, we aren’t forced or manipulated to care for Romy simply because she is the victim. The story doesn’t ask us to like Romy or hate her former BFF, Penny, or blame the community or the inaction of Romy’s parents, etc. The story just wants to be heard, needs to be heard. As a character, Romy doesn’t need to be loved or praised or found interesting by readers, she just wants to be heard.

my final thoughts: This isn’t any easy book, it isn’t something you pick up for a few hours of pleasure reading, and it certainly won’t be for everyone...but, it is a powerful, unforgettable, important book that will definitely leave a mark upon readers. I found All The Rage impossible to put down and highly recommend it!

MY RATING

5/5 yummy cupcakes

website * goodreads * twitter * facebook * tumblr * instagram

Courtney Summers lives and writes in Canada, where she divides most of her time between a camera, a piano and a word processing program. She is also the author of What Goes Around, This is Not a Test, Fall for Anything, Some Girls Are, Cracked Up to Be, and Please Remain Calm. 

Win a new copy of All The Rage!

St. Martin's Press has generously offered one brand new copy for one winner.

Details

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-ends 5/10

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