The climax of the novel is when Melinda finally confronts her attacker, Andy Evans, after he tries to rape her again. After this incident, she no longer refers to her attacker as “IT” and starts calling him by his name. This symbolizes Melinda’s character development, showing that she no longer fears him. From the incident she learns that she is no alone, and offer girls have also suffered in silence. She learns the importance of speaking up. The outcome of her speaking up resolves the issue of her being an outcast because her friends finally understand why she called the cops at the party. Additionally, her attacker learns that he can no longer manipulate Melinda, because she will not remain silent.
