Speak Your Mind by Allyson Kennedy

The Synopsis:

No friends. No confidence. All mind.
Victoria Harding—the scared-silent girl of Grahamwood Junior High—survives the seventh grade from the confines of her mind. After her best friend moved away due to a secret Victoria can’t reveal, she’d rather sit alone at lunch and live in her imagination than befriend the classmates who joke that she’s plotting violence against the school. Between being called names and having a teacher who’s out to get her, Victoria’s confidence is at an all-time low, until she’s volunteered to escort her new neighbor around school. With the new kid showing up everywhere, will she finally find the courage to be heard again through their forged friendship? Will she forever be locked within the restrictive cage her doubts have created, or will she realize that relying on God is the only way to defeat her anxiety once and for all?

I received this book from the author for the purpose of editing and reviewing. All comments and opinions are entirely my own and I was not paid to write a positive review.

Review:

Junior High can be a confusing and aggravating time for many girls and boys alike, but just how much can change when God is in the absolute center of your life?

I absolutely ADORED this book! I did have the wonderful privilege of editing Speak Your Mind, however that did nothing to sway my opinion of it; it’s just a stinking good story!

Victoria, Aiden, and their friends are so cute! They battle with real life, middle school problems but their bigger than life personalities, and their faith in God, helps them to stand out and be more than they, or others, ever expected.

The story does deal with issues such as bullying, some marriage/family issues, and a verbally and *mildly* physically abusive teacher. The author illustrates the unquestionable importance of the kids going to their parents when issues at school arise, and that even though it seems easier to keep things like that a secret, it can really hurt so many aspects of one’s life.

Overall, I was very pleased to read such an uplifting middle grade novel and I easily give it 5 out of 5 stars.