Powerful and Poignant

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All My Rage is a powerful, poignant story about the lives of two teenagers who are transitioning into adulthood while facing challenges far beyond their years.

Synopsis:
Noor and Salahudin have been best friends since childhood, but due to a recent fight they are apart. Noor is applying to college and is facing a string of rejections. She lives with her uncle and is forced to hide her dreams, as he wants to squander them and keep her in his control. Sal’s mother’s illness comes to a tragic end, leaving him with his alcoholic father and a pile of debt, forced to resort to drastic means in order to save their family’s motel.

Thoughts:
I read this as a buddy read with my friend @shnidhi, and it wasn’t until talking with her that I found the words for this review. This book was so well written and it’s been hard to put into words how I felt after reading it.

There were many trigger warnings (Islamaphobia, bullying, alcohol and drug abuse, domestic abuse), however it’s these topics that make this such a powerful novel. It draws awareness, and makes the reader truly see and feel what it’s like to encounter these challenges, as much as possible through the page of a book. The ending honestly felt a bit abrupt, and I was left wanting more, but I guess it had to end at some point!

I was completely captivated by the story of Salahudin and Noor and this will for sure be one of my top reads this year!