Thursday, December 24, 2015

All the Rage - Review

Review by Darcie Czajkowski
Romy Grey was raped. A tragic, scaring event that was made worse because of who the perpetrator was.

The sheriff’s son, Kellan Turner.

No one believes Romy. That’s her father’s fault. A drunk who mouthed off to the sheriff’s wife.

Romy has no credibility. Why would anyone believe the girl from the wrong side of the tracks?

One year later, Romy is still the outcast. Shamed by all. Friend to none. Except for Leon, the boy who works with her at the diner. But under the weight of shame and embarrassment, Romy has trouble letting him in. It’s hard for her to believe he wants her, despite the fact that when she says, “stop,” he does. Does he see the real her, though? Would he still care if he knew what happened to her?

Further complications arise when Romy’s former friend, Penny Young, disappears after a party, and Romy was there but can’t remember a thing. She’s questioned countless times about the night but has no answers. Is Kellan Turner responsible? Did he rape and kill her? And if he did, will anyone believe it?

Brilliantly written, Courtney Summers tackles an incredibly difficult topic. As a victim of sexual abuse as a child and rape as an adult, this book hit close to home. It was tough to read, largely because Summers nails it with her descriptions of how girls feel when they are violated. Girls and women are afraid to come forward, as they fear that they, like Romy, won’t be believed. They fear that nothing can be done. They fear that they will be blamed, or that they will be told that that they brought it on themselves. Society still has a long way to go in protecting girls and women from these types of offenses. But when authors like Summers are brave enough to raise the issue, let the world know and talk about the injustices that surround it, she is standing up for everyone who has been in Romy Grey’s shoes. Myself included.

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About the Author:
Courtney Summers was born in Belleville, Ontario in 1986 and currently resides in a small town not far from there. At age 14, she dropped out of high school to pursue her education independently and spent those years figuring out what she wanted to do with her life. At 18, she knew she was meant to write.

To date, she has authored five novels. Her first novel, Cracked Up to Be, was published when she was 22 and went on to win the 2009 CYBIL award in YA fiction. Since then, she’s published four more books–2011 YALSA Top 10 Quick Pick and White Pine Honour book, Some Girls Are, 2012 YALSA Quick Pick, Fall for Anything, and 2013 YALSA Top 10 Quick Pick and White Pine Honour book This is Not a Test and All the Rage as well as an e-novella, Please Remain Calm (a sequel to This is Not a Test).

When she is not writing, Courtney loves playing video games, watching horror movies and obsessing over the zombie apocalypse. Her favorite color is green and she’s a total feminist.

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