Review of Anger is a Gift by Mark Oshiro

OH MY GOD this book was SO GOOD!

Like, I honestly only read this one because I needed it to win BTAFBingo, but I’m so glad that I did because it was AMAZING!!!

Anger Is a Gift by Mark Oshiro
Published on May 22, 2018 by Tor Teen
Genres: Contemporary, YA
Pages: 463
Format: Hardcover
Source: Library, Springvale Public Library
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Author Links: Website, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Instagram, Tumblr

A story of resilience and loss, love and family, Mark Oshiro's Anger is a Gift testifies to the vulnerability and strength of a community living within a system of oppression.

Six years ago, Moss Jefferies' father was murdered by an Oakland police officer. Along with losing a parent, the media's vilification of his father and lack of accountability has left Moss with near crippling panic attacks.

Now, in his sophomore year of high school, Moss and his fellow classmates find themselves increasingly treated like criminals by their own school. New rules. Random locker searches. Constant intimidation and Oakland Police Department stationed in their halls. Despite their youth, the students decide to organize and push back against the administration.

When tensions hit a fever pitch and tragedy strikes, Moss must face a difficult choice: give in to fear and hate or realize that anger can actually be a gift.

THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE GIF

The Good: It’s amazing. The characters feel real in a way that most don’t, and I think that had a lot to do with the fact that there were characters who are like me (asexual and bi-romantic are on the actual pages of this book!), and characters who are not like me. They have different experiences and different backgrounds, and it really is wonderful when a book can be both a window and a mirror. Anyway, the characters definitely win for the best part of this book.

The Bad: I don’t like sad books. This book is a sad book. That’s all I really have to say about this, except…

The GIF: 

JUDGING A BOOK BY ITS COVER

This cover is perfect for the book. You get an idea that setting is a big part of the story, and it’s kind of dim and desaturated except for the bright yellow sun in the middle. Which is probably a representation of Javier, and now I’m crying again. The most important thing about this cover, though, is something I didn’t pay too much attention to before I read it. It’s Adam Silvera’s blurb, which reads “A beautiful and brutal debut.” Which is the most concise and poetic way to state this this book is amazing and heartbreaking and made me cry an hour before I met Mark Oshiro (that story will be featured in my BTAF Wrap Up, which I’ll have posted soon!). So definitely pay attention to the HEARTBREAKING AND BRUTAL AND BEAUTIFUL AND AMAZING story, because it’s important and also just really really good!

READ ALIKES

For more relevant, you need to read it especially if you’re white books, read The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

For more stories about mental illness, read (Don’t) Call Me Crazy edited by Kelly Jensen

For more books with queer brown boys, read A Place for Wolves by Kosoko Jackson

THE SORTING HAT

As always, I’m using the system created by Sorting Hat Chats for this! For more information on what I’m talking about, click here. So I’m going to say right now, and maybe I’ll take this back later, that I’m going to stick to sorting one character per review. And today’s character is…

Moss: Moss is such a great character. He’s a great example of a Stripped Gryffindor Primary, Hufflepuff Secondary. 

SPOILERS SWEETIE

Can we talk about how much I cried when View Spoiler »Javier died???? « Hide Spoiler Because I was not ready for that!!!

LET’S DISCUSS

What’s the last book you read that made you cry? Or the last book that you felt the need to go running around yelling “THIS IS IMPORTANT AND YOU NEED TO READ IT!!!” at everyone you saw? Let me know in the comments!

 

Until next time

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

• 2018 Goodreads Challenge
• 2018 Reviews