Anger Is Only a Shadow follows Lil, who struggles to come to terms with choices that have led her to wear an ankle monitor, follow a strict curfew, and try to be on her best behavior while awaiting sentencing. As her brother’s mental health deteriorates, she has to choose between following the rules and ensuring that her brother gets the proper care and interventions.
As always, Acevedo has created complex characters who deal with many of the conflicts today’s teenagers face. The novel addresses how often young adults are not taken seriously when they push back on the rules and/or ask for help. While this was not my favorite of Acevedo’s novels, I’d still want it in my classroom, and I’d recommend it to students.
Anger Is Only a Shadow will be published on September 15th. Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC.