Speak

The Bibliography
Anderson, Laurie Halse. Speak. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux. ISBN 0374371520

The Characters
Melinda Sordino is the main character of Speak. It's written from her point of view, although I don't think I'd want any young girl to feel like she's in Melinda's shoes. Melinda's internal journey and emotional growth are tied to the plot and action of the story. If she didn't experience what she experienced, she wouldn't be the same Melinda, she definitely wouldn't have had to grow up as quickly as she did. She definitely changed through the course of the story, and though she had a terrible experience, she came out okay at the end, or at least as good as she could.

The Plot
During the summer before freshman year of high school, Melinda goes to a party with her friends, but calls the police and gets the party busted. She starts school as an outcast. Throughout the novel in flashbacks, the reader finds out that Melinda was raped at the party. She survives her entire freshman year despite being picked on by nearly everyone, including her former best friends, but doesn't talk about the tragic event that she lived through until one of her former friends starts dating the guy who attacked her.

The Setting
The majority of the novel takes place at and around Merryweather High. Even though Melinda skips a lot, the novel is broken into four segments, each quarter of her school year. The book revolves around her school life and her inability to speak, about the events that happened to her or about anything else.

The Theme
The theme of Speak is the difficulty of overcoming a personal tragedy and the struggle to still live despite it.

The Style
Speak is written from Melinda's point of view and is filled with her thoughts, most of which are about the night she was raped. Everything ties back to that night. Since Melinda doesn't speak much, the dialogue rings true. If you were traumatized, you probably wouldn't have much to say at the school where everyone hates you, would you? The tone of the book is serious laced with ironic humor.

Gender and Culture
Melinda's story probably wouldn't work if it were Mel instead. Melinda is a scared but strong female leading character.

The cultural markers are modern, so it seems the book is still contemporary, like it could happen in any high school today.

The Analysis
I enjoyed reading Speak and will recommend it to a few teen readers that come into my library. It's a difficult story, but one that high schoolers need to read, especially the girls. Even if they haven't been in a situation as dire as Melinda's, it's still a good read, and it's important for them to know that they need to be strong even if something bad happens.

The Review
Debbie Carton (Booklist, September 15, 1999 (Vol. 96, No. 2))
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.

The Connection
While this book isn't about the happiest of subjects, it's an important one. It could be used in a book talk with teens about the big S-E-X or problems that they encounter in high school.