Melinda called the cops at a secret party that she should never have attended. Now she is shunned by her oldest friends, and has to come to terms with being a voiceless outsider … she has so much to say … and can’t.

An emotional rollercoaster ride that harks back to the torments of high-school, Laurie Anderson has created a masterpiece in cutting edge psychological trauma. This book examines in startling detail the power of the spoken voice, through the protagonist Melinda, a girl who suffers in, and through, silence. From the metaphorical janitor closet into which Melinda escapes from school, society and herself, to the symbolic lack of identity for the students of Merryweather High, this is a book about a cynical and friendless society of repression, created by the very institution that sets up equality for all – the school system.

 If you ever wanted to see class through the eyes of the distraught and lonely, this is the book for you. If you ever wondered how it feels to not fit in your own skin, this is the book for you. And if you ever doubted the power of creativity and self-discovery, “Welcome to Art”.

2008-01-01