Becoming Melinda

by Roxanne Monette

Melinda Knowles is a 35-year-old struggling with demons from her past. She seeks help and is interviewed by a friendly psychiatrist, Alice, who wishes to determine what could possibly be wrong with her. As Melinda starts telling her life story, from her early childhood to her first years of high school, she goes into detail about the relationship she formed with Jacob, her first boyfriend. He was the only one she could confide in, her only refuge, but would that be enough to save her from herself?

Genres: Fiction

148 pages, Hardcover

First published January 7, 2021

Reviews

[Provin Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a small book on a huge topic. Written by first time author, Roxanne Monette, this story can be gut wrenching. The main character, Malinda,Is an angsty teenager growing up in the grungy 90s. I could appreciate her taste in music and the trends of the time as it was very relatable to me because I was a teenager during the same time period. The chapters are short and to the point, no fluff in this book! The stories of Melindas various relationships with parents, other teens and herself are sometimes hard to read. But overall it was uplifting. I wish the book had been longer. I felt the ending was abrupt and left a lot of pathways open for the main character.

[Kelly Reitmeier · Rating 3 out of 5]

TW: self harm

This was a short but powerful novel. The story is written as main character Melinda Knowles tells her story to her new therapist over a series of sessions.

The novel is direct and to the point with no sugar coating or fluff. It talks about the importance of mental health and acknowledging when to seek and accept help.

It read a bit more like a young adult novel and the ending was a bit too abrupt. I feel it was a great debut novel with a strong message however and that the author will just get better and better.

[France Venne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book you can read over a weekend. An easy read, makes you not want to put the book down. I look forward to reading future books by Roxanne Monette and finding out more about Melinda.

[Laurie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was short and a quick read. The story picked up about 3/4 of the way through but had a rather abrupt ending. It read more like a YA novel, and is framed as a story within a story.

I received this book as part of a Goodreads Giveaway - thank you to the author.

[Joann Langdon]

Never received

[Tamara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short story of a woman telling her story to her therapist. As a therapist I feel we need more books like this. It’s a tough subject but could help reduce stigma of mental health.