Razorbill Author Sabaa Tahir on ALL MY RAGE: “I Tore This Book From My Heart”
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Photo: © Ayesha Ahmad Photography
New York Times bestselling author Sabaa Tahir pivots in a new direction with her just published Young Adult novel, ALL MY RAGE, released by Razorbill on Tuesday, March 1. Inspired by Tahir’s childhood memories of growing up at her family’s motel in the Mojave Desert and being seen as “different,” the novel is told through the lens of two best friends, Noor and Salahudin, that grow up as social outcasts looking for a way out of the harsh and isolating world around them. ALL MY RAGE explores the lasting effects of intergenerational trauma and how far those affected are required to go to leave the effects behind; the novel also addresses themes of cultural identity, family, forgiveness, love, and loss.
In a “first look” interview with Entertainment Weekly, Tahir spoke about her passion for writing ALL MY RAGE: “Many authors talk about ‘the book of my heart.’ I tore this book from my heart, over the course of many years and in many iterations. It’s a story demanded to be told, a love letter to the desert and rock music and tiny motels and the kinds of friendships that save your life.”
This week, The New York Times published a rave review that read, in part: “ALL MY RAGE is a love story, a tragedy and an infectious teenage fever dream about what home means when you feel you don’t fit in.”
A recent TIME magazine feature article noted that Tahir’s “new book explores exactly what the title declares: rage, not only in response to racism but also in response to parents who fail to show up, the ways in which addiction unravels relationships, and the grief of losing the people who matter. Noor and Salahudin are high school seniors navigating a turbulent friendship (and maybe more) while learning what it means to be there for one another during the worst moments of their lives.”
Delacorte Press author Nicola Yoon shared, “ALL MY RAGE takes a clear-eyed look at the ways in which we hurt and heal each other. It’s a gorgeous meditation on grief and love and the possibilities each of us have for redemption. This book will stay with me for a long time to come.”
Ballantine author Jodi Picoult praised ALL MY RAGE for its “gorgeous, star-crossed story about the costs of the American Dream and the way unexpected routes appear when you need them most.”
Sabaa Tahir is also the author of the New York Times bestselling AN EMBER IN THE ASHES series. 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. ALL MY RAGE is her fifth novel.