Thursday, March 22, 2018

Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper

Reviewed by Claire Z.

Ever feel like it hurts to talk when you have a sore throat? Well, imagine if you can’t talk at all. Or walk. In Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper, that’s how it is with eleven-year-old Melody Brooks, but worse.
Melody is diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Though she has a photographic memory, no one knows it, since she can’t talk, walk, or write. She is sent to a special needs class in her school, which is set to learn the same kindergarten stuff every single day. This frustrates Melody greatly because no one, including her doctors and teachers, knows what she is capable of learning. One day, though, Melody has a voice at last, and it changes everything forever.
The first reason I liked Out of My Mind was because it was very moving and teaches us that people who have cerebral palsy also have things to say for themselves. The novel taught me that everyone is unique in their own way. We think individuals like Melody are handicapped, just because they can’t do something that everyone else can do. However, Melody makes us realize that although she can’t do some things that come to us automatically, she also has some true abilities that a normal person can’t do.
The second reason I liked this book was because it is actually in Melody’s point of view, which tells us how she really feels about her life. It makes me feel more understanding about what it’s like to have cerebral palsy like Melody. Though Melody tells us not to feel sorry for her, it’s hard not to.
I would recommend this book for people who liked to read Wonder by R.J. Palacio. I rate this book a 9 out of 10 because it sends a message of kindness that everyone should remember. I hope you read Out of My Mind and enjoy it as much as I did!

Atheneum Books, 295 pgs.


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