All the Fighting Parts

by Hannah V. Sawyerr (Author and Narrator)

Sixteen-year-old Amina Conteh has always believed in using her words as her weapon—even when it gets her into trouble. After cursing at a classmate, her father forces her to volunteer at their church with Pastor Johnson.

But Pastor Johnson isn’t the holy man everyone thinks he is.

The same voice Amina uses to fight falls quiet the night she is sexually assaulted by Pastor Johnson. After that, her life starts to unravel: Her father is frustrated that her grades are slipping, and her best friend and boyfriend don’t understand why the once loud and proud
girl is now quiet and distant. In a world that claims to support survivors, Amina wonders who will support her when her attacker is everyone’s favorite community leader.

When Pastor Johnson is arrested for a different crime, the community is shaken and divided; some call him a monster, and others defend him. But Amina is secretly relieved. She no longer has to speak, because Pastor Johnson can’t hurt her anymore—or so she believes.

To regain her voice and sense of self, Amina must find the power to confront her abuser—in the courtroom and in her heart—and learn to use all the fighting parts within her.

5 hours 13 minutes

Genres: Young Adult, Poetry, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction, Novel In Verse, Fiction, Audiobook

6 pages, Audiobook

First published September 19, 2023

About the author

Hannah V. Sawyerr was recognized as the Youth Poet Laureate of Baltimore in 2016. Her debut novel in verse All the Fighting Parts was a finalist for the William C. Morris Debut Award, a Walter Dean Myers Award Honoree, a Rise Feminist Book Project Top Ten Title, a Kirkus Best Book of the Year, and an ABA Indies Introduce/Indie Next Pick. Her spoken word has been featured on the BBC’s World Have Your Say program as well as the National Education Association’s “Do You Hear Us?” campaign. Her written word has been included in Essence, xoNecole, and gal-dem.

Sawyerr holds a BA in English from Morgan State University and an MFA in Creative Writing from The New School. Her sophomore novel in verse Truth Is (Abrams/Amulet) is slated for release on September 23, 2025.

Reviews

[Dante · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story will live rent free in my mind for the rest of my life.

[alaska · Rating 4 out of 5]

i'm speechless

[akacya ❦ · Rating 5 out of 5]

2023 reads: 354/350

trigger warnings: sexual assault, parent death mention

amina conteh has always used her tongue as a weapon, even when it gets her in trouble. this leads to her dad making her volunteer at her church with their pastor. amina falls silent after the night pastor johnson assaults her, and her whole life begins to quickly unravel. when pastor johnson is arrested for a different instance, the community is torn, which makes amina’s feelings even more complicated.

short as this book was (the audio was a bit over five hours), it definitely packed a punch. i was quickly drawn to amina and her story. not only does she cope with the aftermath of sexual assault, she’s also grieving her mother, who died when she was little, and struggling to have a relationship with her father.

the audiobook was narrated by the author, which always makes the listening experience better, in my opinion! highly recommend.

[elise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just as powerful, haunting, and infuriating as I was hoping. This is clearly a deeply personal novel, written with just enough detail to give the full picture without losing the individuality of Amina to the shock of the abuse she faced. Grown and The Poet X are listed as comp titles (two of my favorites!), which I’d agree with. This is great for readers who appreciate heavy, emotional stories that focus on the victim rather than just the shock value of the actions of the abuser.

✧ ✧ ✧

≪reading 31 books for 31 days of may, 2024≫
╰┈➤ 1. nightbitch by rachel yoder
╰┈➤ 2. brain on fire: my month of madness by susannah cahalan
╰┈➤ 3. louder than hunger by john schu
╰┈➤ 4. five survive by holly jackson
╰┈➤ 5. cold by mariko tamaki
╰┈➤ 6. a shot in the dark by victoria lee
╰┈➤ 7. forever is now by mariama j. lockington
╰┈➤ 8. nimona by n.d. stevenson
╰┈➤ 9. blue hunger by viola di grado
╰┈➤ 10. saints of the house hold by ari tison
╰┈➤ 11. ten bridges i’ve burnt by brontez purnell
╰┈➤ 12. all the fighting parts by hannah v. sawyerr

[Victoria Coe-Adegbite · Rating 4 out of 5]

I generally do not read YA that centers sexual abuse because I can barely stomach it. This book, however, did an excellent job of handling heavy subject matter with grace. The constant introspection that we see from the protagonist reminds me so much of myself in high school, talking myself through and over situations past and present.

In most stories, I love good strong character development, but the lack of it actually works to center what happens to Amina all the more. It’s about her and we never forget that. I love that. This book will certainly stick with me for a while.

