All My Rage

All My Rage 

• Genre: Fiction; Contemporary; Young Adult 
• Originally Published: 2022 
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 590L; grades 9-12 
• Structure/Length: Approximately 384 pages; approximately 10 hours and 25 minutes on audiobook
• Protagonist/Central Conflict: The novel alternates between the perspectives of Salahudin and Noor, two friends grappling with their personal and family struggles in a small California town. The central conflict revolves around Salahudin’s family motel, which is on the brink of financial ruin, and Noor’s dreams of escaping her oppressive uncle to attend college. Along with their complicated feelings for each other, the story is interwoven with themes of grief, love, and redemption.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Themes of racism; immigration; substance use disorder; domestic abuse; sexual abuse; grief and loss; strong emotional content

Sabaa Tahir, Author 

• Bio: Born in 1985; British-born Pakistani-American author; best known for her fantasy series An Ember in the Ashes; often explores themes of cultural identity, oppression, and resilience in her work; celebrated for her rich storytelling and complex characters 
• Other Works: An Ember in the Ashes (2015); A Torch Against the Night (2016); A Reaper at the Gates (2018); A Sky Beyond the Storm (2020) 
• Awards: National Book Award for Young People’s Literature (2022); Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Fiction and Poetry (2022); Michael L. Printz Award (2023)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Guide:

• The Cost of the American Dream
• Generational Healing and Family Ties
• Friendship and Honesty as a Means of Growth

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Teaching Guide, students will:

• Deepen understanding of stereotyping and the concept of stigma to contextualize the text and increase understanding of the novel’s structure, conflict, and themes.
• Analyze and make text-to-text comparisons to paired poetry and nonfiction with a focus on elements such as conflict and character development.
• Discuss and analyze textual elements such as symbolism, motif, characterization, and conflict, and construct essay responses tying these elements to the novel’s themes of The Cost of the American Dream, Generational Healing and Family Ties, and Friendship and Honesty as a Means of Growth.
• Use critical and creative thinking to create an original album cover and playlist that represents the main characters and captures their character arcs.