Book reviews
This review is spoiler-free, as any plot points discussed can be learned from reading the inside of the book jacket. It also originally appeared on my old blog, which no longer exists.
“His hands are everywhere and he’s a vicious weight on top of her that she can’t breathe against so she cries instead, and how do you get a girl to stop crying? You cover her mouth.” The moment I read this passage in All the Rage by Courtney Summers, I was hooked. This book was exactly what I’d been searching for: prose written so well that it would keep me up until three in the morning, unable to tear my eyes away from the words on the page. All the Rage perfectly captures what society has become in our perpetuation of rape culture, especially within the school system, especially in small communities. In our determination to shield ourselves from anything ugly, we have made it unacceptable for anyone to draw our eyes toward inconvenient or unpleasant truths. The novel follows high school student, Romy Grey, who is forced to deal with the aftermath of her accusation of rape against Kellan Turner, the sheriff’s son. Because of his popularity and family connections, no one is willing to believe that he would have potentially ruined his future on someone like Romy. Even her best friend refuses to stand by her. She is ostracized by her classmates, her teachers, and most members of her everybody-knows-everybody community. She is constantly attacked, both verbally and physically, by those who have branded her a liar and wish to punish her for damaging the reputation of their golden boy. When something unthinkable happens to her former best friend, the town doesn’t hesitate to focus the blame on Romy, who may shoulder more responsibility than she’s willing to admit to herself. One of the elements of All the Rage that resonated deepest with me was the town’s treatment of Romy. Instead of worrying about how she might be suffering, everyone around her was furious that she would dare to accuse one of the Turner boys of such a despicable act, especially considering her poorly hidden crush on Kellan, which was exploited by her best friend and used in Kellan’s defense. Romy wanted Kellan, so of course what he did couldn’t be considered rape. But as Romy explains, she did want him, but she didn’t want him like that. The fact that Kellan was sober - but had poured Romy nine shots throughout the evening - was also used in his favor. Her drunkenness was considered enough consent for Kellan to take what he wanted from her, and the rest of the town was inclined to agree. This book opens several avenues of conversation for teens, parents, counselors, and teachers. One of the most important themes is the idea of consent, the rules of which have become muddied in our society. If a girl is too drunk to see straight, can she consent? If a girl has a crush on the boy she’s with, does that automatically equal consent? If a girl dresses in clothes designed to draw attention, is she consenting to allow someone else to take them off of her? The answer to all of these should be a resounding “NO!” Unfortunately, society has made it acceptable to blame the victim in these circumstances. As Romy mentions in the book, she has to be fast to outrun all of the boys who think they can take what they want, because they’ve never been told not to. Another topic that this book brings into the light is underage drinking and the blind eye adults turn toward it. Most of the parties in this book are ignored by the adults (including the cops), despite knowing that they’re happening. In a few instances, the parents even supply the alcohol for their children. Having spent the past year around teenagers, I know that these things are happening. I know that they have no problem finding alcohol because there is always some adult willing to supply them with drinks, usually expecting money for their trouble, but occasionally accepting other forms of payment. I have also witnessed the disturbing “if we don’t talk about it, it isn’t happening” attitude that many school officials and parents have. How many 17-year-old kids have to wrap their cars around trees before we’re willing to talk about it? The third element that I feel compelled to discuss here is the way teenage girls treat one another. Instead of rallying to Romy’s defense, they turn on her. She is labeled a slut, whispered about just within her hearing, physically attacked in the locker room, and publicly shamed at school. Some people might not believe that girls are capable of this kind of malicious behavior and that these events were used merely for dramatic effect, but I have experienced (and unfortunately helped instigate) girl-on-girl crime. When another girl dares to come to her defense, she earns a target on her own back for her trouble. This behavior is disgusting and it needs to stop. As Tina Fey points out in Mean Girls, when girls call one another sluts and whores, it gives guys permission to call them sluts and whores. High school is one of the most vulnerable times for most girls, and having no one to lean on during those years makes navigating the teen years exponentially more difficult. Reading All the Rage has changed my perspective on how I view the world around me, especially through my “teacher eyes.” Too many girls are facing these problems and the adults they are supposed to trust aren’t doing anything about it. Everything is swept under the rug or handed off as someone else’s problem. I know that one book can’t make all the difference, but it can encourage a step in the right direction. So teenage girls, read this book and know that for every adult who turns away from you, deaf to your cries for help, there is an adult waiting to welcome you in, who will encourage you to tell your story. Teenage boys, read this book and strive to be the good part. Be the boy who stops. Parents, read this book and understand that the hardest part of being a parent is being unable to protect your children from everything. But even when you can’t protect them, you can still be there to put the pieces back together when someone else breaks them. And the best way to do this is through judgment-free understanding and acceptance. Teachers, read this book and learn to sympathize with the plight of today’s teenagers. Understand that teenage girls are a vicious species and are ruthless in their determination to destroy one another. And then be willing to reach out to the victims and the bullies alike and attempt to teach them they’re fighting a losing battle against one another that can only end when both sides are broken. To those of you who don’t fall into any of those categories, read this book and gain a little insight into what our society has become. And then take up the fight to change it.
0 Comments
|
Jacinta M. CarterProfessional Book Nerd Archives
March 2017
Categories |