Rage To Live

Gr 10 Up-Eighteen-year-old Charlie is assaulted and raped by her girlfriend's brother at a graduation party. Charlie drops out of school her senior year of high school and eventually attempts suicide. Charlie's dad thinks she needs therapy and medication for her anxiety and depression, both of which she refuses because she wants to handle the healing process on her own terms. Now, a year later, Charlie is trying to navigate a way forward by moving three hours away from her home and friends to live with her aunt, uncle, and cousins to start her senior year over. Her aunt's family is warm and welcoming and works hard to ensure Charlie feels at home in her new school and town, particularly as a member of the LBGTQ community. When Charlie starts dating a gorgeous college student named Arielle, she finally experiences some release from her past and begins working toward a brighter future. Unfortunately, the novel's hopeful and positive message is undermined by several instances of fatphobic comments, a problematic description of an Asian American character as "exotic," and the unchallenged use of a derogatory term for LGBTQ people. While Edwards adequately captures Charlie's chaotic emotions as she comes to terms with her assault, it seems questionable that the key impetus in her ability to move beyond her trauma is an unspeakable tragedy that befalls her rapist and his family. The narrative is frequently bogged down by uninspired writing, lifeless characterization, and repetitive dialogue.