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, Audiobook, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Mental Health

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!

[Azanta (azantareads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elizabeth Acevedo you artist you genius you generational writer

[b. ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

elizabeth acevedo remains one of my favorite authors of all time. each book she writes takes my heart and cracks it open over a skillet, simultaneously warming it and transforming it with every word

i’ve yet to encounter another author who writes with the same tenderness and humanity that acevedo does. each character seems crafted with the mantra “to err is human; to forgive, divine” in mind

may we all be so fortunate to find ourselves living in a world crafted by elizabeth acevedo

my only complaint with AIOAS? it is too damn short.

thank you to libro.fm for this alc!

[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

[Mr. Mccane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC
Releases: 9-15-26

This book follows an older teenager named Lil. She struggles with anger issues that have landed her in a juvenile detention center. After being placed on home confinement, all she wants is to be free.

Lil has an older brother who has gone away to college, and she misses him deeply. When she discovers that he’s in trouble, she’s forced to make a tough decision. Will she risk going back to the detention center to help him?

Overall, this was a good read with an even better message. It almost reads like a memoir, which I enjoyed. However, the pacing was a little slow for my taste. Even though I liked the story, I found myself waiting for it to be over.

[Wallis · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ Not my favorite of Acevedo’s YA novels, but, as always, I love her writing.

[Laura (crofteereader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one wouldn’t be my favorite Acevedo book (and honestly strangely enough I think that’s because of the lactose intolerance? It was just such a weird choice to be the avenue for kindness with no strings). But I loved using Toni Morrison and bell hooks and poetry and the Library of Congress to show Lil’s journey into discovering herself and her worth.

I also really loved the way her brother’s schizophrenia was handled. We get to see Papi being like “he just needs to discover what kind of man he wants to be” - while also acknowledging how “boys will be boys” that sounds. We get to see Mom breaking down the doors to the college even when getting rebuffed. And then we get to see Lil trying to reconcile the brother she doesn’t recognize with the brother she always depended on and needed while she herself is going through something of a crisis; and while she can’t say “I believe you” she is still supportive and there for him AND also drawing attention to what isn’t right and what needs to be addressed by authority.

Then there’s also the new friends. Katrina is trans and while that’s a big part of her story, Lil immediately shows up for her, no questions asked. That’s hugely important in our current political climate, even if this isn’t a “queer” book (ie a book that centers queerness). Because queer people exist even outside of queer spaces.

{Thank you Quill Tree Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review; all thoughts are my own}

[Suzanne thebookblondie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always love Elizabeth Acevedo, and this book was another great one. The beginning didn’t grab me like her books normally do, but I fell in love by the middle and then the end broke my heart. If you read this one, do yourself a favor and read the author’s note at the end as well- it’ll make you appreciate this book even more 🩵

[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.

[Genevieve McCane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a beautifully written book. It was definitely slow paced, but I think that made me really slow down and pay attention to the message behind the story.

We follow Lil, who is rebellious and wants her freedom, but at the same time, she really wants to be there for her family. I loved the relationship between her and her brother, Aldwin. Their bond was one of my favorite parts of the book. You could really feel how much they cared about each other.

This book really shows how important it is for parents to listen, pay attention to the signs, and recognize when a child is crying out to be heard. Sometimes we don’t realize what someone is going through until it’s too late.

This story definitely stayed with me after I finished it. It’s not just about Lil and everything she’s going through; it’s about family, showing up for the people you love, and realizing that sometimes just being there can mean everything.

[Kami · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is classic Acevedo and I absolutely loved it! Following Lil from a DC juvi center to her struggles on probation, you learn pretty quickly she is more complex than the trouble she finds herself in. She loves to read, likes a boy, and loves her little sister and older brother fiercely. Told with a mix of singing prose and poetic verses, you will not want to put it down. I listened on audio, which is read by Acevedo herself. Not all authors can pull this off, Acevedo can. Even though this is a YA novel, it can be given to teens and adults alike to enjoy.

[Ilonka Gangadin (masbookslessgluten) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another masterpiece by Acevedo. Inspired by her work as a poetry teacher for troubled youth, she crafts Lil’s powerful coming-of-age story through life in and out of juvenile detention. Lil is inherently good but shaped by her anger, circumstances, and the people around her. Acting out becomes her way of coping until she realizes her choices affect her family.

