I wanted to love this book. The concept was stunning and the story sounded so intriguing. But after reading curse word after curse word after curse word on every single page, I just felt fed up. The prose felt uncreative and I couldn’t push through. Some day, maybe I’ll try again, but I cannot today.

While many will know her as the author behind the An Ember in the Ashes series, she is so much more! Sabaa Tahir is a masterful storyteller with an ability to switch between genres that is rare and astounding. Told with the power and heart of an own voice author, she plunges us into the lives and experiences of a Pakistani-American family and their generational story. Filled with both loss and hope, we bear witness to the trials and triumphs teen Salahudin (Sal) walks through as his immigrant family struggles with overcoming the past and he with limiting his becoming to his circumstances.

This book took me on a roller coaster of emotions and while there were scenes that were not easy, the story was worthy of the time and tears spent. It exceeded my expectations greatly! I look forward to reading more from Tahir.

What a book! I didn’t know too much to expect from this book, especially since I haven’t read any of her other books or series, but this was completely amazing and really insightful. I cannot even express the whirling emotions this took me through, I’m,,,, wrecked! I loved it!

Read if you like: YA coming of age stories.
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This book follows Salahudin and Noor, two young teens living in California about to graduate from high school, but both are dealing with traumatic events that no child should have to deal with.
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This book deals with a lot. Salahudin is left to deal with his family’s motel after the death of his mother and his fathers alcoholism. Noor is forced to work at her uncles liquor store while hiding the fact that she has applied to colleges in order to escape him.
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Noor and Salahudin’s friendship is rocky. They have grown up together but the book starts after The Fight and I liked how the author used the rest of the book to show how they worked on repairing their relationship.
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We also get a look at the experiences of Salahudin’s parents and Noor as immigrants from Pakistan. They experience brutal racism at the hands of the local people, which is horrific.
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I love how the theme of rage is represented in the book through Salahudin and Noor’s experiences. The writing was beautiful and heartbreaking and I highly recommend this book.
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CW: death of a loved one, alcoholism, racism, sexism, sexual assault, domestic violence, drug use and overdose, police violence and incarceration.

Before we get into this, I feel like I need to warn you about two things.

One – I’m going to sound overly negative in this review but I really did enjoy it! Any of my “negative” thoughts aren’t really all that negative. Most are things that I wish would have been elaborated on more to give more of a connection, because the story itself was fantastic! Sabaa Tahir’s voice and writing style is so intriguing and it was great to hear her voice outside of her fantasy novels! And if you read the synopsis above, then you know this sounds good!

Two – Trigger warnings. Because there are many. And, if the finished copy has the same information as the ARC did, she actually gives you a list of specific trigger warnings, so I will quote what was in the book for you – All My Rage contains the following: drug and alcohol addiction, physical abuse, Islamophobia, mentions of repressed sexual assault, tense exchange with law enforcement, death.

First thing I need to talk about was the “multi-generational” aspect. I LOVE this in books. I love to hear how one generations life was in comparison to the next, and all the little things that changed the course of destiny. On one hand I like the way it was done – On the other hand I felt underwhelmed. I like the way the lives come together in the end, and how you see the impact people had on each other. The issue I had was that there just wasn’t enough from Sal’s moms perspective. The chapters weren’t long or frequent enough to feel a strong connection with her. And, because so much about these characters is hidden from the reader until later in the book, I didn’t really pay attention to some of the things I should have. Yet, as I’m writing this, I realize that it was maybe the point… to finish a book and be thinking about it days later, making connections and connecting dots. If that was your intent Sabaa, then well played.

The biggest issue I had with this book was the relationship between Noor and Sal. They just weren’t believable or easy to understand. Their dialogue was flat and not expressive in the way you would imagine best friends to be. There was no comfortable ease and fluidity between them. There was just this persistent, awkward, unnerving tension. Due to their circumstances, they weren’t really allowed time on the page where their lives weren’t being upheaved, so believing in them was a hard sell. We got glimpses of their friendship in the past through flashbacks of memories and then Sal’s mothers perspective, but when we first meet them, they’re not speaking to each other after a big blow out fight. Tragedy strikes and brings them back together but, as they’re piecing their friendship together, the secrets that they’re hiding from themselves and each other come to light, and they’re fighting for their future. We were never really allowed to see them mend their relationship and get back to what they used to be. We only really saw that side of them through second hand accounts and I really wish I could have connected with them more.

Aside from their relationship though, Sal and Noor are fantastic characters!! Each person is so unique in their personalities as well as their situations. They both have things going on in their lives that they’re hiding from the other, and then theres issues they’re experiencing together. So this being a dual perspective was the perfect choice. It allowed us to see first hand what they were experiencing and also the reasons they hid it from each other. Yet sometimes, the things you hold in because you’re ‘protecting’ someone, usually backfires and propels you into a situation where you wonder if you really ever knew the other person.

