Review: All the Rage by Courtney Summers

Title: All the Rage

Author: Courtney Summers

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Release date: April 14th 2015
Pages: 321
Genre: Young Adult contemporary mystery
Source: NetGalley - I received a free advance copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thanks!

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The sheriff’s son, Kellan Turner, is not the golden boy everyone thinks he is, and Romy Grey knows that for a fact. Because no one wants to believe a girl from the wrong side of town, the truth about him has cost her everything—friends, family, and her community. Branded a liar and bullied relentlessly by a group of kids she used to hang out with, Romy’s only refuge is the diner where she works outside of town. No one knows her name or her past there; she can finally be anonymous. But when a girl with ties to both Romy and Kellan goes missing after a party, and news of him assaulting another girl in a town close by gets out, Romy must decide whether she wants to fight or carry the burden of knowing more girls could get hurt if she doesn’t speak up. Nobody believed her the first time—and they certainly won’t now — but the cost of her silence might be more than she can bear.　

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I was more excited about All the Rage than I can remember being about a book in a while. Courtney Summers is one of my favorite authors, and I was so happy when I saw her next book would be addressing rape culture. And even though I had ridiculously high expectations, All the Rage didn't just meet them; it exceeded them! All the Rage is a powerful story that is sure to stay with me for a long time. 

All the Rage actually turned out to be kind of different from what I expected. I assumed it would be about how Romy was raped and about the immediate aftermath of her accusing the town's golden boy of raping her. But the real story doesn't start until much later than that; it's set after the town has already shunned her, which plays into the main story. And while I wish we would have seen a little bit more of the immediate aftermath, I absolutely loved the main story and how it all ties together, so I understand why Courtney Summers decided to start the story here. The description doesn't even really do it justice; I can't explain the story because it's so intriciate. Basically, it's just about a lot of messed up stuff that happens to Romy, and it all kind of ties back into how she was raped and how poorly the whole town reacted. This story is unlike anything I've ever read before, and it totally works.

I was surprised by how much All the Rage turned out to focus on the mystery. It's a little predictable - I didn't know exactly what happened or who did it, but the relation between the rape and the disappearance were kind of obvious. But that didn't make it any less gripping: Romy's emotional investment in figuring out what happened made me desperately need to know what exactly happened. It's excellently done, how the mystery ties into what is going on with Romy emotionally.

But really, Romy's emotional journey is the main focus of the novel. Victim-blaming and not believing victims happens everywhere, but Romy's situation is just horrifyingly bad - the guy who raped her is the sheriff's son, so when she tries to report it to the rapist's dad, it goes about as well as could be expected, especially since she's already ostricized in her small town. Romy's experiences are extraordinarily well-written; she is so broken and her raw emotions are palpable for the reader. You really feel for her and her suffering makes you see how deep the trauma of rape really goes, and how messed up our culture is for accepting it. 

The secondary storylines are expertly done as well. I loved the backstory of Romy's family, which brings up another set of important issues (alcoholism and disability). Romy's mom and stepdad are great characters, and I really appreciated the great relationship Romy has with both of them. Romy also works at a diner, and I loved the work dynamics and characters we meet there as well. 

I especially loved Romy's relationship with Leon, the love interest. When the main character is a survivor of sexual assault, romantic relationships are very hard to write, and I've read multiple books with unrealistic or inconsiderate romance storylines for survivors of sexual assault, which basically ruined the books for me. Romy's relationship with Leon, though, is extremely well-written. Leon is a great character and I absolutely loved how caring and understanding he is towards Romy. But of course, things don't go smoothly between them; Romy's struggle with opening herself up to a romantic relationship after what she has been through is portrayed with impressive honesty and complexity. I also loved that the topic of race is considered in the novel - Leon is black, while the rest of the cast is from an exclusively white small town. The black-male/white-female dynamic is explored in a meaningful and thought-provoking way, even if it is only discussed a couple of times throughout the novel. 

