Sidekick Short Review: All the Fighting Parts (2023) by Hannah V. Sawyerr

cover image of All the Fighting Parts by Hannah V. Sawyerr published by Harry N. Abrams, 2023.

The Basics

Page Length: 400

Audiobook Length: ~5 hours

Grade Reading Level: 6+

Target Audience Age: 14-18

Goodreads Score: 4.41 out of 5

Buy it HERE

Setting: Present day, Modern American suburban/urban area

Genre: Contemporary Verse Novel

Topics: Sexual Assault, Religion/Religious Communities, Trauma, Healing, Justice

Plot: Sixteen-year-old Amina Conteh has always been proud of her voice. She speaks out against injustices—especially at school, where she often clashes with unfriendly teachers and fellow students. To her father, this is not always a good quality. He often tells her she inherited all the “fighting parts” of her personality from her mother. Other than her tense relationship with her strict, religious father, Amina’s life is good. She has great friends and a supportive boyfriend.

When her boyfriend’s uncle, who also happens to be the beloved pastor of their church, offers her a job, it seems perfect. It pays well and even helps with her shopping habit. But soon, the pastor’s behavior becomes unsettling—and one night, he crosses the ultimate line.

After being sexually assaulted by someone she trusted, Amina loses those “fighting parts” that defined her. She loses her voice, her desire to hang out with friends, and her sense of normal teenage life. Guilt, shame, confusion, and fear overwhelm her—she feels completely silenced. Then, one day, another girl anonymously reports the pastor for assault. Amina discovers that he has another victim—and it’s someone she least expected.

The community is thrown into chaos. Some support the girls, but the majority side with the pastor, calling the victims liars. When the first victim withdraws her charges, Amina faces a choice. She knows she is a warrior, even in silence. Courage isn't just defined by those who speak out. Will Amina publicly fight for justice, or choose to use "all the fighting parts" of herself in another way?

Themes: Surviving and healing from sexual assault, silence and shame, bullying, tension between faith, faith communities, and trauma, speaking up and having courage to confront the past, misuse of authority

You might like this book if you like:

• novels in verse, poetry, slam poetry/spoken word events

• Books like: The Poet X, Shout, Speak, Beartown

• Movies like Precious, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, What Happened to Miss Simone?, The Fallout

• Shows like: On My Block, 13 Reasons Why, Ginny and Georgia, Euphoria

  
  

Other books written by this author: Truth Is, For Girls Growing into Their Hips

Content

• Language: pretty frequent use of strong language

• Sex/Romance: there is a lot of sexual content in this book. Some content includes consensual sexual encounters between the main character and her boyfriend. But this book also includes sexual assault--while the nonconsensual account is not described, it is the main conflict in the story. The protagonist is criticized and bullied for speaking out. Readers experience her trauma, and the community fallout surrounding the assault.

• Violence/Scariness:  sexual assault of a minor by a trusted religious leader

• Drinking/Smoking/Drugs: the teenagers in this book all drink alcohol and keep it a secret from their parents.

Book Talk Read Aloud Section

*What is a book talk? (Watch a how to video here. Read my blog post here)

If you have the physical book, read pages 1-6

If you don't, read the same pages in the Kindle reading sample here.