Speak

Reader reviewed by Kate

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson may be my favorite book of all time. I came across it at a pivotal point in my life, and Anderson's sarcasm and dry look at the world was just what I needed to help guide me through.

The basic premise is about a freshman girl in high school who gets raped at a party over the summer, and calls the cops. The entire grade shuns her, and she refuses to talk. Her grades drop, she loses interest in school and her family life grows even more distant. She is depressed, though she's not sure how to tell anyone, or if they will listen to her story.

Though the bare bones of this book may sound like a familiar plot, it can be assured that everyone, no matter their high school experience, will find something to identify with. The accurate, almost chillingly perfect descriptions and observations of teachers, people, and the drama that is high school-- it all makes you feel like you are reading pages out of your own life and experiences. At times, it was difficult to read for me because of the eerie similarity between Melinda and myself.

This book brought me many laughs, and a great deal of hope. To know that I am not alone with a lot of my emotions really put my mind at ease. This story can help anyone, no matter the situation, pull through a difficult ordeal. It is a book that stays with you, and leaves you thinking long after you've finished. The sympathy I have for Melinda is almost crazy-- she's not even real! When an author creates an atmosphere and a story so to-the-point, it's no wonder Speak continues to haunt and amaze me.

Reader reviewed by beth

This is my favorite book of all time! Anderson talks about a sensitive subject without being graphic-something that is hard to find. It is the story of a freshman girl who is ready to take on high school, but then is forced into the reality that everyone isn't what they seem. Lots of girls will be able to relate and those who don't need to be aware of what can happen to anyone. A very touching, incredible book. This author's best!

Reader reviewed by Eve

This book manages to deal with a touchy subject and it does so beautifully. We see the change between Melinda in the beginning to the Melinda in the end.

So Melinda before starting high school went with her friend to a party. There she was raped by a high school boy. Confused and unsure what to do she decided to call the police. The other students find out although they never find out why she called them and what had happened to her. So Melinda begins school in social exile. Her old friends do not speak to her and she is basically a loner who still doesn't speak very much.

This is a beautiful book on the faults that we may have and how sometimes things aren't always as they appear.

Reader reviewed by linda

Melinda was one of the popular girls, a fun-loving person who had friends everywhere until one crazy party when she called the cops and many people were arrested. The reason she felt a need to call the police is revealed later in the story but throughout the story Melinda is a social pariah because of the party. No one really listens to her or tries to befriend her, even if they tried she would probably push them away. In the end she does get the respect she deserves and her old friends come to realize that they were wrong. The writing in the book is amazing and quite personal. It is one of the best books I've read and I recommend it to anyone.

Reader reviewed by Courtney

Speak is an amazing book that will grip readers and won't let them go. Everyone can relate to Speak in some way or another and readers will take away some life changing lessons.As i read Speak it felt like i was really there witnessing what had happened to Melinda. I hated to see this book end.

Reader reviewed by Keshia

In Laurie Halse Anderson's "Speak" a teenaged girl named Melinda is starting her high school year after she lost all her friends when she called the cops in a party and got some guys arrested. No one wants to hear her side of the story and she can't even confront what happened until she finally finds her voice.

This book had another take on teenaged angst from an outsider without over doing it. At the end the final confrontation with what happened is great and the way she heals afterwards is too. I was happy with reading this book.

A great read.

Reader reviewed by KL

This book was recommended to me when I was at a writing conference and ever since that day (in 2001) I have heard it recommended countless times at conferences. Recently I saw the movie on Lifetime (it's also available in video stores) and the film really brought the book to life. I especially thought the casting of the teachers was excellent. They were exactly the way the were written in the book.

The book takes you inside the character's head and although she's not speaking much publically, it's almost like you're listening to her thoughts in a very different way than I've ever seen done before. In many books you get inside the character's head, but it's almost like we're just tapping into something and she's not aware (or doesn't care) that we are there.

I would recommend this book highly, but only to older high school students. I would highly recommend this to college students because this is the sort of situation that they are likely to face in college at a time when they may not see themselves as naive or suceptable to this sort of situation anymore.

Reader reviewed by Dominique

After calling the cops on a big party that results in several arrests, no one will talk to Melinda. Melinda herself barely talks. So why did she call the cops that night at the party? What makes her so silent now?

With no friends at school, Melinda is alone, but she does make a friend, Heather, who later ditches her for another group. Life at school is torture for Melinda every day—her former friends are now her enemies, and even those she didn’t know before hate her. The only person Melinda has at school is her kind art teacher. Through her art, she is starting to open up a little bit, but when will she speak out about what made her call the cops?

But when Melinda’s threat comes for a second visit, things will change in her life—but this time, will it be good or bad? What is the ‘it’ that Melinda fears so much?

Melinda’s feelings were wonderfully expressed and readers are on the edge of their seats as Melinda’s fearful summer is revealed, bit by bit. This book was full of suspense and was a good read!

Reader reviewed by artemis

This story gave me the creeps when I started reading it. Melinda is trapped in an inner world because no one will talk to her in the outside world. This is all because she busted a party and now people won't talk to her. But something bad happened to her. She decides to wait until the near end to tell the truth and her friends are just selfish and shallow. They don't even want to hear her side of the story--they jump to conclusions, thinking she busted up their good time. Get a life! It's just a party and they were too young to be there anyway. Get over it! The final confrontation between Mel and her attacker is just pointless. Why wait a whole year to tell somebody? It didn't make sense. It was just dull and depressing. I won't be reading this again. Borrow it from the library. It's too mature for kids. Teens only! It made be very angry that Mel would allow herself to be shunned liked this. Moral of the story: SPEAK UP (Melinda!) and don't let people ignore you without knowing the whole story.

Reader reviewed by Ashley

This book is horribly eye opening and amusing.It tells about a girl and her fearful experience with a boy, who winds up going to her school. as she walks throught that halls she hears whispers "thats her, thats the girl that called the cops at the party" She tries to find a safe zone, she finally finds one in her art cxlass. she has lost all her friends and is going through something tramatic. this book was great. read it.