Anger is a Gift - A Review by Emmie Vargas

 2018 was a monumental time for change and activism in the United States of America. Demonstrations against the rampant racism that was seen in our government and our communities. All of these topics were finally coming to light with the help of social media and people banning together to have their voices heard by the political leaders. Anger is a Gift is a novel that shocked me to my core. This novel does not shy away from topics such as death, police brutality, and racism. The novel surrounds the protagonist named Moss. Moss lost his father years ago due to a wrongful murder by the police. Ever since that day, his mother swore to keep Moss away from the horror of their society. Growing up, Moss had a steady support system. He had a grandmother and mother who loved him so dearly and would do anything to protect him. He still struggled with the loss of his father which is shown through anxiety and panic attacks. As he grew older and strayed away from his mother, he is forced to see the injustices that are prevalent in his life. In his junior year of high school, he hears of a new prospect that the school board is voting on. A new police force to "protect" the students of Oakland High School. Granted Oakland wasn't the safest nor the nicest place to grow up but the experiences that many of his peers had with the police weren't perfect. When the police are brought in they cause nothing but havoc. Moss is increasingly frustrated with the police brutality and violence brought upon his peers and uses this anger to create change in his community. He believes Oakland needs change. No further restrictions and increased police presence when that causes even more violence and pain. 

Reading "Anger Is A Gift" was a heart-wrenching novel to finish. A novel with heavy topics and a hard-hitting plot. Mark Oshiro uses his characters to depict real issues in our society. Oshiro uses the relationship between his characters to build tension and add depth to the story to keep the reader on their toes. Although Anger is a Gift is an extremely sad novel, the plot is one of the most well-written stories I've ever read. The ending was satisfying and you see the characters better themselves and create a better society for the people around them. Anger is a Gift is a true experience of a novel, I suggest that people read this book as soon as they can.