I really enjoyed this book. And after writing this review and sitting with my thoughts, I think I like it a little bit more. It’s made me think and question things – so thank you. Also thank you to the authors that stray from their box and write books in different genres! I look forward to more of this hard hitting emotional stuff from her!

This was a beautiful and powerful story about love, family and life. It visits themes about racism and loss that are sadly too relevant. Would highly recommend this one

A beautiful story of family, friendship, love, forgiveness and community. This is a book that I believe everyone should read. This book has very heavy and triggering themes that although hard to read, were explored eloquently. Sabaa Tahir's writing is beautiful and heart-wrenching and these characters will stay with me forever.

Sabaa Tahir tells the story of two couples:
-Misbah and Toufiq, who marry in Lahore, Pakistan and immigrate to the US, where they buy and run a motel
-Noor and Salahudin are high school students and friends since they were six-years old when Noor came to the US after her entire village in Pakistan was destroyed in an earthquake. Salahudin is the son of Misbah and Toufiq, and Noor is the niece of other immigrant from Pakistan, her uncle Riaz, who found her years earlier amid the rubble of her home, and brought her to live with him. Noor is also secretly applying to several universities, desperate to get out of their small, racist town and a very difficult relationship with Riaz.

After Misbah dies, all their lives spin out of control, with Toufiq staying firmly drunk and leaving Sal to deal with creditors and no money, and no idea how to pay all the bills. Noor becomes increasingly desperate to leave home and school, both of which are becoming increasingly toxic, with Noor’s uncle and a longtime school bully stepping up their attacks on her. Salahudin makes a critical decision regarding finances, and sets off on a path utterly different from what he, Noor or Misbah would have expected or condoned.


It seems almost silly to say the obvious about this book:
it’s powerful, and ferocious. It’s also full of fury, grief, intolerance and violence, and hits you hard right from its first page, not hiding the sadder, uglier parts of family and responsibility, and how grief and secrets warp behaviour and mangle hope. And how the American dream immigrants are sold on only seems to apply to certain types of people.

It’s also a love story.

I fell in love with this book and its flawed characters immediately, with Noor and Misbah capturing my heart.

The author dealt masterfully with the complicated feelings many of the characters had about their faith and culture, and how reflexively bigoted the small town is about the main characters’ differences.

Tahir also broke my heart about a dozen times while I read this terrific book. There is so much struggle, anger and hurt in this book, and balancing these out, great love and compassion.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Penguin Young Readers Group for this ARC in exchange for my review.

I didn't know what to expect when I started reading this book, but I didn't expect what came from it. A story about two young people who are thrown into the mix of adulthood, parents who don't act like parents, and that gnawing feeling that you have to do something because who else will? There's so much to unpack in this story and it doesn't read like your typical YA contemporary story. I honestly think Sabaa Tahir's outdone herself with this one.

Sal (short for Salahuddin) is a young guy who's mother is really sick and his father drinks too much. They own the Cloud's Rest Inn Motel, but with his mother's illness and his father's drinking there isn't much of a hotel left. Noor is an immigrant from Pakistan living with her uncle. While things seem normal on the surface, Noor's uncle doesn't like her speaking in Urdu or Punjabi. He doesn't like her going to the local mosque. He doesn't want her to go to college.

On top of all that, Noor told Sal how much she loved him and he didn't say anything.

The story is told in dual perspectives and dual timelines. The timelines are about Sal's familiy and how they made their way to the US and the events leading up to the present day. I really loved the dual perspectives and the timeline for this book. You get this sense there's a lot of secrets shrouded in their past and as you read the book, these secrets slowly reveal themselves. You get a better understanding of why things have turned out so wrong for both Noor and Sal.

There's a lot of complicated emotions happening in this book. Love, loss, hope, grief, pain, sadness, and happiness are all prevalent throughout the pages. Most of the time, I just wanted to reach into the book and hug both Sal and Noor and tell them it's going to be alright. The book constantly pushes Noor and Sal into situations that require them to grow up much faster than they need to. It's one of those stories where the adults in their lives have failed them and they feel obligated to take matters into their own hands.

Of course, they're young. They're still in high school with a huge future ahead of them, so when you see the kinds of decisions they make you definitely feel a sense of regret for them. You want them to make "good" decisions, but then you remember that they're just kids and they're trying to do their best without much help from the adults in their lives. It will definitely complicate you and in good Sabaa Tahir fashion, you'll never see the ending coming.

Overall, this was such a great read filled with tons of heart, lots of emotion, and a real test of what Sabaa Tahir can do with a contemporary story. I loved reading every minute of it.