When granted conditional freedom, Lil learns that freedom is worth protecting, true friends show up during hardships, and family comes first. Most importantly, she refocuses her energy on supporting her brother, whose mental health struggles are beyond his control. A moving story of growth, accountability, and family.

[rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elizabeth Acevedo will always be an auto-buy author for me. While I had preordered the hardcover, I was so excited to receive both the ebook and audio from NetGalley early. Acevedo’s writing, as usual, is absolutely gorgeous. She handles hard topics—in this case, youth criminal services and mental illness—with such care and love. Your heart aches alongside all of her characters as you root for them to find peace, love, and acceptance. I can’t wait to add this to my classroom shelves.

Somewhere between 4.25-4.5⭐️

[Melissa Cosgrove · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elizabeth Acevedo only writes 5-star books. Gorgeous, heartfelt, and warm. I cried and cried and cried. A story that feels like a hug. Beautifully written. I’m so so grateful I got to read this early.

[Cody Roecker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elizabeth Acevedo never misses

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite Elizabeth Acevedo that I've read thus far. The mental health representation is fantastic. It's one of the best representations of the disorder I have seen and how it affects people and loved ones. It was so well done and still beautifully written like I expect from Acevedo.

[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.

[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

[apageofabook]

May 2038? What???

[Alexandria Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

thank you so much to librofm, Quill Tree Books, and HarperCollins Children's for the ALC and ARC.

But can we talk about the audiobook for a second? Elizabeth Acevedo narrates it herself and I could listen to her voice all day. There is something about the way she performs her own words that makes every line land beautifully. It doesn't feel like someone reading a book it feels like someone opening their heart.

This wasn't just another YA novel for me.
This one hurt.
Because years before I was the woman sitting here with stacks of books, six homeschooled kids, and a life I love... I was the teenager sitting behind locked doors.
I know what it feels like to believe one mistake is going to define the rest of your life.
I know what it feels like to think freedom is something everyone else gets except you.
I know what it feels like when anger becomes the only language you know how to speak because underneath it is fear... loneliness... shame... and a desperate hope that someone will finally see you instead of judging you.

So while I was reading Lil's story I wasn't just reading it. I was remembering. The moments that absolutely broke me were never the big dramatic scenes. It was the quiet ones.
"I want to be from lightheartedness... Make a prism of this heart so confetti light beams through."
That line wrecked me.😭
Because who hasn't wanted to become someone lighter than the pain they've been carrying?
And then...
"Ain't no medicine for the fear I feel in this dark..."
I had to stop reading. Not because it was too much...But because I remembered exactly what that fear feels like.

Elizabeth Acevedo doesn't write broken characters. She writes human ones.
Lil is angry. She's impulsive. She makes choices she'll have to live with. But underneath all of that is just a girl trying to figure out how to survive while carrying more than anyone realizes.

This book refuses to reduce people to the worst thing they've ever done. It asks us to see the person underneath the mistake. One of the quotes that will stay with me forever is
"We are more than what wounds us."
Babes...
Read that again.
We are more than what wounds us.

I think every teenager needs to hear that.
I think every parent needs to hear that.
I think every person who's ever believed their past disqualified them from having a future needs to hear that.

This story shines a light on mental health, the juvenile justice system, family, forgiveness, and the impossible choices people make when they're trying to protect the ones they love.

Lil's relationship with her brother was heartbreaking. You can feel how deeply she loves him even when neither of them knows how to save the other. This book won't give you easy answers. But it will leave you with hope.
And sometimes...
Hope is enough.

This wasn't just a book for me.
It was a reminder that no matter where we've been...
We are always more than what wounded us. 💜

[Sacha · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

I can never get enough of Elizabeth Acevedo's wonderful world of YA verse novels, so I could not be more thrilled to have this new one coming soon. As anticipated, I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I'm excited to share it with my students.

Lil (who made me think of _Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me_ at every single mention of her name) is an outstanding protagonist. Like all good YA m.c.s, she is incredibly flawed. She's not a bad person; she just gets a little carried away...to juvenile detention and court. She lives in a precarious state in which her past choices constantly loom and her future choices? Well, they aren't as shaped by potential learning experiences as more seasoned readers will definitely hope.

