This story was so powerful! The main character is so strong and seeing the story unfold in verse as well as different types of media was just the most immersive experience. This story touched my heart and soul and it is one I will think about for many years to come.

The comparisons between Hannah V. Sawyer's 'All the Fighting Parts' and 'The Poet X' certainly feel justified - this novel in verse is a gripping and harrowing tale of Amina who is sexually assaulted by a religious leader her and her family trusted. The narrative timeline skips around as we see Amina's life before the assault, happy with friends and a boyfriend, a love of history, wanting more for herself, and then the night everything changes and she retreats within herself.

Sawyer not only skilfully tells the story through verse but intersperses this with police interview transcripts and journal entries which give us different ways into the mindset of these characters. Primarily, the book is about finding the bravery to speak out and the way a family and community fundamentally shifts following a trauma which rocks its foundations.

I am stunned this is a debut novel. Read it and enjoy its power - 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

As previously mentioned, writing novels in verse isn’t easy yet Hannah V. Sawyerr made it look easy. All the Fighting Parts follows Amina who is 16 years old, living in Baltimore and just trying to handle life as a teen while grappling with her friends, family, and the grief of losing her mother as a child.

On top of that, she feels pressured to be involved with her church, especially with Pastor Johnson who takes a special interest in her. If you’ve read the blurb, you’ll know that Amina is sexually assaulted by Johnson and everything truly starts to unravel for her. She’s trying to cope with what happened yet nothing seems to be helping.

Every time she feels like she’s getting her head above water, something always pulls her back down and it’s upsetting to read at times. Regardless, I found Amina and her story so compelling that I couldn’t put this book down. I was wishing and hoping for things to work out for her and go the way they were supposed to.

Amina is able to find her own voice, but not before breaking apart. Seeing her come back together and realize her worth again was so satisfying. While I read this one digitally, I absolutely cannot wait to reread it on audiobook as I’m sure it’s going to be a great listen.

What captivated me most about All the Fighting Parts was Hannah V. Sawyerr’s writing. How she managed to capture so much emotion and depth in so few words was astounding. I know this is her debut book but I’m already waiting for her to release more. Hannah V. Sawyerr is definitely a writer to keep on your radar going forward.

As long as you can handle the subject matter, you need to pick up All the Fighting Parts. I don’t read much YA anymore, but this book blew me away.

This novel in verse is astoundingly good. It was written from Amina's perspective, a high school student, church attendee, new girlfriend, and sexual assault survivor. She takes the reader through the before and after, writing with her own distinctive voice, and interspersing the journal-like entries with police report interviews.

Through all of the ups and downs, Amina is a strong, smart, savvy young woman who never loses her voice. She does lose her way at times, and the remarkable friendship of her best girlfriend and tender new relationship of her boyfriend are anchors for her as she amends old rivalries and reconnects with her father.

This is a must-read for teens and adults.

Wow. This was so so beautiful and raw and bold.

Each super short “chapter” served as its own poem, it’s own bite sized bit of the story. It felt like I was reading a book in verse.

I finished this in one sitting and I truly can not wait to read more from Hannah.

Hannah V. Sawyerr's debut verse novel, ALL THE FIGHTING PARTS, explores the journey of 16 year old Amina Conteh in reclaiming a sense of self in the aftermath of a sexual assault. Sawyerr uses verse poetry and fluid forms as vehicles to guide the reader through the fragmented experience that a survivors may reckon with. However, this is not a novel that loiters in the suffering of its protagonist. As opposed to illustrating the brutality of sexual assault, Sawyerr paints a compelling narrative embracing themes of community support, rediscovery of self, and the endless courage that survivors muster In ways that are deeply herculean, but also surprisingly mundane.

Beautifully written and devastatingly clear, ALL THE FIGHTING PARTS is a must read in regards to the "Me Too" canon, giving voices to survivors often overlooked in mainstream discourse whilst acknowledging that each and every survivor has a different path and different choice in facing the seemingly unfaceable.

Overall, Sawyerr's skillful use of language, humor, and nuance comes together to deliver a story that is scathingly beautiful.

All the Fighting Parts is a tale of the bravery and heart it takes for survivors of sexual assault to speak out, especially when the perpetrator is a beloved member of the community. All the Fighting Parts may be a work of fiction, but Amina's story is the unfortunate truth for so many people.

Outspoken, Amina stands up for herself, she's known for her sass and sharp tongue. When her tongue and a few foul words get her into trouble, her father decides the perfect punishment is for her to spend more time with Pastor Johnson and the church. Working for the beloved Pastor Johnson is easy work, even if it's alongside the annoyingly sweet and holy "Holy Holly". One night things change when Pastor Johnson takes advantage of his position and Amina. Amina's world is flipped upside down. Smart and outspoken Amina is withdrawn, folding inside herself as she begins failing tests and distancing herself from everyone around her, including her best friend and boyfriend.

When Pastor Johnson is arrested one night at bible study on a case unrelated to her own, Amina begins to slowly work up the courage to speak her truth and tell everyone who Pastor Johnson really is.

Written in verse and interview manuscripts, All the Fighting Parts is an emotional progression from survivor to warrior, with the idea that there are different routes to healing from trauma.

This book was written so well.

This is a story that revolves completely around the sexual assault a teenage girl faced by a trusted member of her Church community, and the weeks before and after the same. The emotions and the story itself are difficult to read because of how devastating the situation is, and the author has done such a good job of writing this story, and all the emotions surrounding it.