This whole story meant so much to me personally, I can't even put it in words. This is a powerful, important story that I know will stay with me for a while. Other than Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, I can't think of a novel that so accurately and poignantly portrays the aftermath of rape and our culture's disturbing views on it. All the Rage is brilliant, gripping and raw; it's my new favorite Courtney Summers novel, and one of my favorite books in general. I urge everyone to read it; this is an important story, and Romy's voice is one that needs to be heard. 

Author Interview: Courtney Summers (All the Rage Blog Tour)

I'm so excited to have one of my favorite authors, Courtney Summers, here for an author interview today! This interview is part of the blog tour for her newest release, All the Rage.

1. How has writing All the Rage been different or similar from writing your previous novels?

All of my novels have been challenging to write in their own ways but All the Rage was one of the most difficult books I’ve ever written. My writing process isn’t the tidiest, but it’s a little more straightforward than All the Rage’s turned out to be. I’d been working on it since around 2009/2010 and I’d set it aside for my other books. When St. Martin’s acquired it in 2012, it went through about six drafts before it was done. It took a while to figure out exactly how I wanted to tell it. It was all worth it in the end, though! I’m very proud of this book.

2. As an advocate for sexual assault survivors, I'm always excited to see authors whose books I enjoy take on this topic. What message would you like readers to take from All the Rage regarding sexual violence? What were some of the difficulties of writing about such a sensitive topic?

I want someone who picks up All the Rage to be angry about rape culture and victim blaming by the time they’ve finished it. I want them to keep the conversation about both going—because we need to keep talking about it if we want anything to change. I hope they will also want to raise awareness and advocate for survivors, like you do.

All the Rage was difficult to write because when you’re writing about rape culture, about victim-blaming, about the lack of support and justice for survivors, you want to be very conscious of what you’re contributing to the larger conversation—you want to make sure that you’re treating the subject sensitively and carefully. This creates a lot of pressure for a writer, but it’s a very necessary pressure.

3. If you had to pair up your main character from All the Rage, Romy, with the main character from any of your other books, who do you think she would get along with best?

Oh, wow! That’s a great question. I almost think Eddie from Fall for Anything—she’d get along with Romy best. I think they’d balance each other out. :)

Thanks so much for stopping by Paperback Treasures on your blog tour!

Thanks for having me on your blog!

Make sure to check out all the other stops of the blog tour, and keep your eye out for All the Rage, which was released April 14th. Here's what it's all about:

All the Rage by Courtney Summers

The sheriff's son, Kellan Turner, is not the golden boy everyone thinks he is, and Romy Grey knows that for a fact. Because no one wants to believe a girl from the wrong side of town, the truth about him has cost her everything-friends, family, and her community. Branded a liar and bullied relentlessly by a group of kids she used to hang out with, Romy's only refuge is the diner where she works outside of town. No one knows her name or her past there; she can finally be anonymous. But when a girl with ties to both Romy and Kellan goes missing after a party, and news of him assaulting another girl in a town close by gets out, Romy must decide whether she wants to fight or carry the burden of knowing more girls could get hurt if she doesn't speak up. Nobody believed her the first time-and they certainly won't now-but the cost of her silence might be more than she can bear. With a shocking conclusion and writing that will absolutely knock you out, All the Rage examines the shame and silence inflicted upon young women in a culture that refuses to protect them.

Review: This Is Not a Test by Courtney Summers

Title: This Is Not a Test
Author: Courtney Summers
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Release date: June 19th 2012
Pages: 320
Genre: YA; paranormal/science fiction
Source: NetGalley/author
Add to Goodreads | Purchase from Amazon

It’s the end of the world. Six students have taken cover in Cortege High but shelter is little comfort when the dead outside won’t stop pounding on the doors. One bite is all it takes to kill a person and bring them back as a monstrous version of their former self. To Sloane Price, that doesn’t sound so bad. Six months ago, her world collapsed and since then, she’s failed to find a reason to keep going. Now seems like the perfect time to give up. As Sloane eagerly waits for the barricades to fall, she’s forced to witness the apocalypse through the eyes of five people who actually want to live. But as the days crawl by, the motivations for survival change in startling ways and soon the group’s fate is determined less and less by what’s happening outside and more and more by the unpredictable and violent bids for life—and death—inside. When everything is gone, what do you hold on to?

