All the Fighting Parts

August 1, 2023
This page-turning novel in verse shows a 16-year-old Baltimore girl's resilience after surviving a sexual assault by a powerful church leader. Amina Conteh's father credits her late mother, "a woman who knew her / rage was as powerful as her love," for her fighting spirit, something he doesn't always approve of. After Amina gets in trouble at school for standing up to a disrespectful classmate, he decides she'll help out at church as punishment, which ultimately leads to Pastor Johnson's raping her. Amina has an emotionally and physically fulfilling relationship with Deon, the pastor's adored nephew. He and her best friend, Talia, a queer, fashion-conscious Dominican girl, provide relief from her strained relationship with her strict, highly religious father. But as she endures the aftermath of her trauma, Amina, the daughter of immigrants from Sierra Leone, finds that her relationships and confidence suffer. Interspersed throughout the stunning verse are journal entries, text messages, police interview transcripts, and news articles that highlight various people's perspectives, intricately building suspense when the news breaks of another victim of Pastor Johnson. The expectations for women at Amina's church are oppressive and sexist, though the Black church community provided Amina's parents with comfort, adding complexity as she wrestles with whether to speak out. Amina's emotional growth and experiences in therapy feel authentic, leading to a satisfying ending that is properly earned. An unforgettable story of healing told through phenomenal poetry. (author's note, resources) (Verse fiction. 14-18)

COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from September 1, 2023

Gr 9 Up-Sixteen-year-old Amina Conteh is a reflection of her deceased mother-not only her dark skin and kinky curls, but her spirit. Her words are her weapon: all the fighting parts from her mom that concern her father. When Amina's sharp tongue lands her in trouble again at school, her father's solution is to send her to volunteer for a well-respected pastor at church. Annoyed at first to be working alongside "Holy Holly" from school, Amina becomes motivated by an offer to be paid for her work. One evening Pastor "Call me Randall" Johnson sets up a scenario where they are alone sorting papers, and he sexually assaults her. Amina becomes withdrawn, struggles in school, and distances herself from her best friend and boyfriend. When Johnson is unexpectedly arrested at church, Amina realizes she isn't the only one he has hurt. She digs deep to find her voice, while the only time her father breaks his silence is to speak over her. This stunning debut novel in verse unearths Amina's entangled emotions of self-blame and RAGE via poetry in free verse, concrete, contrapuntal, and other forms. Texts, police interview transcripts, and news media are also interjected, enlightening readers in a fast-paced style to events unfolding before and after that devastating evening. Sawyerr navigates this painful topic with grace and sensitivity, with the assault itself taking place off-page. She focuses on Amina's individual journey and acknowledges there are different pathways to healing from trauma. The complex relationship between father and daughter also evolves along the way. VERDICT Achingly profound and inspiring; a must for all collections.-Lisa Krok

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 6, 2023
Grades 9-12 The voice Amina Conteh inherited from her mother, a Sierra Leonean medical doctor and activist, is the most potent of her fighting parts. Years after her mother's death, it is almost all she has left. Amina's father hardly speaks of his wife, or at all. When he announces that Amina will help their pastor at church as penance following an incident at school, Amina is shocked, and her life upended. Before long, Amina is in Pastor Johnson's office sorting through papers, when he rapes her, and for once she cannot find the words to fight back. Writing from personal experience, Sawyerr gives voice to Amina through text messages, fictionalized police interview transcripts, news briefs, and poetry, though there's no gritty realism here. A "David and Goliath'' story of sorts, Sawyerr's novel examines the roots of clerical abuse and how perpetrators are enabled while simultaneously bringing the reader into Amina's world. The somewhat idealistic conclusion does not detract from an otherwise compelling debut novel about hard truths, healing, strength, and tenderness. An author's note includes a list of websites with more information about sexual violence and its impacts.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.