Speak

In my opinion the line "Ah-ah-ah  he says . "you just chose your destiny and you cannot change that" really speaks into the idea of coming of age. Though this puts a different idea towards coming of age than the rest of the book ( a slow guided learning process rather than falling into more responsibility than you can handle)
  In Melanie's life she has many insecurities and very few people who help her cope with it. These developed right after the summer of 8th grade. she shut herself off from all of her friends and  they felt like they were no longer friends and moved on. when she realized the consequences of her actions it was too late and it was a long, lonely first bus ride to high school. things only went downhill from there, all her friends were not only resentful of her they were obviously ignoring her.. This slowly traumatized her until she began drifting farther and farther from reality. They one time she dropped her inhibitions she was hurt in a way many people cannot recover from, she was raped.
 This was the event that Jarred her ruined life into recovery. shed did not understand what happened and wanted to forget about it and hide it from every one. Who would she tell, her parents expected her to be a weird loner and treated her a such. She never said any thing, who would listen? She did not have any friends, who would care? Her mind was scared and she turned into a frightened animal when Andy Evans came by either fled or yielded to his will and his power grew until grew he  so swollen he lost his grip.  It took a day for her to realize that  he hurt her and it was not her fault.
 She was a pawn in a game where the rules were learned as it goes .
 Part two of my blog
 Wiser than before  knowing that her lifestyle was killing her she started to make a change. That change was a friend named Ivy from art class. Many people who go through something as  serious as what she did and who were in the condition she was in delve further into their pre dug graves.  she broke out of her casket and began talking and standing up for herself. This is a huge step it was noticeable for all those around her but especially those who truly  listened ( Mr freeman who listens through her art, and Ivy) and participated and took chances and finally said no to Andy Evans when he attacked again.
     From facts and statistics in the book many people who are raped never have the power to say no again and especially not their rapist. she showed strength that was admirable that was equivalent to nothing Ive seen before.