Anger Is Only a Shadow

by Elizabeth Acevedo

From National Book Award-winning, New York Times-bestselling author and renowned poet Elizabeth Acevedo comes a white-knuckle journey to self-understanding and doing the right thing, no matter the cost.

Lil is anything but small. She’s rebellious, she's loyal; she's figuring out what kind of good person she wants to be, or if she wants to be a good person at all. But more than anything? Lil wants to be free.

When her instinct for freedom leads to another stay in D.C. juvenile detention, Lil knows she’s lucky to just be on probation. But judgment, guilt, and an ankle monitor weigh heavily on her, and she can’t shake that pinned-down feeling.

The only person who might understand is her big brother, Aldwin. Except he’s more distant now than just the hundred miles from his college. Something’s been off with him for several months, but only Lil seems to realize how important it is to get to him.

As her court hearing ticks closer, a question looms over Lil as the missed phone calls and strange texts from her brother pile will she stay put, or put her future freedom on the line?

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

336 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication September 15, 2026

About the author

ELIZABETH ACEVEDO is a New York Times bestselling author of The Poet X, With the Fire on High, and Clap When You Land. Her critically-acclaimed debut novel, The Poet X, won the 2018 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature. She is also the recipient of the Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Fiction, the CILIP Carnegie Medal, and the Boston Globe-Hornbook Award. Additionally, she was honored with the 2019 Pure Belpré Author Award for celebrating, affirming, and portraying Latinx culture and experience.

Her books include, Beastgirl & Other Origin Myths (YesYes 2016), The Poet X (HarperCollins, 2018), & With The Fire On High (HarperCollins, 2019), and Clap When You Land (HarperCollins, 2020).

She holds a BA in Performing Arts from The George Washington University and an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Maryland. Acevedo has been a fellow of Cave Canem, Cantomundo, and a participant in the Callaloo Writer’s Workshops. She is a National Poetry Slam Champion, and resides in Washington, DC with her love.

Reviews

[leynes]

WE HAVE A COVERRRRRR

***

Just preordered this book. Elizabeth Acevedo is truly one of all-time faves when it comes to modern writers. I'll read anything she puts out!

[em (lattereads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dare I say that this is Elizabeth Acevedo’s best novel yet?

Anger is Only a Shadow tackles topics like the youth criminal justice system, mental health struggles, dementia, gender identity, and autonomy with such care. Watching Lil’s character arc felt so special; she is a character with such soul and depth.

This is a novel I will recommend over and over again — as a reviewer and hopefully in my position as a librarian one day. It’s so full of hope and heart. Acevedo is a master at her craft and is one of the best young adult authors of our generation.

Thank you to HarperCollins Children’s Books, Quill Tree Books, Netgalley, and Elizabeth Acevedo for the ARC. I feel very honored to be an early reader for this one.

[Rachel]

screaming crying throwing up

[Brandee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Quill Tree Books, HarperCollins Children's Books, and NetGalley for an eARC to read and review before publishing.

Once again, Elizabeth Acevedo has captured the complexity of what it means to be human in the midst of culture, identity, familial and social relationships, and mental health intersecting. Her writing is beautifully breathtaking layered in image invoking metaphors.

Lil's story is centered around what it means to move through your experiences and trauma rather than running, avoiding, and compartmentalizing. Even though the Lil faces an uncertain future, it is one full of hope and knowing that she is not alone.

Anger Is Only a Shadow is an exceptional novel that should be required reading.

[Dorian RoseMarin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book reminded me why Elizabeth Acevedo is one of my favorite authors. Like all her books, it is raw and real. I felt these characters’ emotions — their hopes and dreams and traumas — as if I was there alongside them, feeling them too. Acevedo has an uncanny ability to create stories of everyday life, everyday people, everyday struggles and turn it into something beautiful and full of hope. Something we desperately need at this time. I knew within the first 100 pages (likely before then) that this would be one of my top reads of the year, if not one of my favorites overall.

[apageofabook]

May 2038? What???

[Mimccub · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been a fan of Elizabeth Acevedo since her first book "The Poet X" and I was looking forward to reading this one. Thank you so much to NetGalley, HarperCollins Children's Books and Quill Tree Books for providing this eBook in exchange for my review.

