Common Sense Media Review
By Barbara Saunders
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Deft prose poetry brings insight about troubled girl's life.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
When ANGER IS ONLY A SHADOW BEGINS, 17-year-old Lil, an Afro-Latina girl living in Washington, DC, is in a juvenile justice facility after being arrested twice: first for shoplifting, then for joyriding and crashing her mother's food pop-up truck. Lil is released to her parents' custody wearing an ankle bracelet. Her challenge is to keep her behavior under control until her sentencing, but a crisis involving her brother and the pull of new friendships test her judgement and self-control.
Is It Any Good?
This unusually nuanced story takes readers into the mind of a teen whose choices place her in the juvenile justice system. Elizabeth Acevedo's Anger is Only a Shadow is a sympathetic portrait of a girl who gets into trouble despite a supportive family, friends, and success in school. The writing combines prose, poetry, and prose poetry. It does a great job of capturing that scary moment in a teen's life when they no longer believe adults can help with their problems and don't yet trust themselves. A unique and tender-hearted look at making better choices and letting people support you.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how compassion for self and others can lead to better life choices and relationships. What are some triumphs of compassion in Anger Is Only a Shadow? Where in your life might you give yourself more grace? Who might deserve your forgiveness?
What do you think causes impulsive behavior? What are some techniques a person might use to improve their self-control?
A poetry teacher in introduces the exercise of writing a poem entitled "Where I'm From." Try writing your own poem or story on that topic. How can artistic work deepen communication beyond what ordinary conversation offers?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Contemporary Fiction
- Topics : Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Friendship , School ( High School )
- Character Strengths : Communication , Compassion , Self-control
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Quill Tree Books
- Publication date : September 15, 2026
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 14 - 18
- Number of pages : 336
- Available on : Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Award : Common Sense Selection
- Last updated : October 8, 2026
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