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars


Wow. Why do I do that to myself? Each of Courtney Summers's books is a punch in the stomach. Actually, no - each of Courtney Summers's words is a punch in the stomach. After finishing This Is Not a Test, I am... broken. In the best possible way.


So, obviously, This Is Not a Test is not the kind of book I usually read. I stick to contemporary YA, and anything paranormal or science-fiction-y doesn't really interest me. But this is Courtney freaking Summers we're talking about, so I decided not to care and read the book anyways. I was a little worried, though, that I wouldn't like This Is Not a Test because it's not the depressed girl contemps we know from Courtney Summers. But, guys? There was no need to worry. This book is fantastic.


I think Courtney Summers must be some kind of genius. This Is Not a Test is unlike anything I've ever read. I don't even know what genre it belongs to. It's not a zombie-book, and it's not contemps, either - it's the classic Courtney Summers story of a seriously messed up, depressed girl... and there are zombies. The whole thing is just crazy good. With this book, Courtney Summers can appeal to both fans of the dark contemporary YA she normally writes, as well as to readers looking for page-turning, hold-your-breath action. The balance between the two is perfect.


Courtney Summers can write a depressed girl like nobody's business. The voices of her MCs come from that deep, dark place inside of me - she writes those dark thoughts I can't even admit to myself. I didn't like Sloane, per se, but I was fascinated by living inside her head.


And then there's the writing. Courtney Summers's writing is really something special. It amazes me, what she can do with so few words. The writing is sparse and the style is immediate - you feel like you're right there with the characters, like everything is happening right now. You have to keep reading, have to watch the story unfold, and you can't turn away until you've finished the whole book.


Me being the reader that I am, I liked the emotional aspect of the story a lot better than the zombie/action aspect. I don't want to say too much - I like how vague the description is, how you don't know in the beginning what is going on with Sloane - but it's so well-done. Because of the sparse style, you don't find out every detail, every reason behind it, but it works. Sloane's story is real - she's not trying to explain anything to us, she's just telling us what's going on, and we get to learn about her life that way. The reader gets just enough information to be invested in the story. With another book, this might have been something I'd criticize, but it's actually something I've come to love about Courtney Summers books.


That's not to say I didn't like the zombie-aspect, too. The fast-paced action had me flipping the pages way past my bed-time, and I loved every minute of it.


This is Not a Test is classic Courtney Summers... with zombies. With Sloane's dark inner conflict perfectly balanced with gripping action, this book can be whatever a reader is looking for - and more.

Who are some authors that can make you feel something with just a few words?

Review: Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers

Title: Cracked Up to Be
Author: Courtney Summers
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Pages: 214
Release date: December 23rd 2008
Genre: Contemporary YA
Source: Bought at The Book Depository
Find out more: Amazon ; Goodreads

Goodreads description:

Perfect Parker Fadley isn’t so perfect anymore. She’s quit the cheerleading squad, she’s dumped her perfect boyfriend, and she’s failing school. Her parents are on a constant suicide watch and her counselors think she’s playing games…but what they don’t know, the real reason for this whole mess, isn’t something she can say out loud. It isn’t even something she can say to herself. A horrible thing has happened and it just might be her fault. If she can just remove herself from everybody—be totally alone—then everything will be okay...The problem is, nobody will let her.

First sentence:

Imagine four years.

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Courtney Summers is incredible. Her writing took some getting used to for me - it's like nothing I've ever read before. While reading Some Girls Are and Fall for Anything, I was still kind of freaked-out by how depressing her novels are. But I think I've gotten used to her style. The prose is so sparse, it makes everything, especially Parker's emotions, that much clearer. Despite using so few words, the writing is somehow  still vivid - you feel like you're right there with Parker. The style is unique and amazing.