All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir is everything I want in a book. I was completely engrossed by page one. This book digs deeply into your emotions and leaves your heart raw. I enjoyed every minute of it. This book is split into three people's stories. Misbah lived in Lahore, Pakistan, and moved to the United States with her husband, opening an inn and having a son. Her son, Salahudin tells his own story as well as his best friend Noor. With the failing health of his mother, Sal struggles to keep the inn afloat, while his father drowns in grief. Noor is stuck and trying to escape Juniper and her Uncle. This book hasn't left my mind since I finished it. The emotions portrayed by the characters were so realistic. It made me almost cry several times. The writing was beautiful and the main characters you couldn't help but love. They were real people. They had flaws, they had dreams, they had stories. They had grief, tragedy, pain, rage in their lives, but they also had hope, love, and dreams. These characters and their stories won’t be leaving my head anytime soon.

First thoughts: Beautiful. Tahir is the perfect storyweaver of "show don't tell" writing! Readers will empathize with the characters' pain and silent struggles and preconceived cultural notions will be reshaped. Final thoughts: Powerful.

I’ve been a huge fan of Sabaa’s work since her
An Ember In The Ashes quartet series. After finishing All My Rage, I can confidently say that this is one of the best YA contemporaries I’ve read in a long time and has easily become a 2022 favorite of mine.

All My Rage truly is a love letter of sorts. In true Sabaa fashion, the writing and the story is gut-wrenching and beautiful. Sabaa really knows how to create characters that you not only feel for but feel attached to and that clearly shows when it comes to Misbah, Noor and Salahudin. It’s hard not to find little pieces of yourself within them. They’re definitely characters I will remember forever.

The book perfectly captures the hardships of adolescence— having to deal with familial expectations and obligations and how hard it can be to break ties. There’s a lot of struggle, grief, betrayal, and of course, rage.
But amidst all that, there’s also faith and hope. Coming out of the other side and surviving.

There are so many great passages and quotes that I wish I could share in this review but I’ll
have to wait till I get a physical copy to include them. I seriously can’t wait to add a finished copy to my collection. I’m so glad I got to experience this beauty.

As noted in the book, CW: Drug/alcohol addiction, physical abuse, Islamophobia, mentions of repressed sexual assault, tense exchanges with law enforcement, death

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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!! 😭😭😭 Forever crying over this.

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.

I recently finished reading All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir. (It's out tomorrow -- Tuesday, March 1 -- thank you Penguin Teen for the gifted ebook.)⁣
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Salahudin and Noor are high schoolers who have been friends for most of their lives. They bonded at a young age because they were the only Pakistani kids in their school in the small town of Juniper, California. Salahudin's mother, Misbah, treats Noor like the daughter Misbah never had. Noor lost her parents in an earthquake and is being raised by her uncle.⁣
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This is not a spoiler because it happens at the beginning of the book: Misbah dies. After that, two people who were barely hanging on -- both Salahudin and Noor have struggles and secrets that are gradually revealed -- try to find solace in each other and their memories of everything Misbah taught them.⁣
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But their lives are falling apart. Salahudin's father is an alcoholic, so it's up to the son to keep their hotel in business. Noor desperately wants to go to college but her uncle is against it. Things go wrong, and then they go more wrong.⁣
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Also, things are awkward between the two friends because they're not sure if they want to try being more than just friends. The best part of the book, for me, was watching them interact with each other and seeing their relationship evolve.⁣
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This story takes on addiction, bullying, and racism. But there is a strong community of family -- biological and found -- at the heart of the story, and it is rich in Pakistani culture. Also, so much music. Surely someone will create a playlist of all the songs referenced.⁣
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This is the best YA novel I've read in a while. Highly recommend.

Sabaa does it again. I’m so in love with her writing, All My Rage hold especially true (after loving the Ember series).
This contemporary is raw, it holds truth, it holds heartbreak, it holds the story of every day lives of you and me. I am an immigrant, and when I read novels such as this, my heart aches, but I think, and hope that other souls that feel the same way know they’re not alone.
This topics, and feels from this book will stay with me for a long time, it holds topics that trigger me, like I imagine it does with many others, but it’s executed so beautifully, and with so much emotion, I can only imagine the way Sabaa was feeling when she wrote it.
All the stars, all the tears, with my whole heart, I recommend this book, even if it’s the one and only book you’ll read this year, choose this one.

This book was amazing in so many ways. I was a little nervous when I heard that Sabaa Tahir was coming out with a contemporary book, but it was really incredible. The writing was gorgeous, and I loved each and every character, each for different reasons. They all were beautifully written with compelling stories and personalities. I have not stopped thinking about this book, that’s how good it is.

This book discussed some incredibly intense topics of abuse and addiction as well as racism and Islamophobia and loss of a parent. Be mindful of these as you read!