[Carolyn Huynh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book wrecked me. Thought-provoking, profound, raw, but overall, healing. I read it in one sitting and I’m still thinking about it. Thank you Hannah, for having the courage to write this book. I can’t wait to see what you write next.

[Sarah Krajewski · Rating 5 out of 5]

16-year-old Amina is a straight-A student who always speaks up for herself. From her classmates to her teachers, she doesn’t let anyone talk down to her, even if it means she gets in trouble. After one particular incident in class causes her to get a phone call home, her religious father makes her volunteer at his church with Pastor Johnson. The pastor is a beloved community member who so many look up to, including Amina’s father. One night during her volunteer work, Pastor Johnson sexually assaults Amina, and that strong voice of hers goes silent. She doesn’t know what to say to her father, best friend, or even her boyfriend, who happens to be the pastor’s nephew. Instead, her grades begin to slip and she goes silent. When the pastor is arrested for a different crime, Amina wonders if she can find the words deep within her to say something too. She wants to confront her abuser—take him to trial—but first she must work through her own guilt and fear.

What a powerful, important novel in verse that will inspire many readers to use their voice for good. Amina’s story was one similar to the author’s own story. Thank you, Hannah, for creating Amina and sharing hers, and your, story.

[Cody Roecker · Rating 5 out of 5]

No question one of my favorite books I've read in years. The pitch of in the vein of GROWN and THE POET X is absolutely perfect. This book simultaneously manages to pierce your heart while also giving you hope to move forward - I literally cannot recommend it more.

[Liz Lawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an incredible, moving, beautiful book and I am so happy it's making its way into the world. Hannah is a true talent!!

[Smileitsjoy (JoyMelody) · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is heavy. but it is so beautiful. i think i related so much because of the relationship with the father and daughter. I have kept quiet about things and lost my voice that I was so used to using.
I love the support of the friends she had. something I wish i had.

i got this book from the library and I want to now purchase it and re read it

[Glenda Nelms · Rating 5 out of 5]

All the fighting parts by Hannah Sawyerr follows Amina Conteh, who loses her voice (her most instinctive trait) after being sexually assaulted by a trusted member of her community. Raw, impactful, powerful and emotional. Check content warnings before reading or listening. This book will stay with me.

[Madison Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very moving. When she was angry and distant in the middle of the book, I completely understood why and wouldn't have blamed her or the author if she had stayed that way. Pushing away her dad, her friends, Holly, Mrs. Hamilton. After everything, I completely understand. What really made this book rise above was the comeback that she experienced.

Mina is an awesome role model for young girls going through unbelievably difficult situations. She shows them that it's ok to be mad and it's realistic to expect your personality to change after going through something like this, but you can come out the other side. If you work hard and fight for yourself, you can survive.

[Ellis · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book felt like an after-school special. I'm confused as to who the target age group is. The construction of the book feels like it was written with pre-teens and under in mind, with weird sub-headers in every chapter (I listened to the audiobook, so I'm not sure exactly how it was presented visually) and a lack of substance in plot and character building. I was expecting a lot more out of this book with how many 4 and 5 star reviews it has on here. I was left annoyed and disappointed after finishing it.

[JaVone · Rating 5 out of 5]

ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! So profound. So thought provoking while not being overly graphic. I highly recommend this book. Poignant and informative. A perfect read for all ages (pre teen and up).

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

I'm not sure that I could extoll the virtues of this book enough. The verse employed here is magnificent, full of rhythm and voice and, when necessarily, stilted fragments that only help to highlight a horrific (and all too common) experience. This book is about speaking up, speaking out, and I don't know that any piece could have done it better. This is a masterful and powerful novel-in-verse.

My full review will be available on September 22, 2023 at Gateway Reviews.

Note: I was provided with an ARC by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a powerful, beautifully written book! Certainly appropriate for more mature young people as it deals with being sexually active as well as trauma from sexual assault. Not super graphic but raw in emotion.

[Manoek (manoeksbooknook) · Rating 4 out of 5]

So important and so powerful!!!

Also highly recommend the audiobook

[Nadia L. Hohn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great debut novel. Empowering.

[Ebony Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was not planning to cry today. Beautiful 💕

[Hannah (hngisreading) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gut punch of a book. Feeling a little weepy right now.

[Alissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so fortunate to meet the author at NCTE this year and listen to her panel session with some other amazing authors. She described her book as auto-fiction and created a space for survivors to feel heard. Reading this story was like therapy; it was heart-wrenching, beautiful, and fierce. This novel in verse will be on my mind for a long time to come!

