Love it!!! ITS SO GOOD. Sad but AMAZING
Speak
By Laurie Halse Anderson
| Interest Level | Reading Level | Reading A-Z | ATOS | Word Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grades 9 - 12 | Grades 10 - 9 | Z | 4.5 | 46591 |
The first ten lies they tell you in high school.
"Speak up for yourself--we want to know what you have to say." From the first moment of her freshman year at Merryweather High, Melinda knows this is a big fat lie, part of the nonsense of high school. She is friendless, outcast, because she busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops, so now nobody will talk to her, let alone listen to her. As time passes, she becomes increasingly isolated and practically stops talking altogether. Only her art class offers any solace, and it is through her work on an art project that she is finally able to face what really happened at that terrible party: she was raped by an upperclassman, a guy who still attends Merryweather and is still a threat to her. Her healing process has just begun when she has another violent encounter with him. But this time Melinda fights back, refuses to be silent, and thereby achieves a measure of vindication. In Laurie Halse Anderson's powerful novel, an utterly believable heroine with a bitterly ironic voice delivers a blow to the hypocritical world of high school. She speaks for many a disenfranchised teenager while demonstrating the importance of speaking up for oneself.
Speak was a 1999 National Book Award Finalist for Young People's Literature.
Publisher: Square Fish
ISBN-13: 9781250302359
ISBN-10: 1250302358
Published on 1/15/2019
Binding: Paperback
Number of pages: 240
Book Reviews (12)
I really liked this book! It was written more than 2 decades ago, yet it's still pretty relevant. It's about a girl named Melinda, who is an outcast now because she called the cops after something bad happened to her at a party. I liked how she slowly learnt that she needed to speak up. And she managed to stand up to IT in the end! This is a great book for ages 12 and older.
Melinda Sordino is strong, able, and ready to speak up...only if you're willing to listen to her story. I know I was...
Melinda is hated, by just about everyone. She called the police on a party during the summer, and she won't tell anyone why, this makes everyone absolutely despise her, and she starts her freshman year off with no friends. What Melinda won't say about the party is what's killing her inside. She feels depressed and doesn't want to go on... with anything. As Melinda struggles with the past and the pain Andy Evans caused her, she soon realizes that to give up would be letting him win. This book inspired me to never give up, no matter how hard it is. Melinda could of given up any time but still, she continued with life and fought through the pain. She is a brave, inspiring person that almost anyone can look up to! This is a must read and you should read it as soon as you can, you won't regret it!!
@aly_spoon675 your reviews are amaz!
I think this is a really powerful novel that should be read by so many, especially teens. Speak is a fascinating tale of learning to use your voice when you previously believed it did not matter. The message is one I think all can benefit from and I’m so glad I finally read it
Laurie Halse Anderson has become one of my favorite authors this summer. She writes about serious topics in a way that still makes the book fun to read, if that makes sense! This was another good read.
very sad and depressing
this book is really sad, yet it has a really dry sense of humor. speak is an amazing book that made me laugh and cry...
It was an amazing book.
I WANT TO READ THIS. LAURIE HALSE ANDERSON IS A REALLY GOOD WRITER. I READ FEVER 1793, AND I LOVED IT!