by Laurie Halse Anderson
"My throat is always sore, my lips raw.... Every time I try to talk to my parents or a teacher, I sputter or freeze.... It's like I have some kind of spastic laryngitis."
Review:
Freshman Melinda Sordino calls the cops on an end-of-summer party because she was raped by an older boy. Scared that the cops will bust her for being drunk she scurries away before they can even hear her story. Flash forward and it is the beginning of a new school year and all of her friends from elementary school have abandoned her. She has a secret that she cannot reveal and struggles daily trying to "not speak". In the end Melinda finds her voice and is set free from this horrific nightmare. This book is ideal for any one who has ever felt left out or forgotten. Anderson perfectly captures the cruel world of high school cliques and how one struggles with peers and pressure. A must read for all young adult girls.