[Gary Anderson]

All the Fighting Parts (Harry N. Abrams, 2023) is Hannah V. Sawyerr’s powerful debut young adult novel in verse about Amina, a sixteen-year old church member sexually assaulted by her popular, charismatic minister. Sawyerr artfully reveals the all too common ways that sexual assault victims are re-traumatized by the society that seems to have doubt as its default. While some community members and predictable online trolls are suspicious of Amina’s story, her supporters include friends, a teacher, her therapist, and eventually her father, previously a devout follower of Amina’s attacker. (Amina and all of the major characters are Black, but race is not a central issue in this book.)

Through her artistic choices, Sawyerr shapes All the Fighting Parts into a book that is literary, important, and riveting. For example, although the rape scene is not depicted graphically, the book includes one scene of Amina and her boyfriend having sincere romantic sex that contrasts with the sexual assault’s violence. Sawyerr also shows Amina’s internal and external conflicts as she first struggles with guilt, shame, and anger that evolve into the fighting spirit she inherited from her deceased mother.

Sawyerr, the former Youth Poet Laureate of Baltimore, gives her characters distinctive, authentic voices and uses various poetic moves to create tension at dramatic moments in the narrative and add layers of meaning to certain poems in ways that would not be possible in prose fiction. The biggest takeaway from All the Fighting Parts is that while it’s necessary to fight back against injustice, not all fighting looks the same. While some may attack their causes head on, others may be waging their fights internally or diplomatically, and they should not be judged as or assumed to be any less of a warrior because of how they choose to fight.

All the Fighting Parts is a great recommendation for readers who value Black voices, strong young female perspectives, fighting against injustice, and verse novels that are actually poetic.

This review is also posted on my What's Not Wrong? blog in slightly different form.

[Victoria Wlosok · Rating 5 out of 5]

hannah sawyerr is a genius. this book is so powerful and poetic and perfect for fans of elizabeth acevedo's novels-in-verse <3

[Mya Matteo]

It feels weird giving a star rating to a book so personal and tender, so I won't. But basically: the subject matter here is so important and raw and I hope it reaches the right audience that really needs it. That being said, the craft felt a little weak, even for YA. As a poet I think I have a high bar for books written in verse and this didn't quite reach it.

[Sydney | sydneys.books · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Sometimes I feel my worth is determined by how loudly I riot. As if surviving is not enough."

This was good, really good even... but it wasn't great. It didn't knock me over like I was a house of cards, and I wanted to feel that. Dear Medusa is a novel in verse about a sexual assault that did demolish me, so if you want a similar (and even better) book, read that one.

TW: sexual assault (not graphic, sort of on-page), trauma, sexism, past death of parent (immolation)

As a survivor of sexual violence at the hands of a prominent religious leader, I was both excited and apprehensive about this release. I knew it would poke at my emotional bruises that aren't fully healed yet, but I was hoping that it would also help me feel empowered. And it did! Mostly.

I didn't cry though. And that's a good indicator for me on whether or not a book is going to be rated 4 vs 5 stars.

"What reason does a girl have to fight anything in a world that protects you only when you’re silent?"

I did really like that Amina's mother was known for causing trouble and using her voice, even though that led to the loss of her life. The complex relationship between Amina and her father was beautiful, especially with her mother's death lingering in everything Amina does. The discussion of using your voice and being silent vs being silenced (thank you Oprah) was thought-provoking. I don't usually wish books have different titles, but I think something about being silent and finding your voice would be a more apt title.

This book is very sex-positive, which I wish was explored deeper. Amina is assaulted and she still continues her intimate relationship with seemingly no trauma regarding intimacy from the incident. There's also not a lot of explicit, on-page discussion of trauma and PTSD. Amina has some anxiety and is clearly not well off afterwards, but what she experienced is so common, and I wish the book approached that topic with more resources and conversation for the other teens who are going to read this and see their experience reflected.

Of course, this was still a beautiful story and was well written. It was nominated for highly prestigious awards, and I plan to read this author's upcoming works. This just wasn't a new favorite.

I would recommend Dear Medusa or The Poet X for similar titles that I gave 5 stars.

"There is so much they don’t tell you about surviving. You are a survivor because you overcame what tried to destroy you."

Rep: Sierra Leonean-American main character, wlw side character

[Teonna Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sixteen year old Amina is loud and proud of it. Her voice is her megaphone and most powerful tool. Plus, Amina's ability to advocate for herself and others is a trait she inherited from her late mother. However, her words have also gotten her in trouble at school. After getting in trouble at school, her father forces her to volunteer to help out Pastor Johnson, a well loved and respected clergyman and community member. Helping out at the church, at first, is a breeze. She gets paid to attend church events and spend time with her boyfriend. However, one night Pastor Johnson betrays Amina trust and rapes her. Now her life and voice have diminished. She is no longer the proud and loud girl but a whisper of who she use to be. Amina cannot bring herself to tell anyone despite her inability to sleep, failing grades, and distance she places between her bestfriend, boyfriend, and her father. When Pastor Johnson is arrested for committing the same offense but with another youth, Amina is momentarily relived. Yet, she soon learns her silence will not protect her. Amina must learn how to regain and use her voice to call out the wolf in sheep's clothing all while learning how and if she can amend her relationships with her father, bestfriend, and boyfriend.

