All My Rage - Sabaa Tahir

YA books are my not so secret vice. Over the years, the tenor of young adult fiction has grown. While I love a good fluffy teen tale, I appreciate that serious issues, societal change, relationships and so much more are now tackled and openly discussed in the pages of a book. As they should be. 

Sabaa Tahir's newest novel, All My Rage, is probably one of the best YA books I've ever read. Yes, it's that good. Tahir unfolds her story in past and present chapters, with the present taking precedence. The past is from Misbah - married in Pakistan in an arranged marriage. She and her husband Toufiq have a son named Salahuddin, emigrate to the US and open a motel. Noor is Salahuddin's best friend. They 'get' each other, can commiserate, hope and dream about what they want in life and how to get there. Until the fight. And.....Oh my gosh, so much comes both before and after the fight. 

Reader, there are many triggers in this book, but they are not there for shock value. Instead, they depict life and the many stumbling blocks, hurdles and ugliness that are part of our society. Can those triggers be overcome and overwhelmed by the actions, love, faith and strength of Noor and Salahuddin? Their path forward is definitely not straight. I found myself constantly surprised (and worried) by the direction Tahir took with her plotting. 

There are 'good' and 'bad' characters that you'll have no problem identifying. Indeed, I actually found myself talking (and shouting) to them out loud many times, with my emotions and thoughts running the gamut. Tears were also involved. Noor and Salahuddin are so very, very well drawn. But my heart belonged to Misbah. Everyone needs to have a Misbah in their life. And on a side note, Tahir's descriptions of food had my mouth watering! Noor escapes into her music and although I knew a number of the bands she likes, I discovered some new ones from her playlist.

I chose to listen to All My Rage. This is a tale to become immersed in, to be part of the story. The readers were Deepti Gupta, Kamran R. Khan and Kausar Mohammed. Absolutely fabulous performances from all three. The emotions of the book were easily captured by the three readers. (And yes, you're going to need to have a tissue close at hand.) Diction was clean, clear, well paced and easy to understand. I loved the lilting, almost musical tone for Misbah. I could listen to it all day.

Bottom line? This is a gut wrenchingly good book you need to listen to. Tahir's writing is fantastic. An easy five stars. See for yourself, listen to an excerpt of All My Rage.

Sabaa Tahir took inspiration for All My Rage in her own life and experiences. "#1 New York Times bestselling author of the An Ember in the Ashes series, which has been translated into over thirty-five languages. She grew up in California’s Mojave Desert at her family’s eighteen-room motel. There, she spent her time devouring fantasy novels, raiding her brother’s comic book stash, and playing guitar badly. She began writing An Ember in the Ashes while working nights as a newspaper editor. She likes thunderous indie rock, garish socks, and all things nerd."