Module 7: Speak

Book Summary:

This is the story of a high school freshman girl who is living with a violent attack that no one knows about except her and her attacker. While at a party, Melinda gets a little drunk and is raped. Then she ruins the party by calling the police. Everyone now hates her but she doesn't tell why she called the police. When school starts her old friends leave her behind and she tries to become friends with the new girl. This almost works. Melinda enjoys her art class and starts working on various projects. She skips a lot of school and her grades slip to failing. Her parents show concern but do not know how to reach her. At school she spends her time hiding in an unused closet. He parents become concerned because she never speaks. Then when her former best friend starts to date her attacker, Melinda must find the courage to speak up and tell what happened. When she tries her old friend doesn't believe her. He attacker hears what she has been saying and tries to silence her and this time she finds the strength to fight back. The truth comes out and she is freed from her silence.

APA Reference:

Anderson, L. H. (1999). Speak. New York, NY: Farrar Straus Giroux.

My Impressions:

This book is very realistic. Girls face this situation everyday and it is ever easy. This book invokes a definite emotional response. I found myself getting anxious when the character was and even jumped at strange noises. I guessed from the start what the issue was but it took most of the book before we found out for sure. I was uncomfortable when she describes what happened but he responses make sense. At the end when she fights back I wondered if she would kill her attacker or just hurt him, would anyone come to her rescue? Then when she finishes the art project even though she has just come through this second attack, you know she will be okay.

Professional 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. (Reviewed September 15, 1999)— Debbie Carton        

Carton, D. (1999, September 15). [Review of the book Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson]. 
     Booklist. Retrieved from: http://booklistonline.com/Speak-Laurie-Halse-Anderson/pid=456480

Library uses:

This book would make a great book club reading for high school girls. I would use it as a way for girls to discuss current issues they face.