With the shameful, horrifying and devastating events that have recently taken place over the past 6-8 months along with the debate of better gun control in the United States, Anger is a Gift by Mark Oshiro honestly and truthfully encapsulates the state that our nation is in through a unique and diverse group of relatable teenagers in a community that almost always seems to be against them. With the beautifully-written chapters that either leave you grinning, laughing or crying in a corner, Mark Oshiro is able to successfully build a strong story with a well-written male protagonist that most of his audience can both relate to and sympathize with on a spiritual and personal level.

From the very beginning of the story – which takes place when the main character and his best friend are riding home from the mall on a train – the reader is immediately drawn towards the relatable and sarcastic demeanors of both characters and when tragedy strikes for the first time – and (no spoilers) certainly not the last – the reader is left wondering what the main character is hiding. Why are they acting this way? Why do they feel this way? What happened in their past to trigger these emotions?

The more you read, the more questions you start asking yourself and the faster you finish the book.

That is one of the most beautiful things that Mark Oshiro did when writing this book.

Momentarily setting aside the heartfelt messages about standing up for what you believe in no matter how little you think your voice matters, one of the best things that the author did for this story – in my opinion, anyway - is fill the book with such a great and charming cast of characters that almost always cause you to wonder about their backstory, where they came from, how the characters became acquainted with each other, etc. It’s these questions that make the reader come back for answers, causing them to very quickly finish the entire book (and they still might be craving for more).

This was the case for me when reading Anger is a Gift and I think that if you were somehow in any way, shape or form involved in the disastrous crises at the numerous school shootings in America – and we all were involved in a way, as this issue impacts everyone in this nation – then it’s safe to say that you will immensely not only enjoy but appreciate this book and all of the wholehearted messages it has to offer about standing up for yourself in any way you can - even if you think you can’t – for the greater good of your community, your nation and you and your friends’ and family’s lives.