First day of launch week! Today, I’m sharing my thoughts on a New York Times Bestselling book I read a few months ago.

Here’s the blurb: 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.

Content Warnings: I can’t think of anything!

My Thoughts:

I started this book and never really put it down. 

Just…wow. I spent almost 3 hours lost in Melody’s world and I wouldn’t trade it for anything else if I could. This is a New York Times bestseller for a reason–the prose is stunning, the characters are tangible, and the perspective is beautiful–but that’s not why I picked this book up.

I read it on the recommendation of several friends. My work-in-progress, Bound, is similar, mostly because one of the main characters has cerebral palsy (CP) on the same level. Reading this was not only a brilliant insight into how to handle this topic well, it also confirmed what I’ve been trying to do. 

It’s an inspiring read as I slog through the first draft of Bound, which is a YA dealing with similar themes and topics. All that to say, I’m so glad they recommended it. After I finish writing this, I’ll be sending some heartfelt thank you messages. 

But back to the book!

It picked me up, brought me on a journey, and set me back down. Then I looked around, almost surprised to find myself on the living room couch. Finishing a good book leaves me with deep feelings, an aftertaste of the book. Or a foretaste of heaven, because I truly believe God wants us to love reading books and working towards our passions and all the other glorious things He made. 

So I sat for a moment. I paced. I lost myself in thought staring out the window. Then I started writing this. Out of My Mind moved me, and not because I’ve never read anything like it before. I read books like it, I’m writing a book like it, and I have good friends with cerebral palsy, but the story still moved me. 

Why? When I already committed to slowing down and listening to people who need the extra space to communicate, why am I moved by a glimpse into life from her perspective? Why am I moved that same message over and over and over again? Because perspective isn’t a lesson to learn. (If it is, we’re really bad at it.) But it’s not, it’s a trip in someone else’s shoes.

Giving space for people with disabilities to talk and walk and learn in their own way is a mindset we keep coming back to, and honestly, grace and patience are parts of a mindset I strive to show all people. So this story was a reminder of what’s good and right and true. And what does that make it? A good story. 

It drew me close, and it separated me from my world, my mind, my stresses, and my perspective. It told me the mind of someone else, even if they’re out of it. 😉 

It reminded me why I tell stories and why I love them. That life is messy and love is good enough. And I needed that. 

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I’d absolutely recommend this as a deeper summer read that’s still fun and I hope to review the sequel after I read it! Come back tomorrow for a guest post. Leave a comment and we can chat about books or starlight or the raw parts of life. What’s your favorite book? Have any stories changed your life? Feel free to reply in the comments. 🙂