Red rage by Brigitte Blobel
Allen and Unwin, Germany 2007 ISBN 978 1 74175 280 9
(Age 14+) Mara is in serious trouble at school: not passing in work,
truanting, leaving school on the slightest whim, and when questioned,
flying into an instant rage. One teacher however, believes there is
more to Mara than everyone thinks, and puts some trust in her. She
finds her a work experience placement at a day care centre. Here Mara
relaxes with the children, builds some non threatening relationships
with both the children and other staff, and forgets her home life.
But her parents' inability to cope is ever present, influencing what
she does and how she behaves. She lives in some squalour with her
unemployed resentful father, turning constantly to alcohol for solace
and a mother who has become increasingly agoraphobic and at a loss to
understand what is going on around her. In the middle of the violence
and stupor is Mara and her red rage, now becoming increasingly
frequent.
Becoming interested in a boy she sees him with another girl, and her
uncontrollable rage takes over with disastrous results. She and the
others must endure the consequences of what she has done. How Mara
accepts responsibility for her actions forms the crux of the story,
ending with a neat moral lesson for all readers. Translated from the
German edition, Red rage
exposes the story of a troubled youth, circumscribed by the indolence
of her parents, given no moral boundaries growing up, causing untold
and long term harm with her actions. The teacher's efforts to curb her
rage came to nothing, although there is some redemption at the end for
readers to hold on to.
Fran Knight
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