Rage: A Love Story
By Debra Bogart,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Intense read about an abusive lesbian relationship.
Add rating
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this book.
Where to Read
Community Reviews
There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.
What's the Story?
In RAGE: A LOVE STORY, a high school senior, Johanna, begins her first romance with another senior girl named Reeve. She witnesses Reeve hurting her twin brother, and soon she is being abused too. She thinks that taking the physical abuse without complaining proves her love, especially after she discovers the horrible life that Reeve lives through on a daily basis with her drug-addict mother. Johanna has always been a responsible girl, but her obsession with Reeve costs her a job she really needs, a volunteer job she really loves, and jeopardizes her best friend's life when Reeve becomes jealous of her. Even then, it takes a lot for Johanna to seek help and get her chance to break the cycle of abuse. The book includes a resource list of Web sites and organizations that deal with abuse.
Is It Any Good?
Written with obvious good intentions, the story sinks beneath its own weight. Rage takes on so many horrors at once that the main story of the romance between two teenage girls is almost lost. The violence and language are undoubtedly true to the situation of the teen twins who live with their addict mother and her abusive boyfriend. The issues include parental deaths, estrangement from her only sibling over her sexuality, drug abuse, autism, poverty, domestic violence, physical and sexual abuse, and finally murder.
There are really no clues given about why Johanna tolerates the intense physical abuse, and younger readers may have trouble believing anyone would stay in this relationship. What little redemption there is comes nearly too late: The last 30 pages or so attempts to neatly wrap everything up, with both girls getting therapy and recognizing their problems.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about sexuality and gender issues, and their own family values surrounding these issues.
Families can also discuss the warning signs of abusive relationships and what to do if a friend or loved one is involved in one. What should you do if a family member is threatened or injured physically? And why is abuse a sure sign of an unhealthy relationship?
How has the mother's drug addiction affected her family?
How common is child abuse? What are some ways communities work to prevent it from happening?
Book Details
- Author: Julie Anne Peters
- Genre: Coming of Age
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Knopf
- Publication date: September 8, 2009
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 14 - 17
- Number of pages: 304
- Last updated: July 12, 2017
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
Where to Read
Our Editors Recommend
Coming-of-Age Movies
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate