This book is told through a social outcast trying to survive as a freshman in high school. Melinda is shunned by all of her old friends when school starts because of a mishap at an end-of-summer senior party. She has to discover herself all over again after IT happened. With a bit of help from her art teacher and some people she thought were her friends, Melina finally is able to find peace within herself (after a very unexpected event, I might add.)

Any teen who feels that they have problems. The author describes life in high school to a T and really shows some problems that teens have.

The author's description of high school life. I'm a sophomore and when I was a freshman, I made many of the same observations that the author did. I also like how the book is sort-of told in a diary form, but is only broken up by marking terms at high school.

Reread another book that the author has written, entitled "Catalyst."

Lucky that I don't have all the problems that Melinda does in this book!

is Laurie Halse Anderson. She has written a few other young adult books, two of them taking place in the same high school. She writes as though she were a teen herself.

it deals with real problems that many teens experience every day. Even if you're not a teen, you'll love it.

This book does contain some references to rape and sex, so if you don't like to read that kind of thing, don't read this book.

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Created Oct 14, 2004 at 9:51am • Submit your own review...