Thank you to Penguin Teen and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Oh my god! Sabaa what have you done to me!! 😭😭😭
All My Rage is a generational contemporary about a family of Pakistani Americans and Noor, a Pakistani refugee. The story centers on Noor, Salahudin and his mother, Misbah. We see Misbah in Pakistan as she starts her married life with Toufiq and they come to the United States. Noor and Salahudin were best friends, until The Fight. Now Sal spends his time trying to save the motel as his mother's health fails and his father is lost in his alcoholism. Noor balances working for her wrathful uncle while also going to school and trying to apply to college where she can finally be free of him and Juniper. But when Sal tries something desperate to save the motel, he and Noor face far reaching consequences than they knew to prepare for.
This book was fucking incredible. The way Sabaa has shaped the story of Misbah, Noor and Salahudin was amazing. The emotional journey we go through with these characters has caused maximum emotional damage. I wanted to rage, to cry, to scream, to fight and so much more for these characters. The way trauma is explored in this story is incredible, there's no other word for it truly.
There were times I felt so down with these characters I didn't think there was any hope left. But Sabaa weaves a tiny seed of hope throughout this whole story. So much is thrown at the protagonists and while they don't always make the smartest decisions, they persevere through it all. I love that we get to see them all grow and learn through their mistakes. Many times we only see a tiny bit of behavior changes, but All My Rage goes above and beyond that.
The ending made me cry. I loved it so much. It's bittersweet yet brimming with hope. This book is amazing. I am so glad I read it. Tahir has established herself as someone who can easily leap genres and craft a compelling story and characters. I cannot wait to see what comes next for her.
Rep: cishet Pakistani-American male MC with PTSD and touch aversion, cishet Muslim Pakistani refugee female MC with PTSD, cishet Muslim Pakistani-American female MC with chronic kidney disease, white cis bisexual female side character with a small child, various Muslim and Pakistani side characters, Black Muslim female side character, BIPOC male side character, WLW side couple.
CWs: Islamophobia, alcoholism, alcohol consumption, bullying, domestic abuse, physical abuse, racism, child abuse, drug use, drug abuse (non-fatal overdose), drug addiction, panic attacks, racial slurs, chronic illness, terminal illness, xenophobia, medical content, grief, death, death of parent, religious bigotry, mental illness (PTSD). Moderate: police brutality, emotional abuse and manipulation, past sexual assault/rape.
Oh my god! Sabaa what have you done to me!! 😭😭😭
All My Rage is a generational contemporary about a family of Pakistani Americans and Noor, a Pakistani refugee. The story centers on Noor, Salahudin and his mother, Misbah. We see Misbah in Pakistan as she starts her married life with Toufiq and they come to the United States. Noor and Salahudin were best friends, until The Fight. Now Sal spends his time trying to save the motel as his mother's health fails and his father is lost in his alcoholism. Noor balances working for her wrathful uncle while also going to school and trying to apply to college where she can finally be free of him and Juniper. But when Sal tries something desperate to save the motel, he and Noor face far reaching consequences than they knew to prepare for.
This book was fucking incredible. The way Sabaa has shaped the story of Misbah, Noor and Salahudin was amazing. The emotional journey we go through with these characters has caused maximum emotional damage. I wanted to rage, to cry, to scream, to fight and so much more for these characters. The way trauma is explored in this story is incredible, there's no other word for it truly.
There were times I felt so down with these characters I didn't think there was any hope left. But Sabaa weaves a tiny seed of hope throughout this whole story. So much is thrown at the protagonists and while they don't always make the smartest decisions, they persevere through it all. I love that we get to see them all grow and learn through their mistakes. Many times we only see a tiny bit of behavior changes, but All My Rage goes above and beyond that.
The ending made me cry. I loved it so much. It's bittersweet yet brimming with hope. This book is amazing. I am so glad I read it. Tahir has established herself as someone who can easily leap genres and craft a compelling story and characters. I cannot wait to see what comes next for her.
Rep: cishet Pakistani-American male MC with PTSD and touch aversion, cishet Muslim Pakistani refugee female MC with PTSD, cishet Muslim Pakistani-American female MC with chronic kidney disease, white cis bisexual female side character with a small child, various Muslim and Pakistani side characters, Black Muslim female side character, BIPOC male side character, WLW side couple.
CWs: Islamophobia, alcoholism, alcohol consumption, bullying, domestic abuse, physical abuse, racism, child abuse, drug use, drug abuse (non-fatal overdose), drug addiction, panic attacks, racial slurs, chronic illness, terminal illness, xenophobia, medical content, grief, death, death of parent, religious bigotry, mental illness (PTSD). Moderate: police brutality, emotional abuse and manipulation, past sexual assault/rape.