No one can get into the head of a depressed teenaged girl like Courtney Summers can. It's simply amazing how she portrays Parker's emotions and makes me understand them. Parker's a great character. She's such a bitch, and if I met her in real life I'm sure I'd hate her. Somehow, though, and I have no idea how, Courtney Summers made me love Parker. I didn't just tolerate her, I absolutely loved her. I feel bad for it, but her crazy, mean, bitchy, sarcastic responses no one I know would have the guts to say out loud had me laughing throughout the novel, despite the solemn topics. Her pain is so raw and honest, you can't help but feel for her. I wanted what's best for her before I even knew her attitude is justified.

The secondary characters are great as well. I especially liked reading about Chris and Jake - they're just so cute. All of the characters and their relationships with Parker are fully-developed, and I love how the history Parker shares with Chris, Evan, Becky, etc. supports the main plot.

I also enjoyed the mystery aspect of Cracked Up to Be. In the beginning, I though it was obvious what had happened to Parker, but I was totally wrong. I don't want to give anything away, but I never could have guessed what actually happened. I loved the flashbacks - it's incredible how the author managed to include these in the main story so seamlessly. It's great how the reader can slowly see what happened to her unravel.

I kind of already mentioned this, but I'm going to say it again: What this novel made me feel is incredible. It had me laughing about Parker's snarky, sarcastic comments one minute and depressed about the whole thing the next. It's great how Courtney Summers included so many issues in Cracked Up to Be (alcohol abuse, depression, suicide,... and there's more but I don't want to give anything away) without turning it into a preachy "issue" book.

***This next paragraph contains somewhat spoiler-ish information, but nothing about the big secret.***
I was extremely disappointed by the ending. Of course there isn't going to be a quick solution for any of this, but I wanted to see Parker work through her problems. The ending is basically just "I'm going to see a shrink, and I hope I get better." I would have loved to see Parker really deal with her issues and find out if and how she resolves them, but the novel just ends there. That would have probably been the most interesting part, so I'm kind of mad the book didn't continue to show that part of Parker's story.

Another thing I dislike is the cover. To me, it makes it seem like Cracked Up to Be is going to be a fun book about popularity and cheerleading - you know the type. While popularity is sort of part of this novel, I don't think that cover does Cracked Up to Be justice.

All in all, this is an amazing read. If you haven't read anything by Courtney Summers, you really, really should - her writing is incredible and unique, just like her characters. I didn't like the ending of Cracked Up to Be, but I still definitely recommend it! Oh, and does anyone know if Courney Summers has a new book coming out anytime soon? I need more of her writing!

Review: Fall for Anything

Fall for Anything by Courtney Summers
(Amazon / Goodreads)

Goodreads description:

When Eddie Reeves’s father commits suicide her life is consumed by the nagging question of why? Why when he was a legendary photographer and a brilliant teacher? Why when he seemed to find inspiration in everything he saw? And, most important, why when he had a daugh-ter who loved him more than anyone else in the world? When she meets Culler Evans, a former student of her father’s and a photographer himself, an instant and dangerous attraction begins. Culler seems to know more about her father than she does and could possibly hold the key to the mystery surrounding his death. But Eddie’s vulnerability has weakened her and Culler Evans is getting too close. Her need for the truth keeps her hanging on...but are some questions better left unanswered?

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

My thoughts about this book are basically the same ones as for Some Girls Are (review). Again, the novel was really well done, but I can’t say I loved this book. It was heartbreaking and devastating, and I know I can't really criticize that - I mean, the book is about suicide; of course it's not going to be a happy story. But I just wanted it to be a bit more hopeful, more uplifting. There was no hope in this novel whatsoever, and it didn't offer any solutions - again, the author probably didn't want to solve the problem, and of course there is no simple answer, but it was just so depressing!

The writing, as in Some Girls Are, was spectacular. I absolutely love Courtney Summer's simplistic style. It made Eddie's pain all the more real, more raw and easy to relate to. Eddie was a great character - she was so easy to understand and relate to, and I felt each of her feelings. At times, though, I just wanted to shake her and make her reach out to Milo.

