Wow. I had heard about this book for a long time, and knew I needed to read it to at least confirm/deny all the hype. I stumbled upon it in the library last week and ended up reading it all in 2 sittings. What a great, important book. As I read, and for a while after I closed the book, I felt anxious and uncomfortable -- basically, it made me feel a tiny, small, infinitesimal bit of what Melinda was feeling. It's a book that sticks with you after you're finished reading. 
 I know some people object to the the "YA" feel of the book and find some of the events to be unbelievable, particularly the ending, but this was a rare case where I read a YA book as an adult and didn't get at least mildly frustrated with the words and actions of the characters. I found the dialogue to be believable, and while the whole cliquey high school atmosphere is an all-too-familiar scene in YA novels, I thought Anderson brought some freshness to it with Melinda's snarky, creative, emotional narration. Also, the ending: even if it's not how most cases like Melinda's end, what's the harm in writing an ending where the victim gets justice? It seems like Anderson's intent was to encourage victims to speak up and stand up for what is right, and she pulled that off beautifully.