Anger Is a Gift by Mark Oshiro
Fresh. Honest. Emotional and empowering. If Dumbledore’s Army had to deal with the real-life dystopia of our world. With a nearly all non-white and queer cast, this book rebels in every possible way. An over 400-page, 39-chapter tome, Anger Is a Gift brings you into some of the worst months of an Oakland teen’s life. We live in a world where victims’ names become hashtags on Twitter and only snatches of the story, usually from the aggressors’ perspective, are told on the news. Those who need convincing that things “aren’t really that bad”, anyone who has to deal with oppression in their community, and every person in between, needs to read this book.
For Fans Of: Nic Stone, Jason Reynolds, Adam Silvera
Favorite Quotes:
- “It’s like people want me to be this version of a person that isn’t me. Like, always ready to fight and march and rally, and I don’t even get to be myself.”
- “Anger is a gift. Remember that.” She stood. “You gotta grasp onto it, hold it tight and use it as ammunition. You use that anger to get things done instead of just stewing in it.”
- “But we just wanted to go to school.” Her voice broke again. “I’m sixteen. I shouldn’t have to beg for that. But we just want to get to class without fearing for our lives.”