All That is Red

by Anna Caltabiano

If you could choose a world without loneliness, without shame, grief, misery, or feeling of any kind, would you, if it also meant that you lost the simple pleasure of a picnic on a sunny day or the joy of falling in love? Would the allure of a comfortable numbness prove too tempting to resist? Could you choose between feeling pain and not feeling anything, ever again?

A girl is caught in a world where this choice is fiercely contested. In the cross-fire between the Red and White empires, the feeling and the unfeeling, each bent on the other's destruction, the girl must choose between emotion and oblivion, joining the ranks with the Reds as they fight to resist the Whites, but all the while struggling with her own desperate ambivalence. All That Is Red is a story of survival and a journey through the human condition, revealing how the intimate euphoria of pain can sometimes be all we have to remind us that we are alive.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Fiction, Young Adult, Love

164 pages, Paperback

First published May 20, 2012

About the author

Anna Caltabiano is a child of the transnational cyber punk era. She was born in British colonial Hong Kong and educated in Mandarin Chinese schools before moving to Palo Alto, California; the mecca of futurism. She lives down the street from Facebook in the town where its founders reside, along with the pioneers of Google and Apple.Caltabiano's high school classmates are themselves an eclectic mix; the lost offspring of ultra-wealthy Silicon Valley magnates, aspirational internet entrepreneurs and Stanford philosophy professors. Her writing reflects her concerns for her own generation as it seeks out salvation, meaning, and companionship in online communities, with pop culture as its shared language.

Having grown up in privileged suburban America, Caltabiano has always felt bewildered by the intense personal pain of which her teenage peers would complain. To her, such anguish seemed like a betrayal of their good fortune. What exactly was driving these economically advantaged kids, lucky enough to be able to devote themselves entirely to self-fulfillment, to sabotage their lives? Anna Caltabiano's recent literary focus has been applied to the increasingly common practice of self-mutilation, which she sees as symbolizing a more universal urge among youth toward self destruction. All That Is Red is her striking effort to explore the ways in which the pressures and the banalities of modern adolescence combine, leading towards dangerous outbursts, designed to stimulate a physical response where an emotional one seems insufficient. All That Is Red is Anna Caltabiano's portrayal of two young souls searching for the intangible piece that is missing from their lives. Their responses to the challenging predicaments in which they find themselves are typically, youthfully untempered, but no less vital in their contemporary relevance.

Reviews

[McKenzie Ketron · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm going to start off this review by saying that I'm not really sure how to start it. There was a few things I didn't like about the novel, but there is also many things I did like. Overall, this all boiled down to this novel being slightly confusing and overly poetic, but still a very creative and interesting novel.

The plot of this novel is very interesting. The beginning is slightly confusing in the way that neither the main character nor the reader has any idea where they are or what is going on. The war between the Red and the White feels a little overly-complicated and more than a little metaphorical. I understand what the author was trying to convene here, the difference between feeling and unfeeling and how feeling emotions is a good thing, but the plot about the battle between Red and White seems a little 'out-there." The point of the novel is "feeling emotions is a good thing" and though I see what the author was trying to do when she wrote this, I feel like that point could have been better exemplified in a different, less-confusing matter. To be honest, when I starts reading about the Red and White world and the three-faced people, I was instantly reminded of Alice and Wonderland for some reason. It is that type of unbelievable, almost fairly-tale fantasy. Not to say I didn't enjoy it though. It was original and creative, and definitely one of kind, seeing as I have never read anything like it before (this should explain my trouble of coming up with ideas on how to write this review and difficulty picking out a genre.) It was magical, flowed at a good speed, and was quite interesting.

The characters were also very unusual and interesting. The main character (who has no name, mind you) suffers from self-harm, and who has flashbacks of cutting herself throughout the novel. She finds herself in this world where the Red and the White (the feeling and unfeeling) are at war with each other, and she must lead the Red cause. There is some nice character development going on here as she matures into a leader. Then there is her friend (also nameless, until the last few pages of the book; simply called "The Boy") who helps her lead and fight the White, and also finds himself in the process. There is several supporting characters who also have a share in the fight, like the girl's possible love interest, a three-faced Red creature called a Trigon. These characters all bond together to fight an impossible fight between feeling emotions and the rather.

I will say the writing is nice. It is not spectacular, but neither is it terrible. It felt quite "put-on" really. For example, the writing could very complicated and unnecessarily wordy at times, then be very plain and sparse at others. There was no real valence here. There was several instances of lengthy and almost pointless inner conflict and dialogue that could be described as poetic rambling. Most of the time, while reading this novel, I felt like the author felt a need to use big strong words and lengthy descriptions, yet in reality, the plot really went nowhere. It was fake feeling because the writing was very robotic and forced. I wish there had been a few things cleaned up about the plot, and the writing needed some polishing, and honestly, some time to mature and grow. In my personal opinion, when writing an emotionally-charged novel, there needs to be some discipline here, otherwise the writing gets very hard to read and get through, almost like trudging through waist-deep mud. It also causes novels with good potential to become very DNF-worthy. In this case, I stuck through it to see how it would end.

