All My Rage

The first 20 pages include several mentions of music and songs that seem to carry both Sal and Noor through isolated times. What songs have served as a salve for you?

Readers immediately get the sense that both teens feel disconnected in many ways from adults and other young people. How would you describe the relationship between Noor and Auntie?

In what ways do Sal and Noor show up for each other?

In what places and spaces do Sal and Noor feel they can be their whole selves, if anywhere at all? Which adults support Sal and Noor, and how do they show their tenderness and care?

What is the backstory to the name “Cloud’s Rest Inn Motel”?

Noor is pushed to her limit by a fellow classmate, and a massive blow up leaves Noor in trouble. What happens, and why do you think Noor snapped?

In a parallel story, Sal’s actions lead to real danger for another young person as well. Describe the situation with Ashlee and why you think both protagonists were compelled to act the way they did.

What does Noor mean when she says, at the end of chapter 42, “People see what they want to”?

What role does religion play in the text?

The end of the text is exceedingly heavy in Sal’s changes and growth while in jail and Noor’s understanding of herself, as she goes off to college and returns. When the characters find themselves at Misbah’s grave together, even more learning happens. What do the two ultimately understand?

This story reckons with so much trauma and heartache, but it is not without rebirth and growth beyond the rubble and ashes. In what ways did Sal and Noor learn to resist and rise? How did they grieve and grow? How do the two of them survive despite the consistent onslaught of suffering? And in what ways does this book end in hope?