11 year old Melody has Cerebral Palsy and has always been overlooked and under rated – by pretty much everyone except her parents. She has a photographic memory, is incredibly intelligent but she also cannot talk at all. We get to hear Melody’s thoughts on everything from her Doctor telling her mother that she is mentally handicapped and can’t learn anything more to her special education classmates.

Melody is funny and has an incredible outlook on her life.

A person is so much more than the name of a diagnosis on a chart.

From the time I was really little—maybe just a few months old—words were like sweet, liquid gifts, and I drank them like lemonade. I could almost taste them. They made my jumbled thoughts and feelings have substance. My parents have always blanketed me with conversation. They chattered and babbled. They verbalized and vocalized. My father sang to me. My mother whispered her strength into my ear.

Melody gets frustrated with people taking her for granted and no one paying her any attention. But she discovers something that can give her back her power of speech. From there Melody’s life starts to change – both for the bad and the good.

I found this book incredibly touching and unexpectedly funny.  I think that this is a great book for teens and younger to read – it’s entertaining but also teaches a great lesson in how to treat others. But as an adult I also really enjoyed this and would highly recommend to anyone.

4 stars

~Clio

Buy it Now Out of My Mind