Rage: A Love Story

Don't let the hot pink cover and the label A Love Story deceive you. RAGE is Julie Anne Peters's most powerful book yet. The focus is on an abusive dating relationship and the toll it takes on victim and villain alike. Two girls with their own personal dysfunctional family issues are drawn together by mutual feelings of love and lust. Johanna has survived the death of both her parents and feels abandoned by her sister, whose choice was to remain at college when Johanna needed her most. Reeve and her twin brother, Robbie, live with daily abuse from a drug addicted mother and her controlling boyfriend. She only knows one way to express her feelings, and Johanna becomes the recipient of a twisted kind of love. Ever since Johanna laid eyes on Reeve, she has had fantasies about how things could be between them. It doesn't matter that Reeve practices a sort of tough love with everyone she meets. Reeve punching her brother and giving Johanna bruising kisses is just part of loving someone like her. Johanna knows Reeve suffers at home and is sure that loving her unconditionally is a way to protect her and fix whatever is wrong. Despite warnings from her sister, her friend, and Reeve's old flames, Johanna continues the relationship even as she loses important pieces of her own life. As long as Reeve returns after each incident, Johanna believes that love will hold the answers. Julie Anne Peters has created a relationship that will leave readers with mixed emotions. While trying to understand the power of love, they will be shaking their heads at the same time they are shaking their fists at the actions of characters on both sides of this tumultuous relationship. RAGE provides an inside look at what might drive us to give up parts of ourselves for the sake of love. Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"

Julie Anne Peters' RAGE: A LOVE STORY tells of a lesbian teen who falls for a troubled, dangerous girl as her first love. Johanna is reliable on the outside but on the inside longs for a little adventure - especially with Reeve, a beautiful damaged girl abusive to those around her. Soon she is sacrificing her friendships, job and more for Reeve. A fine saga of abuse and love emerges in a sensitive story for older teens.

Johanna dreams of finding love like her sister and her husband, or her friend Novak with her guy of the week. Unfortunately, she thinks that the girl she fantasizes about doesn't know she's alive. But then Reeve does notice her and things go really wrong. Author Julie Anne Peters garnered a National Book Award nomination for LUNA, her novel about a transgender character, and she tackles another tough subject here: dating abuse. Suspenseful and intense, RAGE will bring older teen readers right into the mind of a girl abused by her partner to find out how and why she gets out of a harmful relationship. Love is exhilarating for Johanna when she realizes that she and Reeve are falling for each other. Previously her life had consisted of hanging in her garage apartment. Her parents are dead, and her sister and husband live in the house. Johanna's best friend Novak loves to borrow the apartment for hookups with her scummy boyfriend, but they've been friends for years, so she lets her. One consistent high point in her life is volunteering at a hospice center, offering comfort to those near death. She had done this for her cancer-stricken mother and continues to help out there. Her job at the mall is lame but pays for the car insurance. Another highlight is that graduation is coming in a few weeks. Johanna is surprised when a favorite teacher asks her to help challenged student Robbie finish his senior essay so he can graduate, but she is thrilled when she realizes Robbie is Reeve's brother. Soon Johanna is turning chance encounters into more and begins following the siblings home. But Reeve and Robbie's home life is horrific, with violence, drugs and a scary stepfather. Johanna tells Reeve she can take her away from all that, if Reeve will just love her. Reeve, who consumes all her thoughts, resists Johanna's presence at times, and even hits her. Johanna tells herself such occurrences aren't unusual when two people love each other. Then she fights with Novak and her sister, and the rest of the things in her life that were important and necessary begin unraveling so she can be with Reeve. More excuses are needed to explain away problems at the hospice center and at work, new injuries from Reeve and missing treasures at home. Reeve's life takes a terrible turn, and Johanna begins to listen to those who really love her. She sees that who she is when she's with Reeve is not who she wants to be. When being with Reeve changes what is important to her, Johanna realizes that what they share isn't really love. Mature readers will find RAGE compelling. While some may wonder why Johanna stayed with Reeve despite the obvious signs that she should end it, statistics indicate that many people stay in abusive relationships. An extreme scenario in fiction may clue a reader in to a dangerous situation in his or her reality, and RAGE opens the door for discussion and thought. A list of hotlines and resources is available at the end of the novel. --- Reviewed by

Wow, this book knocked my socks off...and I bet it is a topic that most of us don't really think about. I mean we all know about and have learned about domestic violence in heterosexual relationships but what about gay couples, specifically lesbian couples? Face it, this just isn't something most of us think about or even consider...I know I didn't! Johanna has had some horrible tragedies in her life, but shes that girl that we look at and say "I don't know how she does it!" She picks herself up and moves on despite the obstacles life has thrown at her. But is she really that tough? Like a lot of teens who think they can handle anything and everything on their own, shes not quite as tough or together as she seems... When Johanna meets Reeve she falls for her hard and fast. Reeve's life has been the stuff nightmares are made of...and she has the scars to prove it. Johanna is on a mission to save her. When she lashes out physically its not really her fault is it? That's what Johanna believes and she'll risk almost anything to prove her love to Reeve. This is a wonderfully written book. The vivid prose is true to each character and the author is brutally honest in describing the world of physical violence, drug use and poverty. Nothing is sugar coated here but it only serves to make the story that much better. Best suite for 14 years and up.

Let me just say how much I loved this book. Julie Anne Peters took a subject such as domestic violence and made a powerful yet beautiful novel out of it. It starts off with Joanna being head over heels for this girl Reeve. At first reeve doesnt give her the time of day but even after she does she has a serious anger problem. im not going to say any more to ruin the book but its worth the read. I purchased it on the day it came out and read it ever minute i had free and finished it in just over a day. Its not as good as Keeping You A Secret but it does take a different perspective on relationships and its wonderful and beautifully written. Do your self a favor and go get it.