When we are introduced to Liliana "Lil", she's detained at the Youth Services Center working on a poetry exercise and thinking about the do's and don'ts that her brother, Aldwin, has been teaching her since she was little. I immediately knew that Lil idolized and loved her brother. But the way she spoke about Aldwin had me wondering if something had happened to him.

We soon learn how Lil's reckless behavior and recent arrest have affected her family. She's given an ultimatum and we are hopeful of what could happen for Lil if she can just stay out of trouble. And, then we find out Lil's home life and school life are overwhelming and stressful for her at times.

As the story progresses, I wondered if Lil's acts of rebellion were triggered by what was going on with Aldwin. Was her reckless behavior her way to distract herself from having to deal with what was going on with her brother? Was it a way to get her parents to pay more attention?

While at first I felt frustrated, and a bit devastated, by the ending because we don't get to know what happened in Lil's court hearing, I realized at this point Lil is willing to accept whatever happens. Because, to me, Lil's main focus throughout the story was how to look out for her brother the way he'd always looked out for her.

I liked how poetry was used to express Lil's inner thoughts and emotions. I liked that when Lil made the choice she knew could make her future unknown, the poetry was used to share Lil's hopes for her future.

I liked how Lil thought no one really paid attention to her, but then she was shown ways that her family and her new friends were actually paying attention to her. Especially her mother and Yonas. I liked that Ms. Harrell noticed Lil, shared books with her and wanted to start a two-person book club. I liked how Trina and Ebony evolved from frenemies to friends. And, I also liked the author's note at the end of the book where she discussed what inspired Lil's and Aldwin's story.

[Tanya T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stars:4
Start Date:4/25/26
Ending Date:6/12/26
Genre:  YA Contemporary
Form: E-Arc
Page Count: 336
Publishing Date: 9/15/26
Point of View: 1st
Setting: Washington DC
Content Warning: Mental Health, Gender Identity,

My Blog:https://tanyasreading.wordpress.com/2...

StoryGraph:https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews...

Thank you Quill Tree Books for the E-Arc.

Anger is Only a Shadow is Elizabeth Acevedo triumphant return to the world of Young Adult storytelling after six long years and she doesn't disappoint as usual.

Anger is about Lil, a troubled 17 year old that is currently wearing an ankle monitor for three weeks awaiting adjudication and a judge to sentence her after crashing her family food truck to a telephone pole with her two friends. She has an older brother named Aldwin who went after college but starting to act strange by talking to himself and saying he is hearing voices. Lil is loyal and cares about her brother deeply which by the end of the story, she has to make a choice because she may be the only person who can save him from himself.

While this book feels like a warm hug filled with love as a Elizabeth Acevedo book always feels but for some reason while I do like it and giving it four stars, I didn't love it like I did her other three books.Even tho it deals with topics that Mrs.Elizabeth Acevedo is so famously dealt with in her other books but add a few more. First and foremost family is always the backbone of this book with Lil dealing with her brother changing right in front of her to a person she barely knows which is the main plot of the book. With her also navigating her relationships with her parents, her aging grandmother having dementia and her now being an older sister. It Tackles with the topic of gender identity which the side character ,Trina stole the show and honestly was my favorite character.

In classic Elizabeth Acevedo fashion, poetry is woven deeply in the narrative with Lil writing poetry even though the whole book is not written in verse unlike The Poet X and Clap You When Land. Lil poems throughout the book give you a better understanding at how she is coming to terms with certain things that are happening to her and the people she loves.

I still highly recommend this book along with her other three because it's still a banger.

The Poet X
With the Fire on High
Clap When You Land

[Em · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anger Is Only a Shadow by Elizabeth Acevedo is the book many of her fans, including me, have been waiting for.

The story follows Liliana Pantaleón-Ortiz, a young girl navigating the juvenile justice system while running out of chances to get things right. We meet her after she is released back into the custody of her parents and wearing an ankle monitor. Lil is trying to figure out who she wants to be before adulthood makes the consequences of her choices even more permanent.

Despite her mistakes, Lil doesn’t come from a family that has given up on her. Her parents never give up. They are trying to support her while also caring for a new baby and navigating the mental health struggles of Lil’s older brother, Aldwin. Acevedo writes the complexity of this family system and the external factors impacting them beautifully.

As a therapist, I appreciated how much space this book gives to the idea that love and support don’t erase consequences. People can make mistakes, hurt the people around them, and still be worthy of care. The family at the center of this story is imperfect but they keep showing up for one another.

