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.
No comments:
Post a Comment