The plot description of the novel asks what you would do if you could choose between feeling emotion (heartache, pain) and not feeling these emotions, if you would choose to not feel them, if it meant not being able to experience love or pleasure. This sounds like a very good hook for a novel, but in reality, the writing inside this novel doesn't match the plot description that much. The plot's definitely one of a kind, but yet almost in a bad way. The writing could use some work, but I respect the fact that the author was at the time 15 and chose to write about a subject so controversial as self-harm. I commend her for this, and because of it, I will watch her in the future to see how her writing progresses. I think she has real potential if she could hone her craft.

Overall, I found this novel to have had very good potential, but yet came out lacking. With some more polishing and some time, this novel could have been much better. Yet, It is nicely paced and full of creativity and things I never would have thought of. Even with the few problems I had with the novel, I still found it to be a very interesting read written in a unique perspective that is quite original and interesting.

[Sleepless Dreamer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was excited to read this book, both because of the author's age and because self mutilation is a subject that's close to me. I also love metaphors. I really thought this book was for me.

I'm sorry. Maybe I'm not complex enough. I didn't understand this book. If someone were to ask me to retell the plot, I would be able to vaguely say something about a war and maybe loads of characters with no defining characteristics. I have no solid grasp on what happened.

I feel that when the plot isn't the main thing, the characters need to take room. Complex enough characters can make up for a messy plot. The protagonist isn't nearly distinctive enough. I can't tell you anything about her. I don't know anything and the vagueness doesn't work in this book's favor because I had no sympathy for her.

I will say that, despite how I didn't understand the big picture, a lot of the scenes were very well written and emotional. The scene with Lilith for example was so good. Or the scene with the other abused girl. Those scenes did help me finish the book (admittedly, a 200 page book is not supposed to take me two months to finish).

I got this Alice in Wonderland vibe which was nice. The ending really reminded me of it. I felt a very dreamy feeling throughout reading which combined with my confusion at the plot.

It wasn't the metaphor though. I didn't feel the metaphor enough. Self mutilation is kind of like an explosion, you become a time bomb. You become addicted to something that doesn't help, it's a vicious cycle of hurting yourself to stop the pain which creates more pain so you hurt yourself more and it doesn't end. It didn't get this in this book. The main character does escape from real life but the plot did not make enough sense for me to feel that time bomb, the fear of yourself, the need for control and the lack of control, that moment where you realize you're messed up.

I don't know why lately all my reads are three stars or less, dammit, I'm sorry. I need to pick better books to read or maybe read better. I might reread this book one day and understand it better.

what I'm taking with me
• Young authors need more time. I feel that with a few more years, the author could do an amazing job.
• I am done with everything that creates two groups and capitalizes them. Red. White. Stop.
• Lilith is a cool name.

[Mac · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book. I really did. As an aspiring teen author myself, Caltabiano's story was inspirational and motivational to me, and I snapped up a copy of the book as soon as I could find one--I did end up reading it all the way through, but mainly because I felt obligated. I found the writing overly simplistic at times, while trying too hard to sound sophisticated at others (which is, granted, easy to fall prey to). I think you can definitely tell that it wasn't written by an adult--which is, of course, not necessarily a bad thing, but the inexperience seeps through the cracks in the voice of the novel. I would have loved to see an adult editor/mentor work harder on this with Caltabiano; in my opinion, the book would have been improved drastically by maturing the tone a bit.

The book was also extremely vague; sure, vagueness can be a useful and thought-provoking tool in prose, but in this book the main character doesn't have a name, nor does her male accomplice/friend/possible love interest, at least until the last few pages. The dimension, or world or realm or wherever the story takes place, isn't described except in context. You have to piece everything together, based only on the protagonist's short jaunt through it at the beginning of the novel. Even more confusing, the main character keeps flashing back to the "real" world throughout the novel, mentioning things like cutting herself at school and in the bathtub, which is woefully inconsistent with the realm in which her narration is taking place; of course, the realm is later revealed to be her own psyche, which she travels through on a metaphorical journey while unconscious from blood loss, and while this big reveal was essentially the climax of the book, I felt that it could have been written better had we known (or inferred) this from the beginning. Maybe it was just me and my idiocy. But I was very lost almost the entire time I was reading All That is Red.

[Dayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review first appeared on my blog: Book Addict 24-7

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review

Anna Caltabiano's All That is Red is a young adult novel decorated with beautiful prose and great pacing. I read this one in just a few short hours (it's only about 160-ish pages long), and although I wasn't entirely surprised by the conclusion, it was an intriguing way to end this very unusual book.

One thing the reader should probably keep in mind while exploring this novel is that it is one long metaphor. I'm not going to tell you for what, since I'm not going to ruin it for you, but I just want to mention this so you can fully understand how impressive this interesting novel is.

We are introduced to a protagonist who is immediately thrust into a strange world of red. At the same time that this new character admits that she just wants to feel something, her new world starts losing its colour. We are never given names (until the conclusion) and I think the point of this is so that any reader can possibly relate to the message beneath the story.

