This book was given to me by a former teaching colleague who wanted to pass it on. I wish I had known about this book when my daughters were in high school.
This is young adult fiction and every high school should have this in their freshman level English classes. It's an important topic.
STORY SUMMARY
Melinda Sordino is a freshman in a Syracuse area high school. She called the police at the end of the summer during a wild party that she and her best friend Rachel were drinking at. Now, her old friends won't talk to her, and people she doesn't even know can't stand her. Her safe place is alone....inside her head. But even that isn't all that safe because she still has her thoughts....her memory of what happened that night in the woods at that party. It's something that could blow her world apart. She should speak the truth...but...she can't.
MY THOUGHTS
I would love to reveal more of this plot to you in the story summary but I don't want to ruin it for you and honestly this is a story you need to experience for your self. This book is short, and reads in the first person narrative. There are external and internal dialogues that are just brilliant. They're tough, tender and touching. I read this book in just 2 hours.
The author does a superb job of character development and the setting in central New York (I spent my childhood in a small village just an hour or so east of the city she writes about).
There's a harshness to this book in regards to high school and all the various cliques (Called clans in the book) that a teen experiences. She does a wonderful job of showing the reader just how much teens struggle with identity, bullying, gossip, conformity, non-conformity, and acceptance.
The character, Melinda, is sarcastically funny but also so sad. I just wanted to reach into the pages and embrace her.
Melinda is brave. Melinda ultimately triumphs in the end even though she's an outcast at the beginning.
The main themes in this story are secrets, friendship, betrayal, gossip, teenage substance abuse, and one other main one that I won't share as it would be a spoiler.
In my opinion, this book is appropriate for ages 12 and older (note: there are some mature themes in this story).
On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest, I rate this a 10.
3 comments:
I read it some years back. It's a powerful book. I wish our school here had some copies because I would read it with my 9th graders. Sexual assault is something students need to know about. Thanks for the review.
Hahaha spoiler alert Deb J. Sounds like an important read.
Sounds like an important read.
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