Acevedo has always had a gift for creating characters who feel honest and human. She lets them be messy, complicated, frustrating, and lovable all at once. She trusts them enough to let them figure things out and she trusts readers to sit with that nuance.

For me, this is a story about second chances, family, accountability, and what it means to have people who refuse to let you face the hardest parts of your life alone. We all deserve that.

[Laura B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seventeen-year-old Lil is in trouble with the law again. She would say she’s bad news, but really she’s having a hard time navigating her feelings and impulse control. The story takes place over the course of about a month while first she is waiting adjudication, and then while under house arrest awaiting her court date. During this time she struggles with family dynamics, making new friends, feeling like she’s abandoning her old friends, and her caring, passionate personality.

Acevedo takes us on a journey where we connect deeply with Lil and begin to understand her day-to-day struggles. She does an excellent job depicting the beginnings of mental health struggles and the juvenile detention system, and of course, her Dominican heritage. The poetry sprinkled throughout is an added bonus. I do wish we were given a bit more background to understand Lil’s “impulse” control. The need to explode from holding in emotions was described beautifully, but Lil’s draw towards petty theft was not really addressed. I also felt like the timeline for Aldwin’s mental illness seemed a bit rapid, though understandable in an attempt to fit it into the timeline of the novel. Lastly, I was disappointed by the ending. I felt like the novel could have benefited from an epilogue just to touch on some resolution for both Lil and Aldwin - maybe a year or so down the road.

Four stars. Ages 15+ Includes: mental illness, transphobia, detention, and brief mention of drugs and alcohol.

[TheNextGenLibrarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Just a girl, formed in the wildwood, who should only be chased after if you wish to be devoured.”
🚔
Lil is a rebellious teen on probation after another stint in juvenile detention, desperate to prove she can stay out of trouble, even as she feels trapped by expectations and an ankle monitor. But when her brother Aldwin starts acting distant and sends troubling messages, Lil becomes convinced something is wrong. With her court date approaching, she must decide whether to follow the rules and protect her future or risk everything to help the one person who understands her.
📖
This was moving, powerful, and so beautifully written: full of the kind of prose and poetry that hits you right in the heart. I’m so glad @acevedowrites is back in the YA space because she does this kind of storytelling so well. The representation of mental illness and the juvenile detention experience feels honest and important, and I loved how the story highlights the impact literature and writing can have in helping us process, survive, and find ourselves. I also really loved the Dominican representation woven throughout. This title releases September 15 and you’re going to fall in love with Lil!

CW: medical content, transphobia, deadnaming, mental illness, forced institutionalization, police brutality, confinement, schizophrenia

[Melissa Schwartz Walsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25. This is my third time reading a book by Elizabeth Acevedo, and it did not disappoint! This YA ARC follows 17 year old Lil, living in the DC Metro area and often getting in trouble with the law despite being a passionate, caring, and bold girl simply struggling to manage impulse control issues. Family dynamics as well as old and new friends ultimately come into play as she deals with house arrest following her most recent infraction. I overall really enjoyed the story and was quickly brought back to Acevedo’s familiar writing style that I knew from her other writings (Clap When You Land is my personal favorite). One issue I did have was that there wasn’t more of a deep dive into Lil’s impulse control struggles. I think this was so important and while it can somewhat be her superpower, it was also her downfall and I would have loved that to be analyzed a lot more. I also think that it would have been great to get an Epilogue with a description of the following year or so. I do think certain plot points could have been fleshed out more, specifically Aldwin’s situation and the details behind his university not stepping in more. Otherwise it was a great story and I look forward to it getting more traction by the time it’s published! Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC.

[Nocturne Pages · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anger is Only a Shadow is a YA novel by Elizabeth Acevedo. I am so thrilled and thankful to Netgalley and Harper Collins Children Books Publishing for letting me read and review this before the publishing date on September 15th, 2026. I have read all of her books thus far, so I feel confident in my thoughts on this one. THIS BOOK GOING BACK TO HER YA ROOTS FEELS SO NOSTALGIC TO ME. Her YA novels always explore honest thoughts, feelings, and actions of teenagers with more serious topics to delve into mixed within. This one is no exception. The exploration of teenage emotions makes you feel nostalgic and seen; validated. Vulnerability is often seen as a negative thing, but this book celebrates it. Better to be vulnerable and real than continue to make yourself so small you cease to take up any space. Ah, I love Elizabeth Acevedo. I wanted to hug Lil so hard. The poems included in her books add poetic symmetry to the plotlines while also staying true to the original artistic style of a novel. Yes, the wording is juvenile, but hey. It's a novel FOR juveniles. I'm not the target audience, but I will read whatever she writes regardless. She can weave together the family dynamic like no other. 4 ⭐ 

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

When we first meet Lil, she is in a youth correction facility, and one thing keeping her grounded is a writing class led by a volunteer poet. It's a small thread, but we feel some hope in it.

