Speak

Anderson. Laurie Halse. Speak. Thorndike, Maine: Throndike Press. 2000. ISBN: 9780142407325

AWARDS:

1999 National Book Award Finalist
School Library Journal Best Books of the Year 1999
Booklist Editors' Choice

SUMMARY: Melinda Sordino is a freshman at Merryweather High School in Syracuse, New York. She finds herself friendless after a rape at a party. She calls the police to tell them she was raped, but she is too afraid. The whole high school knows that she is the girl that ruined the party so she is shunned. “I am Outcast. There is no point looking for friends,” she writes. She has lost her voice and refuses to speak because of her trauma.  Her only comforts at school are her art teacher, Mr. Freeman, and her lab partner, David.

In the end, the rapist finds Melinda and confronts her again. He attacks her, but this time Melinda finds her voice, and is rescued by other students. She decides to tell her story to the one person who has believed in her throughout this terrible year, Mr. Freeman, the art teacher.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:   The main characters are well developed and believable. The villian is the stereotype of what a villain should be.  He seems to have no redeeming qualities and evokes no sympathy.  The character of Rachel is also the stereotypical best friend, who has more invested in being popular, than Melinda's friendship.  I would have liked David’s character to be more developed in the book. I hoped that he and Melinda would become real friends.I would have enjoyed David being the one to save Melinda in the end.

The character of Melinda is well developed and most teenagers will be able to identify with her story. It is both funny and heart-wrenching with a great ending. Students will delight in how Melinda triumphs in the end. Her character is believable and the way she faces her challenges will have other teenagers thinking about how they might react.


The book is great  for reluctant readers because it is written like a diary.  The writing is short and concise, while still allowing us to feel the emotions Melinda is confronted with in the story.  The setting is your typical high school. 

For me, the theme is one of learning your strengths and finding your voice. The plot and theme are thought-provoking and will have teenagers discussing the events in the story.  It contains several  teenage taboo subjects which will interest most readers. These include:  underage drinking, rape, absent parents, and isolation from peers.

 I didn’t like the fact that Melinda didn’t tell any adult what happened to her. In reality, I am sure this is most likely the situation, but if the book is trying to send a message, she should have told someone. This boy needed to be punished, and she could have saved other girls the trauma that she experienced. This would have made her a true heroine. Eventually, she does tell, but the rapist has already done damage to other girls. Girls should tell and maybe crimes like this wouldn’t happen so often. If boys knew there might be a price to pay, they might decide it is not worth it in the end.

In conclusion, I did like Melinda and I enjoyed her journey. I am sure other teenagers will too.

CONNECTIONS: I think students would enjoy making up their own list about the 10 lies they tell you in high school. Students could also research what agencies are available and how Melinda could have gotten help in dealing with what happened to her. Students could also write about a teacher, current or past, that they have been able to confide in and why. Students could also research teenage drinking and the consequences. There are many great areas for discussion contained in this story.

REVIEWS:

The Horn Book Starred Review:

“An uncannily funny book even as it plumbs the darkness, Speak will hold readers from first word to last.”

Booklist Starred Review:

“Having broken up an end-of-summer party by calling the police, high-school freshman Melinda Sordino begins the school year as a social outcast. She's the only person who knows the real reason behind her call: she was raped at the party by Andy Evans, a popular senior at her school. Slowly, with the help of an eccentric and understanding art teacher, she begins to recover from the trauma, only to find Andy threatening her again. Melinda's voice is distinct, unusual, and very real as she recounts her past and present experiences in bitterly ironic, occasionally even amusing vignettes. In her YA fiction debut, Anderson perfectly captures the harsh conformity of high-school cliques and one teen's struggle to find acceptance from her peers. Melinda's sarcastic wit, honesty, and courage make her a memorable character whose ultimate triumph will inspire and empower readers.”

RESOURCES:

Anderson. Laurie Halse. Speak. Thorndike, Maine: Throndike Press. 2000.

TeenReads website.
http://www.teenreads.com/authors/au-anderson-laurie.asp

Laurie Halse Anderson website.
http://madwomanintheforest.com/laurie/

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