Book Blog #254: Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper

Title: Out of My Mind
Author: Sharon M. Draper
# of Pages: 295 (paperback)
Genre: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Contemporary
Rating: ★★★★★
Synopsis: Eleven-year-old Melody is not like most people. She can’t walk. She can’t talk. She can’t write. All because she has cerebral palsy. But she also has a photographic memory; she can remember every detail of everything she has ever experienced. She’s the smartest kid in her whole school, but NO ONE knows it. Most people—her teachers, her doctors, her classmates—dismiss her as mentally challenged because she can’t tell them otherwise. But Melody refuses to be defined by her disability. And she’s determined to let everyone know it…somehow.
Review:

"I have spastic bilateral quadriplegia, also known as cerebral palsy. It limits my body, but not my mind...We all have disabilities. What’s yours?"

Man, there are some REALLY good children's books out there.

I had low expectations; I haven't read a good YA book in a long time, and this book is aimed toward middle grade and younger audiences. I had no idea what to expect.

Out of My Mind is a touching story told from the first person narration of young girl with cerebral palsy. Melody reveals the internal struggles she experiences in a body that does not match her mind. This book will reveals what it is like to live with cerebral palsy and how frustrating it is to be accepted in a world with such a condition.

Like Small Steps, I loved how this story allowed the reader to see through the eyes of someone with cerebral palsy and experience the difficulties that come with communicating, building relationship, and operating in a not-so-accessible world. Although this is a work of fiction (unlike Small Steps), this story is much more emotionally moving than an autobiography (there were times where I was tearing up; it's been a long time since that's happened).

I would recommend this book to EVERYONE, not just young readers. Yes, the writing style is simpler to make it easier for younger reader to read. However, the story itself is rich with experiences and is an enlightening read for everyone.