All of the other characters were well-written and fleshed-out. Milo was so perfect, and I loved the relationship between him and Eddie. Their past problems seemed really realistic and added another dimension to the plot. Culler was kind of strange to me. In the beginning, I really liked him, but I thought his relationship to Eddie was a little weird - saying his loss was as great as Eddie's didn't seem right. Yes, Seth Reeves was his idol and he looked up to him all his life, but he was Eddie's father. I don't think those losses are comparable.

One problem I had with the novel was that there wasn't enough information about the time before the suicide, in my opinion. I would have liked to know who Eddie was before, how her relationship with her dad was, and with her mom, too. The reader never got to know her father as a person.

All in all, this novel is extremely well-done; the characters and the writing are amazing, and Eddie's pain is raw and real. I had a few problems with the plot, though, and (like Some Girls Are), this book is really depressing and heart-breaking, and I would have preferred a more hopeful ending.

Review: Some Girls Are

Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers
(Amazon / Goodreads)

Goodreads description:

Climbing to the top of the social ladder is hard--falling from it is even harder.  Regina Afton used to be a member of the Fearsome Fivesome, an all-girl clique both feared and revered by the students at Hallowell High... until vicious rumors about her and her best friend's boyfriend start going around.  Now Regina's been "frozen out" and her ex-best friends are out for revenge.  If Regina was guilty, it would be one thing, but the rumors are far from the terrifying truth and the bullying is getting more intense by the day.  She takes solace in the company of Michael Hayden, a misfit with a tragic past who she herself used to bully.  Friendship doesn't come easily for these onetime enemies, and as Regina works hard to make amends for her past, she realizes Michael could be more than just a friend... if threats from the Fearsome Foursome don't break them both first.

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I’ve really been dreading writing this review. The novel was really well done, but I can’t say I loved this book. When I was done reading, I just wanted to scream. I usually like sad books, but this one just made me angry. I really don’t know whether that’s  good or bad – of course this isn’t supposed to be a fun and fluff read, but I just wanted it to be more…uplifting. Actually, I don’t know if that’s true – if the story were uplifting, it wouldn’t show how terrible bullying is, which is the whole point.

Aside from the last sentence (which I loved), there was absolutely no hope – and the last sentence didn’t offer any solutions. Maybe the point of the novel wasn’t to solve the problem, but just to portray it, but it was all so depressing! The whole story was extremely realistic, but for me, it was too realistic at times. Especially with the Michael-storyline, I just wanted it to work out and them to be happy together already, even though it wouldn’t have been realistic if he had just forgiven her directly.

With that out of the way, the writing was spectacular. I absolutely loved the simplistic, less-is-more style of writing. It made it extremely easy to relate to Regina (even when I didn’t want to – I mean, she’s pretty much the definition of a bitch!). Her pain was so real, and this book made me realize just how hurtful bullying can be. I don’t know whether the feelings were realistic (I’ve never experienced anything like that), but it definitely seemed realistic to me. Courtney Summers made me understand each one of Regina’s choices, even though I usually disagree with revenge and wanting to make other people suffer because they made you suffer.

I loved how fleshed-out all the characters were, even the minor ones. All their histories with the main character were explained really well (for example, I loved the story of Michael’s mom and her connection to Regina) despite the minimalistic style. Even though I didn’t agree with their decisions, each character’s motivations were clear. There wasn’t a single flat character; each one of them – Anna, Kara, Michael, Liz, and of course Regina – showed a range of emotions and seemed well-developed.

One thing I didn’t like, though, was the reason Regina was “frozen out”, and the true story behind it – that’s been done before, and my first thoughts while reading this novel were that this is exactly like Just Listen by Sarah Dessen and partly also Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. Since both of those novels concentrated on other aspects, though, this wasn’t too big a deal.

All in all, this novel was really well-done – the writing and the characters were great, and the story was extremely realistic. Somehow, though, I still wouldn’t say I loved this book – it was too depressing and made me angry. If you think you can handle such a depressing novel, though, you should read it. I’ll still check out some of the author’s other work because the style really was amazing.