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KaityF, May 28, 2008 (view all comments by KaityF)
“Speak” written by Laurie Halse Anderson is a very capturing novel. It explores the life of a teenage girl with loads of emotional baggage. Anderson uses dialogue as well as spelling in interesting ways. For example, the main character of Melinda rarely chooses to speak, so while she is involved in a conversation, with her mother for example, Anderson uses play like dialogue to emphasize the lack of words spoken. Also, she chooses to spell words phonetically with no particular rhyme or reason, but it gives the reader a sense of character. It allows one to connect with Melinda. Although I do not particularly choose to read as often as I should I found this book to be extremely enjoyable, and quite difficult to put down. It had realistic emotion and circumstance, and I believe that is quite important. Upon my completion of “Speak” I willingly chose to read another one of Laurie Halse Anderson’s novels because I felt that the quality of this one was so superb.

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1204tiny, November 14, 2007 (view all comments by 1204tiny)
The novel “Speak” was an inspiring and motivational book to read. It is about a freshman girl named Melinda Sordino who has no friends and everyone dislikes her for a summer incident that happened, no one understands what happened to her. She makes an acquaintance named Heather; Melinda treated her like a best friend until Heather decides that she doesn’t want to be counted as her friend. As things become worse in her life she starts to understand life. With the help of her art teacher, she learned how to put her feelings into her art work. She started to ditch school and hid in an old janitor’s closet which became her get away place to be alone and put herself together. Flashbacks of the party come to her at random times, scared to tell someone what IT did to her. Her ex-best friend is with IT, and she’s worried that he will hurt her, so she writes a letter to Rochelle to tell her what had happened at the party, but she completely ignored it. The more she remembers what happened the more her art work became powerful, creative, and filled with emotion. Keeping her emotions inside of her, builds up to finally speaking up and telling Rochelle one day in the library that she was raped at the party and that’s why she called the cops that night. Rochelle believed her at first until she told her who the rapist was. Finally Rochelle figures out that she was telling the truth. The last day of school Melinda stays after school to clean up the closet, it was hot and muggy, and the stench of Andy Evans filled the room. Knowing that she isn’t alone she fights her way out and finally breaks free from the nightmare he put her in. she understood what happened and so did everyone else at the school!

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jesenia, November 14, 2007 (view all comments by jesenia)
Melinda Sordino had many great things such as great friends, good grades, and a great relationship with her parents. But it took one party to mess it all up. She went to a party during her summer vacation with her friend Rachel, she got drunk and the most unexpected thing happened to her. She called the cops but ran home and didn't say anything to them. When she entered high school as a freshman nobody liked her for what she did. She became a loner, she never talked, she ditched classes, and she was doing badly in school. Then when a new girl, Heather, met Melinda they became friends. Their friendship didn't last long because Heather joined the Martha's. Melinda was becoming friends with another girl named Ivy. She met her in her art class. Art was the only class she was doing well in. Her teacher was Mr. Freeman and he could see through Melinda that she was hurting inside, so he assigned a project. Melinda got the tree as her project and as she drew trees in many ways Mr. Freeman saw more and more of her. Then her ex-best friend starts going out with a senior, Andy Evans. Melinda tried to make Rachel understand that he wasn't a good person, but she wouldn't listen. She said that Melinda was just jealous. Melinda couldn't do nothing about it. But as the book goes on u will see a huge change in Melinda. I think that this boook sends out a strong message to teenagers because it tells a story about a teenage girl that goes through a tragic situation that a lot of teens go through and can relate to. I really liked this book because it tells me to be careful if I'm out with a few friends, or going to parties. There are a lot of bad people out there and you never know who it might be. The author's message is to show what teenagers go through these days. To be careful who you are with. Even if you think you know them they might be faking it to get to you. I would recommend this book to anyone. Maybe it might even let boys see what girls go through and how they fell, most girls get pregnant because of it. Some even get kind of traumatized just like Melinda did. If they are the same problems as Melinda it might help them out a lot. I don't think that anyone wouldn't want to read ths book even if they don't like to read this will take them in like it did to me. (491 words)

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Product Details

ISBN:

9780142407325

Author:

Anderson, Laurie Halse

Publisher:

Puffin Books

Subject:

General

Subject:

Children's 12-Up - Fiction - General

Subject:

Schools

Subject:

High schools

Subject:

Situations / Adolescence

Subject:

General Juvenile Fiction

Edition Description:

Platinum

Publication Date:

May 2006

Binding:

Paperback

Grade Level:

Young adult

Language:

English

Pages:

197

Dimensions:

8.24x5.74x.60 in. .52 lbs.

Age Level:

13-17

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