I think what makes this even more intriguing and possibly empowering is that a teenager wrote it. I find this important because who better than a teenager to tell us about the ever-growing difficulties of emotions in adolescences?

The prose is beautiful. The writing flowed so well that the pages melted away and whereas other books may trip me up with their metaphors, this one kind of just flowed, like the river the characters are following. Also, the great thing about having wonderful prose is that the pacing is made even better. There was no lagging as the story progressed, making it a pretty quick read.

What I didn't like so much was how it was kind of drawn out. Yes, it's already short, but I feel like the metaphor of this story starting feeling a bit strained near the end. Whereas the beginning was deep and almost whimsical, I started to lose interest closer to the conclusion.

The "wake-up call", both literally and figuratively, for the protagonist is what I already expected would happen. I guessed what the story was about from the moment the protagonist started talking about her life and lack of emotions, but the truth behind the story was so slyly thrown in with red herrings that I did second guess myself a few times.

I liked both the abrupt and open way the story concluded, since it most likely means that life is both completely different for the protagonist now, and that there is more to her life that she has to explore.

I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy storylines with a darker undertone, as well as readers who don't mind ambiguous characters. If you're looking for romance, prepare for something less steamy than you're used to, and if you're looking for paranormal, then look the other way.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review by Beth


All The Is Red is by all accounts a very unusual novel from somebody I hope won’t mind being described as a very unusual novelist. Anna Caltabiano is just fifteen years old yet has put together a touching, insightful, hugely imaginative and surprising novel far beyond her years.

The fantastical world of the Red vs. White is a compassionate, allegorical world created to mask a dark and shameful topic for many young adults, self-harm. Caltabiano uses her fantasy world, intelligent protagonist and other characters, who to me, all seemed representative of emotional states and feelings rather than actual people, to explore this dark topic as she battles against The Pure One and ‘the unfeelings’

The key characters don’t require names or deep characterisation as they are representative of much more than their single selves and are delicately and subtly created to show the depth of human emotion and what drives us on.

The fantasy world itself is powerfully vivid and drawn in such a way that I could see every single element of it, showing Caltabiano has an extremely strong grasp of place and its importance in the development of a novel and its plot.

A surprising and talented find that I’m very pleased to have been given the chance to read. I’ll look out for what comes next.

[Aly Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just got this book in the mail today from Amazon and I already finished it in one sitting! Granted this book isn't really all that long, but I loved it. The characters are so real and connectable. I had cut myself when I was young. Alway on the upper thighs, so no one talked to me about it–no one knew. I wish I could give this to my younger self when I needed it the most. I thought Caltabiano really "got it". Not sure if she cut when she was younger as well, when I finished the book I immediately read the biography in the back of the book (the longer one inside the book). Alas, it didn't say whether she had had the experience of cutting, but I learned that she is quite young! I didn't know how old I expected her to be, but certainly not a teenager (around sixteen, I believe)! I was disappointed when I found out that this was her only novel, but I hope she comes out with something new soon.

[Marc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though my taste in books typically doesn't include YA novels, some of the more memorable books I've read in the past years have been some YA novels (Hunger Games, Ender's Game). All That is Red fits into the same category. Though the main characters may be teenagers, the themes and story is very Adult: themes of loneliness, loss, and hope. The imagery is highly imaginative and the characters familar yet rich. The talent shown in this first-time novel is evident from the first pages- I look forward to more novels from this precocious author.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. I have to admit that I went into this book a bit wary. I don't usually read YA books and certainly was not sure about reading a book about "cutting." However, this book handled this issue with such sensitivity and innocence. The book moves along quickly and is an exciting read. But more more importantly, I found it was touching and uplifting. I finished the book, sat back, and just said "wow." I highly recommend this book both for young adults as well as their parents who are trying to understand them. I can't wait for more books by this author.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good. When reading, I would get little hints as to what I "thought" the book was about. During the book, it read like Fantasy reading. I finally understood what the author was writing about a couple of chapters before the ending. It became clear as to what this 17 year old author wanted to talk about. Very interesting and raises awareness to a growing trend among teens.
The e-book I downloaded either had a glitch or just plain repeated a couple of pages. Some typos also found, but nothing too serious.

[Sylvie Plantain · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't know what to make of this book in the beginning, but it really developed well. It was exciting and fast paced all the way to the end. But after I was done, I realized that it was more than an exciting book. It really made me think. Loved it.

[Ella · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is amazing! I can't believe the writer is so young! It was a fantastic story, I recommend it very much!

[Tammy Ransdell · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't like this book. Nothing about it. It seemed to put a dark cloud over me. It wasn't a happy book.

[Mindy]

I tried...I just couldn't get into it. Maybe I will try again another time.

[Peggy Tew · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read . It took me awhile to get into it.

[Alexia Hindemith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun fast read, but it stayed with me long after I read the book. I didn't understand everything, but later as I thought about it, it made more and more sense.