A Conversation with Melanie Conklin

Celebrating her latest middle grade novel, Crushed-A middle school #metoo story.

Aug 29, 2024

It’s time for another author feature! Read on for more about Melanie Conklin’s latest middle grade book Crushed and to learn random facts about Melanie.

Melanie wants readers to take away that “We all have realities we don’t want to face” after reading Crushed and hopes “that CRUSHED opens the door to a lot of important conversations for readers of all ages about peer pressure, consent, and social media!”

What is Crushed about?

A heartfelt middle grade story about changing friendships, peer pressure, and the courage to speak up when lines are crossed, perfect for fans of Starfish and The Benefits of Being an Octopus. Sophie Valentine would rather be at home, doing school virtually. Instead, she’s waiting in a crowded middle school building for her best friend, Eve, who’s finally back after an extended absence, which only Sophie knows the truth about. But when Eve returns, things aren’t the same. First, Eve stops walking to school with her in the morning. Then, she’s ditching Sophie to hang out with the Crash Crew, a group of popular kids notorious for their social media dares. Eve seems to fit right in, but Sophie is Did she just lose her best friend? When rumors surface that Eve is hiding a painful secret she didn’t share with Sophie, Sophie is spurred on an investigation to discover what—or who—caused the incident behind Eve’s sudden change...and why all clues lead back to the Crash Crew. Using lessons from her forensics class and the help of a new friend, Sophie will have to uncover the truth before more harm is done.

Publish date: January 1, 2024

Audience: Middle Grade

Genre: Contemporary

Themes:

Female main character
Anxiety/Mental Health representation
Injustice
Multiple points of view

If you liked Starfish by Lisa Fipps or the Benefits of Being an Octopus by Ann Braden you will like Crushed!

Order your copy

Publishing Journey

Crushed took me through some painful introspection of the first time I experienced sexual harassment and the feelings I uncovered were still so potent 30 years later that I knew I had to write a metoo story set in middle school.