An Open Letter to an Author

Dear Mr. Eugenides,

 My name is Heidy and I am a high school junior. I was asked to choose a novel of my choice (with the approval of my English teacher) for a book club project and I chose your book Middlesex. I chose this book because the title itself is interesting and then also because my friends who have read your book already recommended it, and here I am already through with it. Let me just say... wow. You know how to write a great novel. This specific book had so much going on, i sometimes had to re-read the entire chapter just to understand what had just happened to Lucky or Tessie. The themes in the book really seem to affiliate to the different generations set up in this novel.
 To be honest, I never would've imagined how horrible humans in our society are. I knew that people were rude and immature but the characters in this book against what isn't natural really know how to show their feelings through hatred and disgust in their physical aggression and aggressive verbal communication. I cried imagining those men beating up Cal.

"No sooner had the other one done so than he let go of me as though i were contaminated. He stood up, enraged. By silent agreement, they began to kick me. As they did, they uttered curses. The one who had pinned me drove his toe into my side. I grabbed his leg and hung on.

 'Let go of me, you fucking freak!'

The other one was kicking me in the head. He did it three or four times before I blacked out."

  I knew that I was a sensitive person, but just imagining the torture Cal went through just in those few sentences really connected with me emotionally. I won't go into detail, but my past wasn't the very best. As a matter of fact, I honestly believe that if I still lived in the same house with that man at the age I am now, I would've ran away just like Cal and unlike Cal, I wouldn't return. Luckily, my past is my past and I will never be able to go back to it and my present is worthier.

 Other than horrendous images, there were also some rather enraging moments I had with this book.
"I hope you learn a lesson from this. mixing with the wrong crowd can sink you. You seem like a nice guy, Mr. Stephanides. You really do. We wish you the best of luck in the future."

This quote is the story of my life right now. I hang out with the "wrong crowd" and have had many adults that are concerned ask me and anonymously tell me "to find better friends." I've found those "better friends", and they stabbed me in the back. Here Jimmy Zizmo is the bad influence on Lefty's life. My group are bad influences on me, yet just like Jimmy, they stood next to me and helped me get back on my feet. Those better friends just left me to the side. So, yeah this quote enrages me because if Lefty never had met Jimmy, Lefty never would have even gotten to where he almost was, like myself.   

This book of yours is truly inspiring. I mean in the sense of believing in what you believe in and continuing strong. Standing up for your rights. Our beliefs. I'm glad I read this book.

Sincerely,
Heidy Quintana