In addition to her own needs and wants, Lil is really dialed into her friends and family, particularly her older brother who is away at college but seems to truly be struggling. Some readers will immediately know that he is schizophrenic. It's not a secret, but the characters do not quite have language for what is happening with him. It did not surprise me at all to learn from the author's note that Acevedo has experience with a close relative who is schizophrenic. The descriptions were spot on (my point of authority on this is not direct experience but also the experience of a close family member with the same diagnosis). Those scenes are not easy to read, though that may be less challenging for folks with a little more distance.

One thing I will suggest to students is not to read this while eating. I listened to it off and on while running errands and cooking, and poor Lil is plagued by what I'll gently call tummy trouble. It impacts her often. It's not way out there, gross out stuff, but I will transparently recall this book as 'the one with the lactose intolerant protagonist.' Look. We all need our windows and our mirrors...and emergency toilet visits.

This is another great read from Acevedo, and of course the audiobook, which she once again narrates, is absolutely outstanding. I'll always be excited for works from this author.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Quill Tree Books for this arc and alc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

[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.

[jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

I so badly wanted to take my time with this book and immerse myself in Elizabeth Acevedo’s writing for as long as possible, but I finished it in 24 hours. “Anger is Only a Shadow” is genuinely one of her best novels yet, which is a tough statement to make when I have adored so much of her earlier writing.

Lil’s story covers a lot of ground: she is involved in the juvenile justice system, and when we meet her she is leaving a youth facility to return to her family while also on house arrest. But during this tenuous time her beloved older brother seems to be struggling with his own mental health while away at college, and Lil is struggling with her own guilt and the consequences of her prior actions. It’s a lot of stress to weigh in the shoulders of a teenage girl. And yet she has such an incredible amount of insight that at times it’s almost painful to read; there’s one specific moment where she connects her overwhelming feelings to her selecting a pot for rice that is too small, only for it to inevitably boil over. Such a simple, quiet metaphor—and for someone that has felt that way before, knowing that is exactly what it feels like.

Lil’s first-person narration is punctuated with poems, myths, and memories that she writes (sometimes written for herself, and other times addressed to specific people). I loved how this worked to reveal more about the complexities of Lil’s feelings without us simply being told what they are. It’s also a beautiful return to Acevedo’s use of poetic verse in novels, which is truly what she does better than any of her peers.

She remains my favorite author, and I am so honored to have had the chance to read an advanced copy of “Anger is Only a Shadow.” It was a perfect 5 star read and I could not recommend it enough to everyone!!! It will be out in the world on September 15 ✨

(endless thanks to Harper Collin’s Children Books/Quill Tree Books for approving me for this copy and making all of my dreams come true!!!)

[Esosa · Rating 5 out of 5]

"What does it mean to do the right thing, if everything always turns out wrong?"

Lil is angry. She's always acting on instinct, always getting into trouble, and her behaviour has landed her in a juvenile detention centre in Washington, D.C. Now out on probation and confined by an ankle monitor, she's on her last chance. If she slips up again, she could end up in jail for good.

As Lil tries to turn over a new leaf, we quickly realize she's deeply misunderstood. Yes, she's angry, but anger is only the surface, hiding much bigger feelings underneath. She's worried about her older brother Alvin, who has started hearing voices that are pulling him further away from his family. She's fiercely loyal and always trying to show up for the people she loves, even when it means getting herself into trouble. More than anything, she wants to be understood rather than simply judged as "good" or "bad." She just wants to be free, and right now, it feels like that freedom is in someone else's hands.

This is a story about a young girl learning to navigate her emotions while grappling with the tension between doing what feels right and what others perceive as right. Lil slowly realizes that her anger isn't something to fear—it's proof that she cares deeply. The challenge is learning how to channel it.

"I want to be free more than I want to be good."

Watching Lil come into her own was one of my favourite parts of the book. We see her learn to trust herself, open herself up to others, and embrace the empathy and loyalty that have always been at the core of who she is. Little by little, freedom begins to feel within reach.

