Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

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

Summary: Speak begins with Melinda, the main character of the story. Melinda is a high school freshman in upstate New York. We find out the Melinda is keeping a huge secret and ends up going to a party. At the party, Melinda, calls the police which causes most of her friends and the party goers to reject her. However, Melinda befriends a new girl at school Heather who is wild and tries to get Melinda involved in her grand schemes to help her bounce back after the party. Melinda spends most of her time hiding away at school and only really likes her Art class and feels that is the only place she really belongs. We begin to also see Melinda face a boy named IT, who she clearly has a past with. After this, we see her come closer and closer to coming to terms with the vile things he did to her. She slowly withdraws more and more and eventually starts skipping school altogether. Melinda begins to participate in self-harm for months and then is finally able to admit that IT raped her and she starts to come to terms with what happened and why she called the police to the party the previous summer. Melinda comes to life again and warns her friend Rachel that IT does not have the best intentions when it comes to girls. Melinda starts to work on her art piece and takes up yard work and gardening. She also starts to build a friendship with her old friend, Ivy. Melinda beings speaking up about what IT did to her and even stands up for herself when he corners her in a closet. Other girls that feel empowered by Melinda's story start to come forward about what IT had done to them as well.

Strengths: Speak deals with very intense themes such as eating disorders, sexual assault and suicide. Teen girls will most likely relate to the themes in this book and will probably relate the events to something that has happened to them or a friend in their own life. This book may also get teen girls to speak up if they see these things happen to a friend or to themselves. 

Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaWD7Nm9a1c

Movie Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySpPkHZ66aI 

Similar Books: 

• 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher
• Looking for Alaska by John Green
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
• All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

Other books by Laurie Halse Anderson:

• Wintergirls
• Chains
• Fever 1793
• Twisted
• Shout
• Catalyst

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