Rage: True Stories by Teens About Anger edited by Laura Longhine

Longhine, Laura. Rage: True Stories by Teens About Anger. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Pub, 2012. Print.  978-1-57542-414-9; Paperback; $11.99.

Annotation: 
Teens tell the truth about what it is like to feel intense, violent anger.

Book Review:

Rage: it’s more than anger.  You know that feeling, the one where your mind has lost all capacity for rational thought and you are left sobbing, shocked, and shaking, and so is everyone around you.  Despite your best efforts to stay calm, you hurl insults, scream, kick, bite, punch, smash things, and hurt people, including yourself.  What doesn’t bother one person can trigger Hulk-like mayhem in someone else.  Rage can be one of the most terrifying of human emotions, and yet it is something we all experience and have difficulty dealing with.  This amazing little collection of true stories told by teens that have experienced rage firsthand chronicles the raw emotions behind abuse, abandonment, poverty, racism, bullying, and feeling trapped and judged.  Watch Fred beat another guy to a bloody pulp and land in jail; Robin channel his fury into Karate kicks; and Natasha use the mask of perkiness and perfection to cover up her panic and isolation.  Brimming with courage, honesty, and real-life tips on how to handle the unimaginable, this is an essential read for any teen (or adult) who has ever felt overwhelmed by their own temper.

The Real Teen Voices series (which includes Rage, Pressure, and Vicious) come from a diverse selection of teen voices, showing that hatred and fury are not bound to certain social classes, but touch all people regardless of race, geographic location, economic situation, sexual orientation or gender.  The hard, uncomfortable edges in their writing are softened by moments of tenderness, clarity, and real love and affection, as well as hope for the future.  The book also includes an interview with therapist Toni Heineman offering practical advice on recognizing anger issues, staying calm, and removing yourself from volatile situations before you explode.  Recommended for ages 13+ due to mature content.  

Available in paperback and e-book.

You can watch a video about the struggle one of the teen authors, Natasha Santos, has with herself while writing "Bum-rushed by my past" by visiting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b74ly0qorQ8.  You can also read her story.  

Want more?  Check out this Youth Communication teen author talking about how writing saved him from his anger and bullying.  Three cheers for literacy!!!