This was such a beautiful story. Acevedo captures the complexity and confusion of being a teenager so well—the burden young people carry while trying to navigate family, friendship, love, and the expectations of growing up.

Absolutely adored this! & the audiobook narration was perfection. Thanks to Libro.fm for the advances listening copy!

[ArleneTirado · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank You to NetGalley for this ALC. This book starts with “Rarely, if ever, are any of us healed in isolation. Healing is an act of communion." Quote by Bell Hooks. This story takes place with Lil (a 17-year rebellious teenager) in juvenile detention with an ankle bracelet who has been here before. The Poetry lady likes Lil's writing & how she interprets pain, hurt, emotions. Lil has an older brother Aldwin in 2nd year at college at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in Richmond, who started talking to himself & hearing voices. Lil realizes that her brother is going through some hysteria and mental health issues. They lived in Washington DC & it was a very real, street-like way of living to survivors. Lil & Aldwin always kept each other’s secrets from their parents, this was their relationship dynamic. Aldwin calls Lil & he is in the dark & rambling things about monsters & things about something clawing at his arm. Lil cuts her ankle monitor and breaks her probation to travel the hundred miles to Aldwin college to save him. But the VCU police jumped both of them & Lil is taken back to juvenile detention center because she violated her probation. Aldwin was in the grips of psychosis/schizophrenia & couldn't tell the difference between reality from fantasy. Lil is waiting for her sentencing & her family are all in the court room & will support Lil, no matter what. The narrator did a fantastic job in telling this storyline of Lil & her family. Mental Health is such a serious & vulnerable topic to address, so I am very glad that this story brings this topic into the characters here. We are each other's song & silence. Poems are used for healing & uplifting these women that are stuck in this place.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, author Elizabeth Acevedo, and Quill Tree Books for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinions!

Pretty much speechless because this book packs a punch that I will be processing for a while. I ADORE Acevedo's writing and books and honestly consider her one of my top authors period, not just top YA authors. Anger is Only a Shadow is not surprisingly incredible, nuanced, sad, hopeful, infuriating, hilarious, compassionate, and above all full of life. Lil is tough, but more than anything, I commend and admire Acevedo's ability to strip aside her harden exterior to expose her fears, dreams, and humanity within. This is a great reminder that we never know the full story of anyone, and we shouldn't judge people as "good" or "bad" just based off of certain experiences. Acevedo reveals the humanity of teenagers and young adults and gives them agency, even when the justice system doesn't want to give certain individuals that. There is always room to learn and grow, and sometimes what is seen as a grave "mistake" can instead have nuance that looks more like love and loyalty. There is a lot of heavy material here, from teen detention centers to mental health episodes to aging family members, but all of it is handled with the utmost care. I could feel and relate to the struggles of each character present, and I admire the sheer humanity shown throughout. This is now on its way to being my favorite work by Acevedo and definitely one of, if not THE, strongest of her works. Well worth the wait for her latest, and I extremely recommend this book to readers of all ages.

[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.

[Kaelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elizabeth Acevedo has done it again. Anger Is Only A Shadow is the fourth book I’ve read by her, and it did not disappoint. When I read the synopsis of the book, I was immediately intrigued being a criminologist. I found this novel to be a very well-written representation of what it’s like to be entangled in the criminal legal system especially at a young age. I felt for Lil and the rest of her family members. Her internal struggles were palpable, and I was rooting for her the whole way. You can tell she really wants to be and do better, but it’s more complicated than just making the right decision. I loved that we are getting representation for young girls who are “troublemakers” and have harder exteriors. They deserve to be seen and listened to through a compassionate lens rather than a a punitive one. I also loved Yonas and Lil’s relationship. The way he cared for her was so sweet. Truly an amazing novel that not only explores the experiences of a young girl involved in the legal system but also a family navigating a loved one’s newly diagnosed mental health issues. That aspect of the book was also very well done. The author’s note sealed the deal for me too. Acevedo is truly amazing and has a gift. I’d highly recommend picking up this book if you like her work or are looking to get into her novels. I’d also recommend this to anyone who likes Jason Reynolds’ work. It’s not surprising they’re friends because I feel like she does for young girls what Reynolds does for young boys. I love it!

[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.