Speak

LAURIE HALSE ANDERSON/PRINTZ

Melinda's high school experience is horrific, to say the least. After she calls the police during a party over the summer, she becomes a social pariah. But nobody knows the truth, which is that she was raped at the party by an upperclassman. The story follows her through her ninth grade year's failures, and at times it seems as though nothing will ever get better. Anderson is a whiz when it comes to generating memorable and unique nomenclature (Mr. Neck, school cliques, etc), and her short, choppy writing style punctuates Melinda's pain with every sentence. What surprised me, however, is that for a book with such heavy subject matter and with so frustrating and broken a protagonist, the book is funny. Recommended for older female teens.

I'm not sure why I read this, or to be precise, why other adults are reading this. It seems like a good thing for kids to read, but for anyone over twenty it'll feel like a Very Special Episode: awkward, predictable. It started off promising but I felt disappointed by the shallowness of the characters. They just weren't believable, they were puppets for benefit of the story. That's fine for a fable, but in hindsight I was hoping for something more.

YA books are often such
downers that I avoid them.
speak is a downer. But I
couldn't stop reading it.
Melinda could be a friend
of my sons; she felt that
genuine to me.

This is a book every high
school teacher and every
parent of a teenager should
read.

This review is also featured on Behind the Pages: Speak

It's hard to speak when you're drowning.

Melinda's Summer before 9th grade was supposed to be a fun time spent with friends. But when she is invited to a senior party her life changes forever. An upper classmen takes advantage of Melinda and rapes her. Not knowing what else to do, Melinda calls 911, and the party is crashed.

She starts 9th grade as the freshman who ruined the party. Her friends shun her and it seems like the whole school hates her. She no longer feels like she fits in, alone and without anyone to talk to. Melinda wants to talk about what happened. To tell everyone the truth. She wants to make sense of the emotions running rampant in her mind, but she doesn't know how. Something bad happened, something unspeakable and she needs someone to listen to her.

It's heartbreaking to see all the people Melinda should be able to confide in, turn their backs on her. Even her parents neglect to acknowledge the drastic behavior changes in Melinda. Wrapped up in their busy lives, they only see a misbehaving child. They cannot see the pain behind it all. And the worst part, is that this happens every day.

How many times do we hear about someone being molested and raped? Countless people have been victims, and yet still society shuns them not wanting to believe the evil that is out there in the world. No one should have to feel alone and isolated like Melinda. No one should have to endure the pain this awful act brings.

This should be required reading for everyone.

I can add this books to my favorites. I read this in 5 hours. I couldn't put it down. This read was just mind blowing. I truly truly truly hated high school and I relate to Melinda on every single aspect. I wanted to be her friend so badly and help her out. On to the subject on things I want. I wanted to punch Andy, Rachel, and Heather at the same time. Seriously. I never hated a trio this much. Andy was a creep who needed his head bashed against the wall. Rachel was a horrible friend who didn't deserve Melinda. Heather was vapid and too self involved to even think properly.

I just can't describe the anger I felt when reading this. Why didn't I read this in high school? This is a book we should all read. But no, they are going to shove toxic Romeo and Juliet down our throats til the aliens take over. I have nothing else to say but to go read this book. It's so short but it captures the reality of trauma.

TW RAPE

Speak is a novel that means something very personal to me. The author managed to capture the pain and conflict that I felt myself as a sexual assault survivor. I saw myself in the Melinda and I saw the people I knew and grew up with in the other characters — including the man who assaulted her.

Reading this book felt therapeutic and healing to me. Melinda had so much more than just her voice taken away from her that night and watching her grow and trust herself into relearning how to use that voice to speak up for herself really allowed me the opportunity to do the same.

I truly believe this is a book that needs to be read by so many people, especially high school students so there can be conversations had about reaching out to people to see if they are in need of support and conversations had about sexual assault.

It's not your fault. Never. Your voice will be heard

Melinda Sordino is about to start her freshman year, and something terrible has happened that Melinda can't talk to anyone about, especially since she feels as though the whole school hates her. Because of this, she becomes depressed and talks as little as possible. The only thing Melinda enjoys is her art class with Mr. Freeman, who senses a lot of Melissa's internal pain and encourages her to express herself through art. The book brings up the controversial subject matter of rape and has often been challenged.


Although it was written by an adult, Laurie does a great job of portraying the thoughts and feelings of a teenage girl. It's the typical “angst”, but no overly whiny, as other books such as Twilight often can be. I found myself connecting and sympathizing with Melinda as I watched her live through her senior year. The book is great for young girls, encouraging them to speak up when violated. Also, with a strong emphasis on art, you could encourage teens to create their own masterpiece based on their internal feelings.

3.5
this book is good. at some points it just seems kinda unrealistic. some chapters will be really boring and then have an important detail almost hidden in it. I really don't understand how she got over what happened to her in A YEAR?!! that shits traumatic. for such a short book it took me a month to finish, not because of how disturbing the books content was but how boring the rest of it was.

OK, first of all, the last three consecutive books I've read have ended with me crying. Today I went to the library & checked out the first Gossip Girl book. If that makes me cry too, I will be pretty sure the problem is with me, not with books. But whatever. This book was so good, you guys. I was afraid it wouldn't live up to all the hype. And I was afraid because I saw half the movie with Kristen Stewart as Melinda. But Kristen Stewart is terrible. Don't even think about her with this book. Don't do it. I loved Melinda's narrative voice. I loved the depiction of high school–not hyperbolically cruel like in some YA books, but definitely no picnic.

Excellent book for teens... and maybe pre-teens, with the right conversation. I added this one to my list to help one of my kids get through her high school homework. I guess this one has been added to some “banned” lists. I think that's a travesty. Young people need to know that they are not alone, that it's not their fault, and that there is help out there. And the young perpetrators need to know that what they're doing is WRONG!!! NO means NO!

If you have trouble speaking to your teens about sexual assault and consent, this book might open that door for you. You read, then have them read it, and start an open dialogue.