Book Review: All The Rage by Courtney Summers.

Book: All the Rage

Author: Courtney Summers

Pages: 321

Read On: Kindle

How Long it Took Me To Read: 2 days

Plot Summary: 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.?

General Thoughts: This was a GoodReads recommendation and I thought I'd give it a go. I got it on my Kindle and read it pretty quickly and I was engrossed in this world.

TRIGGER WARNING....For rape/violence/sexual violence/assault. Though not overly graphic this book does deal with and mention instances of rape. So be warned.

Things I Liked:

1. The writing was really nice.

2. The pace of the book was good too.

3. The bullies in this book are hardcore evil. Kids can be mean and hurtful and cruel and this books shows this aspect of High School very well.

4. Romy's life is just heartbreaking. The aftermath of her rape and the reaction she gets from people in her small-town, even the people she thought she could trust was just sad and disappointing.

5. I really liked Romy's family- her mother and her mother's boyfriend were both such likable people.

6. Romy's workplace- a diner on the outskirts of town- where no one knows her or her past is also full of really likeable and kind people. People who care about her and treat her nicely.

7. Rape Culture is a huge aspect of this book and it's something that needs to be talked about. Victim blaming, slut shaming and pretending like rape is something a woman invites upon herself- are mindsets that need to change. This book does a fantastic and honest and sincere job of talking about this prevalent mindset in society.

8. Some parts of this book was hard to read and very upsetting. But this happens. Rape happens to so many women and it's important to read about stories like this. Especially given how girls/women are often blamed for their own rape. Called names and judged and often silenced. This book is important and this is a story that needs to be told.

9. Romy's way of dealing with her rape and the armor she uses to deal with the world- red lipstick and red nail-paint- was shown so well and was again gut-wrenchingly sad.

10. The second half of this book is also a mystery, not in the purest sense but there is a missing girl and the mystery surrounding what happened to her. I like anything with a who-dunnit aspect to it.

Things I Didn't Like: 

1. Hmm...the second half just wasn't my favourite.The mystery was letdown and predictable.

2. Romy...I just didn't connect with her. I felt for her. I wished her well. But I don't really think I got to know her at all.

3. The rapist- the golden boy- he isn't even there in the book.

4. The bullying...it was a little over the top...excessive...the school did nothing. Romy just took it most of the time and it was infuriating to see this happen over and over again.

Rating: 3.5/5