Speak

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson is a highly awarded and highly challenged book. As usual, I didn't see any reason to want to ban it, but I guess the argument is that the subject is mature for some teens. However, that is the point. The book deals with rape and unfortunately, you can never be too young to learn the facts.

Melinda Sordino called the police and broke up an end of the summer party. No one know why she called, but all of her classmates and friends are upset with her. When the new school year begins, she finds she is quite without friends. The only girl who will talk to her is a new student from Ohio.

Speak is written through the thoughts of Melinda. It is a sensitive and at times funny look at life from the prospective of a 14-year old who has withdrawn from society into her head. She speaks very little and her grades are suffering. It feels like the only person trying to reach out to her is her art teacher. He encourages her to put her feelings into her art. She has no idea what he is talking about. How do you put feelings into art?

By the end of the school year, Melinda cannot keep her feelings inside any longer. She realizes that if she doesn't speak up, she may lose her voice completely.

Speak has been made into a movie. I will re-watch it and post an entry about it soon. It was very good, but the book is better!

Anderson, Laurie Halse. (1999). Speak. New York: Penguin Books.