Lil has a family who shows up for her: a mother running a food truck, a father who has steady work in construction, a brother who came back from his first year of college somehow changed, a new baby who arrived as a surprise. They are all holding on, each in their own way. Lil's most recent infraction, crashing her mother's truck with friends, is not her first, and the book does not pretend it will be her last just because she wants to do better.

Acevedo refuses to resolve Lil neatly. We watch her make good calls and careless ones. We watch people misread her, and we watch her struggle with herself. She is generous with the people she loves and often self-destructive when it comes to her own future.

Washington DC hums in the background throughout, vivid and alive, a city that feels like a character in its own right.

This is a careful, honest portrait of a young woman trying to stay free and make the right decisions for herself.

Many thanks to #NetGalley for the advance copy of the book

[Alexandra Davila · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so excited when I saw on Instagram that Acevedo has a new YA book coming out! Then I was even more excited when I came across it on NetGalley! As is typical of her writing, everything feels raw and real as if the main character is Acevedo herself. The writing moves like the ocean, the poems were my favorite parts (and I don't even typically like poetry), and the characters were realistic.

This is a story about what it's like to be a teenager, but also what it's like to be a teenager in extraordinary circumstances. The pace is fast, never lingering too much on any one thing, making it an easy read. Though the writing was beautiful and I liked the characters, the plot left something to be desired. I found myself wanting more about the connection between the main character Lil and the various people in her life. The story felt rushed and unfinished in that way (the open ending being irrelevant to this point).

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book. I write this review willingly.

[Holly Dyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75// Elizabeth Acevedo is the master of the YA novel and I'm so glad she's back with another one! This one is mainly prose with some poetry throughout. Lil has had a history of arrests and involvement with the criminal justice system. She is released from the youth detention center and put on parole. She comes home to D.C. and gets situated in school trying to manage her new normal, making sure her ankle monitor is charged at all times, observing curfew, and not leaving beyond the approved radius of her house. Her older brother Aldwin is at college, but Lil is becoming concerned about him since he has been distant and saying bizarre things. This novel has so much heart and beautiful, perfect poetic writing. You root for Lil as she goes through very hard things. My only complaint is that there are only 3 chapters - Inside, Outside, and Outside In - and the middle chapter is very long but separated by dates.

Thanks to Quill Tree Books and NetGalley for the ARC. Can't wait for EA fans to read it!

[Lovanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anger is Only a Shadow by Elizabeth Acevedo is a novel about a young girl who is faced with the decision to help her family or help herself. Lil is a girl in high school who has made quite a few bad decisions that could jeopardize her freedom. Lil understanding of these decisions is now faced with trying to help a family member who is in need of help of their own. Throughout the novel, you see that Lil is just a girl who is struggling with how to understand her own big emotions. She wants to help others and do right but her feelings of fear and anxiety often force her into bad decisions. I love the writing of this book and the inclusion of poetry. I love that it touches on mental health in the minority community and discusses how help is sought out for them. It’s definitely a must read. Thank you Harper Collin’s Children’s Books for providing this book for review consideration via Netgalley. All opinions are my own

[Renee Senters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

4.5 stars. Acevedo does it again! I am never disappointed with her books - ever! I love how she combines prose and poetry so seamlessly to tell the story of Lil, the novel's protagonist. As we meet Lil, we learn she is part of the juvenile justice system. We meet her family and friends - some old and some new and see her attempt to navigate the system. Lil definitely experiences some ups and downs and ultimately learn what she values most.

I did not rate this 5 stars, because I was a little disappointed with the ending. While the ending fits the story well, I just wanted more. Despite this, I highly recommend reading this upon its release!

