This book is painful. It is uncomfortable. It is not easy to like. Over half of its characters are downright despicable human beings. It is vivid, dreadful. Devastating.
It is one of the most important pieces of YA literature I've ever read. It could not have been published at a better time. Evoking the colour red for its theme, its symbols, and for burning rage, it is a story that needed to be told in this day and age.
I simply cannot do 'All the Rage' justice. I cannot begin to describe how it eloquently breaks down and exposes rape culture in all its ugly, ugly truth. How it separates the facts from the myths. How it knows the patriarchy is a social system and construct, and how and why it continues to work. No one is immune to it. 'All the Rage' understands all there is to know about double standards, classism and favouritism, and why they're bullshit and harmful. It acknowledges that everyone is capable of doing stupid or "crazy" things when they are desperate. If you take the time to stop and think about it, they may actually have a valid reason - a right - to be desperate, to yell out to people in their own way, "Look at me! I'm begging you, LOOK AT ME! I'm human too! PLEASE LISTEN TO ME!"
The book holds a mirror up to you - and to society as a whole - in order to show you this: Rape is rape. Rape is real. It is never, ever the victim's fault. Misogyny is real, it is alive and kicking: A devil with an entire culture of advocates.
Because yes, 'All the Rage' is about rape. It is the focus of the story, showing how it has affected the life of the teenage victim protagonist, Romy Grey, who has gone silent after a year of accusations of lying and being made into a pariah in her home town. She is called a "slit", a merging of
the words "slut" and "shit"; she is seen as a thing to be
ignored, mocked, abused and exploited - someone who is better off dead. Because
rape culture is a sick, evil curse placed on our society by the patriarchy,
which will always take the side and well being of the rapist above everything
else.
Rape is not used as a lazy plot device in this novel, nor is it thrown in for shock value without a proper understanding of such a sensitive and largely misrepresented subject matter. And it is sure as fuck not used to "empower" a female character.
It is to reveal, as plain as day, that to be born female is dangerous - a sin with terrifying potential consequences. Widespread culture has unconsciously manipulated our contemporary times so that to be a woman is enough cause for punishment.
In 'All the Rage', this is a character's response to the question of why they didn't believe Romy:
"Because it was easier."
Women cannot be expected to live like this. They cannot keep being targeted, and made the scapegoat for men so that males will never have to be held responsible for their own actions. This needs to change. Now. It is time for society to own up to its faults and respect women, to treat them as equal human beings, and above all support them. Because Romy’s story is just one of thousands - millions - in real life, and that is what makes it all so heartbreaking and enraging. Victim blaming solves absolutely nothing.
But I'm getting ahead of myself. There are many other, more detailed reviews of 'All the Rage' on Goodreads. Those reviewers do a fantastic job of talking about all of this heavy material, and generally they do it better than I could. A book as vital as this should be discussed and reflected upon in the masses, and reviewed to a much, much higher standard. It should be required reading in every high school in existence.
I'll conclude my own review by mentioning some of the highlights to 'All the Rage' I've noted:
It is great that the Young Adult market is finally being put to good use by representing subject matters such as these. Indeed not all YA is about shallow and unhealthy romances, with abusive content masquerading as love, and melodramatic love triangles. Romance is not even one of the main points in 'All the Rage'. Unlike in so many other YA books, the mother of the female lead in this one is a loving, supportive and wonderful person who always tries to be present, for she knows her daughter is traumatized and is not at fault for what had happened to her. The love interest Leon is a POC and is sweet and one the few likable characters. There is also the mother's boyfriend Todd, who is an almost treasure with good intentions. Almost all of the female characters are good people (especially the policewoman Leanne Howard), or at least they change for the better by the end (like the primadonna school bully Tina). The majority of the cast is female. The town gossip is a MAN (subverting gender stereotypes is another gratifying thing the book achieves). Racism as well as sexism politics is added in for good measure.
Final Score: 4/5. Buy it, borrow it, whatever. You just need to read it. You will not be the same afterwards, but that is a good thing. For society to change, individuals within it need to change.
Here is a bonus. I’ve changed some lyrics to the chorus of the Evanescence song, ‘Sick’, which is about rebellion. I wish to emphasize the rise of women and girls everywhere who are mad as hell and won’t take it anymore:
Sick of it all, sick of it all
I will not calm down
Sick of it all, sick of it all
I will not bow down
Sick of it all, sick of it all
You will understand how-
Sick we are, sick we are!
Of this bottomless, poisonous pit of lies
Behind closed eyes.
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