Speak: How Society Affects Melinda

Nobody understands. No one.
Nobody cares. No one.

This is how Melinda feels constantly. Every day. 24/7. But WHY? Well, like many things, this can be blamed on society. Melinda is surrounded by students that, to put it kindly, hate her. Normally when someone says, "OMG everyone hates me!" they are usually over-exaggerating. Not in Melinda's case. Well maybe they don't all HATE her but they all dislike her.

She made one choice: to call the cops at a party. And no one forgives her. She's an outcast. With her entire school acting this way, it greatly impacts Melinda. Her grades drop a lot and she starts skipping classes almost everyday to avoid the ineventable: seeing her classmates.

This conflict between Melinda and society creates suspense and emotion throughout the book. The reader wants to know how Melinda is going to handle it. Will her classmates ever forgive her? Why did she call the cops in the first place? So many questions spinning in the reader's head push you to keep reading. Emotions also connect the reader to the book. "I want her to get better! I hate seeing her so sad! She doesn't deserve this!" Common thoughts I have experienced while reading the book.

Maybe you can relate to what Melinda feels. Where nobody understands and nobody cares. Even if you can't, the way the book is written emotionally engages the reader because of how society affects Melinda.