[Kate Blankenship · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to HarperCollins Children's Publishers, Quill Tree Books and Netgalley for the advanced reading copy of 'Anger is Only A Shadow.' This beautiful, heartbreakingly raw book delves deep into the world of mental health and the crises that occur sometimes. The ripple effects of having a loved one who might be scared, hurt, in trouble, panicked.. it affects every single family member. As Lil tries to figure out all the things in her own life, she's also a worried sister and an apologetic daughter. I loved hearing the stories from her grandmother and I appreciated their family history and stories. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh how I have missed reading from Elizabeth Acevedo. I have loved every single thing she wrote except Family Lore, which just did not work for me. So seeing her return to YA made me so excited.

I definitely wouldn't rank this as my favorite Acevedo book, but I still loved it. I loved seeing tough-girl Lil care so much for her brother, even when her parents seemed to try to overlook his struggles. I appreciated how she showed it's possible to leave your friends who aren't great for you and to find new ones, without having to change yourself.

I truly hope we don't have to wait as many years to get our next Acevedo story because this just reminded me how good they are.

[sarah panic · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is something about picking up a book by Elizabeth Acevedo and knowing you aren't going to be disappointed. Acevedo is able to take topics that are heavy and traumatic and have her characters deliver them in a way that makes them relatable, as if you are almost right there along side them in the story yourself. Acevedo is able to take traumatic events and still entwine them with moments of hope and joy and leave the reader searching for that well to the end.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Rat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to HarperCollins for the arc!

This is such a beautiful story. Lil is an incredibly compelling character: a young girl in a complex situation just trying to do the best she can for herself and for her family. She makes mistakes, but she also learns and grows from them, and it all makes for a story that you can believe is happening right now to someone else.

I also thoroughly enjoyed the poetry in this book. It was both emotionally poignant and really well done!

[ceci viana · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh, my heart.

lil is a “troubled” girl, in and out of problems with the law, her school, and her parents. when she is released on probation, she knows she has to follow the conditions of her freedom. but when she starts getting alarming messages from her big brother off at school, she feels in her bones that something is wrong, and she knows she has to get to him.

this is just a beautiful story. i loved lil, i loved what a fighter she is. her family was beautiful and caring and so loving. every character was just so human. i can't count the number of times that i teared up reading this.

elizabeth acevedo has such a special place in my heart; the poet x came to me in a time when i needed xiomara more than i could have ever known. all of her books have been so deeply personal to me, including this one. i loved this with my whole being.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the arc!

[MidoriShelfTalk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. For the most part, the way the adults responded in the book is a way I wish the younger me was cared for - the way I try to show up positively and care for the younger generation. I always love the Dominican culture Acevedo brings but I especially enjoyed the folktales told throughout the book that had my Google search. I loved finding out the title of the book and how it came together with the novel.

[Anniee Bee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one hits emotionally right from the start. The voice is raw, powerful, and deeply human, following a journey of identity and choice. It’s reflective without dragging, and the writing flows beautifully. A story that lingers.
Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.

[Raquel Fuell · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a beautiful book and a beautiful message that no one is every truly alone during struggles. I am so happy that I was able to read this book Elizabeth just has a way with words and prose that really stays in your heart and head. I loved how she brought her own life experiences onto the pages of this story and let us truly see the power of family and the love that is there.

[Carlyn Morenus · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Elizabeth Acevedo so was excited to get this ARC. A powerful book about a young woman, Lil, who is smart and hot-headed and passionate and angry and loves so deeply. And keeps making bad choices. But everything is grounded in so much love and caring, and such a solid family, that you can't help being hopeful about her eventual outcomes. Great writing, great characters, high emotions.

[mikeyandherbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

E-Arc provided by Netgalley

Elizabeth Acevedo will always write a beautiful story, there weren't as many poems in here as I thought there might be but all of the ones included were lovely. I really appreciated this story and I liked that not everything was perfectly wrapped up in a bow at the end

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Masterful. Elizabeth Acevedo writes teenagers and families so authentically. No pat solutions, but they know there’s a way forward.

Thanks to Edelweiss and Quill Tree Books for the electronic ARC. Out in September.

[Ari (Books. Libraries. Also, cats.)]

Elizabeth Acevedo never misses! This wasn't my favorite of hers (there were some threads that I wanted more of a resolution on), but overall still another solid contemporary YA from her. Can't wait to see what she does next!