This book follows three perspectives. Present day Noor and Salahuddin, and Misbah in the past. Sabaa did such a phenomenal job making each voice distinct. It was beautiful to see the past and present connect, especially after Misbah’s health suffers. Seeing the two characters grapple with their grief in different ways was heartbreaking and beautiful.

There were moments that were hard to read. Salahuddin has to struggle with his father’s alcoholism and the neglect he feels while also trying to grapple with his faith and the grief of possibly losing his mother’s hotel as her health fails. Noor has a controlling and manipulative uncle that won’t let her go to college and wants her to stay far away from Islam.

What I think truly touched me was that their relationship with Islam was complex and it never fell into the rhetoric of “Not like other Muslims” or shaming Muslims who practice differently. Did I relate to this book in terms of the way faith was practiced? Not really. And yet, this book spoke to my core in a way that other books haven’t. This explored turning to faith even when you don’t feel worthy of it. It explores grappling with guilt and sin and forgiveness. AND IT HURT.

What Sabaa Tahir does best, in my opinion, is show the unfathomable love a mother has for her children. We see that with Sabaa’s other books, but this one really focuses on the sacrifices parents make for their children. This book did such a good job of sharing how one life can shape countless others and how one moment can change everything.

I cried near the end because you can feel the struggle in all of these characters and it feels like it’s completely rock bottom, and then you see the little bit of hope. It’s just as much a story of loss as it is a story of recovery and love.

The most fascinating thing about Sabaa Tahir’s work is that no matter what she writes, it instantly captures your attention and stays on your mind long after you’re done reading. Her writing is moving, realistic and so very powerful. It’s why she’s my favourite author of all time.

3 chapters into reading All My Rage and I knew that I wouldn’t come out of it unscathed. I could tell that there were multiple boxes of tissues in my future. Up until I read this book, I was in what could be described as the most miserable reading slump I’ve ever been in, in the last 2 years. The second I picked this book up though, everything else just melted away and it was just me and this beautiful book and the emotional roller coaster it put me through. I should’ve known Sabaa Tahir would be the only one that could cure my reading slump.

I literally have a lump in my throat while I’m typing all of this. i was overwhelmed by this book - in the best possible way. I had to keep taking breaks from reading, constantly, because of how much of an emotional toll it took on me. it invoked thoughts and feelings i didn’t even know i had.

There were so many moments where I felt connected to the characters on a very deep level. I cant wait for everyone to love this book as much as I did. it’s a 2022 favourite for me <3

thank you so much to penguin teen for the arc !!

STOP! This is your sign to read All My Rage. Immediately. This book, these characters, these words will stay with me forever. PLEASE do yourself a favor and read this All My Rage.

All My Rage covers so much how can I ever put it into words?! Okay, okay, needs must. Sabaa Tahir gives us a rare gift in these characters, Salahudin and Noor are both friends and outcasts. Their Pakistani roots bring them together in grade school and they become each other’s family, until The Fight. The only one who can cross the gulf between them is Misbah, Salahudin’s mom and Noor’s (and forever my) Misbah Auntie, her found family. But while Sal struggles to keep his family’s motel afloat and Noor fights to get into college despite her Uncle’s express wishes, these characters have to battle life harder than ever to find their way.

“This life is jihad–struggle. Sometimes the struggle is more than any sane person can bear.”

This book is going to be huge. It should be required reading in school, it is that beautiful and important. It broke my heart into absolute splinters and only repaired it when I could come away different, changed.

I can already feel that this will be my favorite book of the year. I’m moved in a way only a rare few (that all end up as my favorite) books have moved me.

Things that I loved about this story:
The characters aren’t generic, they could walk through my door they feel so real.
Multiple POVs, each of which I wanted to hear from. There wasn’t a “Ugh this guy again” perspective. And they all enriched and were vital to the story.
Shorter chapters–my FAVORITE
The amount of life that happens in this story is unreal. Each character has so much going on on their end and you feel the jihad–the struggle.

Things I didn’t love:
Absolutely nothing. Run out and buy your copy, request it at the library, get this story into your hands and start reading!

Rating: 5 trillion stars, an unquestionable must-read

Thank you Penguin Teen for an early copy of this book for an honest review.

Trigger warnings: drug and alcohol addiction, Islamophobia, racism, physical abuse, bullying

Holy shit. That’s my first thought finishing this book.

That being said, y’all, please make sure that you’re in the proper headspace before diving into this book and look at the triggers because Tahir does not hold back.

Tahir shows once again that she is a masterful storyteller by crafting a beautiful plot that is raw and visceral while intertwining the lives of three characters (Noor, Salahudin, and Misbah) that you can’t help but root for.

At so many points, I just needed to sit with the heaviness of Tahir’s words and the pain that is known all too well when it comes to BIPOC. That’s not to say that this story isn’t without hope, but this is the story that so many young folks of color need to see on page.

Thank you Penguin Teen for providing a review copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.