All the Rage by Courtney Summers Review

All the Rage, by Courtney Summers
Publication: April 14, 2015, by St. Martin's Griffin
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Abuse
Pages: 321
Format: Hardcover
Source: Borrowed
Rating: 

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?

My Thoughts: 

I have always been a fan of Courtney Summers' books... at least since last summer, hah. I keep mentioning this in every review of mine because she is one of the most unique contemporary writers to have ever hit my shelves and TBR lists. Know what I mean? *snickers* I bet you do. Do you ever get that feeling where you're unable to resist a writer's books? Yeah, that's always the case with her books, though I've never given a book of hers a five star rating. UM. That's an okay thing, right? 

After reading, I'm a little knocked out. Yeah, exactly how the stunning conclusion was supposed to make us feel. It's been a little while since I actually read and even returned this to the library and kind of forget about it. It's actually a pretty forgettable read, nothing special if you really think about it. That's what a book gets from a three star rating. Whoop, that's an accomplishment. *frowns* This could've been better, but whatever, I guess. Just take a look at the concept.

"And it’s in their heads now, that I took something from the search for Penny. I feel the beginnings of a whole new level of hate stirring in them. I pull my shirt on and try to make my mind blank while the room turns to vicious whispers.” 

This all jumps into place once the confusing prologue and start kind of gets to the right spot and we meet Romy Grey. From the themes and subjects that are highlighted, you'll presumably tell that she's a "loser." Everyone blames her existence for that another girl, Penny, who went missing. AND THIS IS ABOUT WHAT REALLY HAPPENED THAT NIGHT... And of course, you'll figure out what that night held.

I always am in for books that deal with sexual abuse and rape. Those subjects always hit the heart, toughly. And of course, THE FEELS ARE REAL. And the biggest issue that I had with this piece of literature? The feels. I had no sense of emotion, where I spent most of my time literally eyeing the book with a straight face. Huh. I find that this is the usual problem that I have with her books, and I WANTED MORE THIS TIME. Especially since this is her newest novel and I firmly believe that authors improve with their writing after they've written some other books. But this? A complete catastrophe when looking at some of the writing points.

Let's just skip the plot stuff and get straight to it. But I will note that there wasn't too much trouble with it excluding the fact that I was kind of bored with it and nothing special actually comes to mind when I think of the book. Eh. I guess it'll go either way for everyone, but keep in mind that my thoughts of the writing itself wasn't very likeable, I must admit.

Then we have Romy Grey, a really cool chick. Don't get me wrong on the statement I mentioned above on how she was your typical protagonist. She was a likeable person, to be honest. I felt guilt for her (which was the only feeling that I actually felt from the whole book), and her story was real in my eyes. What teenage girl deserves that all? None, I tell you. But that's Summers' story that she wants to plant in readers' minds, and I see that many others have enjoyed this book. So that's my firm opinion. 

Romy was the voice of our teenage generation, just saying. Courtney created a teenage character who many young girls can relate to. Her story is very urbanized and modern, and it was like a news story that you watched endlessly. She kept moving on and was SO STRONG. I don't know what I would've done in her situation. And then again, Courtney puts readers in that situation.

I guess by the end, everyone's able to think about the "what-ifs." What if this happened to you? (Not stating this as a personal rhetorical question, by the way.) What if this happened to someone in your school? Would you judge them? You never know what you will do until you're actually put in that situation, to be honest. This is a total book that stands up for feminism. I love that extra quirk that the author added. (Not that I'm a feminist or anything.) But let's go, stand up for rights and against violence!

By the end, I believe that there's a possibility that you're sitting beside your computer, thinking that I shame books for no reasons. I'm chuckling, real hard after typing that statement out. But in reality, I did have some issues with it while everyone else loved it. *slams book into face* I just didn't feel it. Sure, the family and bits of romance were nice and added into the positives, but what are you supposed to do when you just don't feel the book? No rage, no happiness, no crying, no tears, no nothing. I prefer Summers' writing with more lighter stuff since she obviously can't handle the dark things too well. I wish that there was more info-dumping and POV of the actual situation! Go for this if you really suspect that you'll enjoy it and LOVE these kinds of books. Other than that, don't waste your time.

Have you read a book where a great author disappointed a little?