The writing style was also really good, the past/present switches, the switches between first pov narration of the MC versus the various police interviews etc., were written in an impactful, but not overwhelming way.

TWs - sexual assault of a teenager by a trusted adult on page, the grief and trauma surrounding it, the backlash and trials she goes through when she reports the crime, death of a parent (past) and the immediate + lingering grief surrounding it (present)

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

Thank you so so much to the people at Abrams publishing for my ARC and thank you to Hannah V. Sawyerr for writing it!

You know, I haven't read a lot of books that deal with sexual assault specifically, it's a subject I tend to stay away from, if I can, but when I learned this book was a novel-in verse, and it was about a teenage girl and a well-respected pastor, I was curious. And while a story that covers this subject matter is always hard to review, I can truly say that this novel brought me to tears in the best way, in the way that you tear up when a friend tells you "hey, you're not crazy, that guy's a [redacted]."

We see Amina and the life she has before the assault, and we watch as she survives and tries to find a way to build a life again. Most importantly, this book reminds people who have gone through abuse that what happened was never their fault: "what happened will always be the fault of the man, who proclaims a lie so boldly, he convinces himself it's the truth."

I watched the Shiny, Happy, People docu-series about a week ago and couldn't believe how triggering much of it was and just how much was swept under the rug -- and so easily. But, when I was reading this book, it mentioned how only about 310 of every 1,000 people who are assaulted actually file a report and go through the process of prosecuting their abuser, and I hate that I was only slightly shocked by that statistic. In the same way that Shiny, Happy, People is encouraging so many people to share their truth -- the truth -- I hope this book is able to do the same.

In the end, Sawyerr reminds us that, "sometimes the fight doesn't look the way we think it will." and I think that is one truth that everyone needs, regardless of their battle.

This book was very inspiring. The author telling her story will definitely help other victims know they are not alone and can get through anything. Just imagine your pastor sexually assaulting you and people around you not believe you. Amina is such a beautiful soul and did not deserve what was done to her. Im so proud of her for using her voice and standing up/speaking out. You have to be tough to do that! When Amina spoke her truth, the “media” said they didnt believe her and the other victims because the pastor was such “a good man”. Why do people think people of the church can do no wrong?

Im so happy that Amina went to counseling and had Talia to turn to. Not having an outlet could have made things worse for Amina. I dont like that Amina’s dad wasnt really supportive of her until the end. It took for a traumatic experience to change their relationship. I liked Amina and Talia’s friendship. They had each others back and Talia knew something was wrong when Amina was assaulted. She felt a shift in her energy. It took Amina awhile to tell Talia but sometimes its so hard to vent when something traumatic happens. The story was written in verse and so easy to read. Hannah Sawyer, if you are reading this, im so glad that you used your voice AND wrote this book. Somebody out here needed to read it.

I was amazed by the resiliency that Hannah Sawyer took to be able to write a story about traumatizing time in her life during her teen years. Just by reading the synopsis, I was intrigued with wanting to know Sawyer’s story of how she overcame the challenging hardship of being sexually assaulted. My heart truly goes out to you Ms. Sawyer for being brave enough to share your story with every one of us. You are indeed a warrior. This story is about Amina Conteh, a 16 year old teenage girl who gets in trouble quite often in school which has driven her father to the point of sending her to volunteer at her church with Pastor Johnson. There are intermissions throughout the story where Amina speaks with a detective about events that lead up to her being sexually assaulted. Amina gets the assault hidden for quite some time until she no longer can hold in the trauma she has endured. Her father is in disbelief when he finds out what happens and it puts even bigger strain on the relationship between a father and a daughter. I can’t possibly imagine what it would be like to go through something like this.

For any one who is a survivor of sexual assault, each and every one of you is a warrior. Coming forward about your story is not easy and it takes great courage to do so. I give all my flowers and love to each and every one of you.

A really powerful novel in verse about a young black woman who finds her voice and her strength after being raped by her pastor.

A quick read, this tells the story of teenage Mina, who is sexually assaulted and chooses to speak up about it. They say in the book that for every 1000 sexual assaults, only 310 are reported. Mina isn't about to be silenced. A good story about fighting back.

A cleverly-constructed view of a girl as her life spirals into madness after she is assaulted and comes forward about the abuser. We don't always think about the traces that can be found in different media, the different angles to see a survivor in the before and after. The poetry was definitely a strongsuit.

This novel in verse is STUNNING. Sawyerr writes such an honest, emotionally vulnerable, powerful story of a girl learning to stand up for herself and to speak out against her abuser. What a triumph—I cannot wait for Sawyerr's next.

This book was an easy read. I loved the way the author wrote about Mina's journey through sexual assault. I felt like I was fighting on the sidelines with Mina the entire time. This book is great for students to read and have discussions on.

All the Fighting Parts is a story about strength and fighting back the best way you know how. It speaks on the emotions of a sexual assault survivor and how powerful Amina is. I would’ve loved to dive even deeper into the emotions of the main character, the build up to the final events, and the aftermath. This is a solid debut showing and I can’t wait to read more from this author.

Stunning, heartwrenching, and inspiring from start to finish. Amina's story is propulsive and gripping, written with a voice that would not let me put it down. I can't wait to own a physical copy so I can highlight my favorite lines! Hannah is an incredible talent to watch!