All the Fighting Parts is a heavy and delicately written novel in verse. It is a reminder and call to action that all young people, especially young Black girls are in need of protection, care, and to be believed.

Some gems/ favorite quotes from this read
*On its best days, the church mirrors a people protesting...all for a change only a revolutionary can see. No matter where they grew up, where the come from, the people of a church and the people of a revolution share one thing. They believe in something.
*Because I don't want to be angry but its all I know
*Some girls get a wall of protection shielding them from this world. Other girls must learn to protect themselves.
*What reason does a girl have to fight anything in a world that protects you only when you're silent?

[Lois · Rating 5 out of 5]

All the Fighting Parts is a quick, powerful read about Amina, a strong girl taken advantage of by a well-respected leader in her community.

Randall Johnson is the minister of her church, and he hires her to help with events. She notices that when he touches her, like putting his hand on her back, she’s uncomfortable. But he’s paying her well and not doing anything else untoward.

Until he is. Johnson rapes Mina.

The poignant and powerful novel in verse isn’t the story of the rape, though it is told.

It is the story of a young woman fighting her way back from a horrible experience and learning to trust again. She lost her mother as a child, so this is her second time fighting her way through a loss. At one point, she feels alone, but she learns to reconnect and to accept love, most of all from herself.

It’s a necessary story.

She wasn’t just physically violated. She was emotionally and mentally violated as well.

An important part of the story is that there are two victims, and they handle their situations in different ways. Mina fights in court and in the public while the other girl flees until she finds away to help others with Mina.

A hard read, especially when you’ve known both victims who are friends and perpetrators you trusted yourself (but thankfully was not a victim). The author herself experienced sexual assault, so it is an important read.

[ivana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am really glad I picked this up. Initially I was searching for a book to pull me out of my slump, a story that would be reflective and perhaps challenging. This was that and more.

It tells the story of a young girl, Amina Conteh, who loses her voice (her most instinctive trait) after being sexually assaulted by a trusted member of her community. For someone who spoke up for everything and at any point, her new silence is jarring.

I really liked how silence was explored, from Amina’s to her father’s. I also felt that it was important to show how difficult it is to speak up. Often times people carelessly throw around a “why didn’t they tell someone when it happened?” This text shows how belittling and insensitive such a statement is. It is also an unfortunate reminder that there will always be people who don’t believe.

I don’t want to ramble too much, though I do have separate comments on the faith/religion aspect of this story. Perhaps I’ll save that for another time.
Anyhoo 4.25 🌟

[The Melanated Book Club · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was amazed by the resiliency that Hannah Sawyer took to be able to write a story about traumatizing time in her life during her teen years. Just by reading the synopsis, I was intrigued with wanting to know Sawyer’s story of how she overcame the challenging hardship of being sexually assaulted. My heart truly goes out to you Ms. Sawyer for being brave enough to share your story with every one of us. You are indeed a warrior. This story is about Amina Conteh, a 16 year old teenage girl who gets in trouble quite often in school which has driven her father to the point of sending her to volunteer at her church with Pastor Johnson. There are intermissions throughout the story where Amina speaks with a detective about events that lead up to her being sexually assaulted. Amina gets the assault hidden for quite some time until she no longer can hold in the trauma she has endured. Her father is in disbelief when he finds out what happens and it puts even bigger strain on the relationship between a father and a daughter. I can’t possibly imagine what it would be like to go through something like this.

For any one who is a survivor of sexual assault, each and every one of you is a warrior. Coming forward about your story is not easy and it takes great courage to do so. I give all my flowers and love to each and every one of you.

[Alexis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amina Conteh is known for standing up for herself. She never hesitated to clap back, and she won’t let a single out of pocket comment slide, but after she is assaulted by her church’s beloved pastor, Amina feels completely voiceless. She has words to say, but they just won’t come out. When she is forced to report her assault, though, she must find a way to tell her story and stand in her truth.

This novel in verse does a good job of balancing conversations with the police, friends, therapists with Amina’s experiences leading up to and after her assault. I really loved that they never revealed what happened in the moment of the assault; it felt like a beautiful way to protect Amina’s privacy and not sensationalize the violence. It did feel like the trial was resolved rather quickly, and the friendship with Thalia could have been further explored, but overall, it was a good story. Again, I wasn’t particularly emotionally invested, but the story certainly has merit.