Students have been telling me for years that I should read this book. I was always reluctant. Why? I can’t possibly say, but every time I looked at the cover, I thought “this book will make me cry.”
Well, I was right.
I took this book on holidays with me and devoured it within two days. Some on the plane, some in the airport between flights, some on the beach, some by the pool, some in bed before I fell asleep. At one point, I didn’t care who saw me gasping, who saw me holding my breath, who saw me sobbing. It was a real page turner. Anderson writes the way I speak; I felt like I was reading pages from my own teenage diary. My heart broke every time Melinda (the main character) wanted to speak but couldn’t find her voice. My freshman year of high school was much different to hers, but I still felt the pain of not fitting in. Now as a teacher, I think about those students I see in my classes who are voiceless and I wonder if they are going through the same horrible things that Melinda goes through.
God, I hope not.
This is the kind of book I think all young adults should read. And if you’re not a young adult, you should still read it to remind yourself that those quiet kids who sit at the back, who frequently miss class, who avert their gaze, who don’t seem to have any friends … they are the ones we should be paying more attention to.
Perhaps they are harbouring a secret they are afraid to reveal.
Perhaps they are scared.
Perhaps they want to speak, but don’t know how.
Speak to them, and allow them as much time as needed to speak to you.