Speak (Laurie Halse Anderson)

Rape is something completely out of your control. You would have had no idea that it was coming. Melinda's "rape" is the classic one night stand where she put it upon herself. The party was simply one of the worst and cliche plot lines I have ever had the displeasure of reading. Once upon a time a girl goes to a party. Nothing could possibly happen... a few drinks... a few hormone driven seniors... not like anything sexual would possibly happen... She may have been conscious eventually and may have said no but it doesn't matter. She put it upon herself. This book delievers no message of the true horrors of rape and the aftermath of psychological consequences. There was no force involved. She CHOSE to go to that party. She CHOSE to drink. It was a drunken one night stand. Nothing more.

This hilarious romp tells the tale of a young high school girl having plenty of fun adventures and making some meaningful art along the way. The whole family will be able to enjoy this comedic story. Guess you'll just have to read it to find out how it ends!

Wow, what a powerful book. I can see why it won so many awards. It's the story of a teenage girl who starts her Freshman year as a social outcast because she called the cops on a wild part over the summer and everyone at school knows it. The book follows her for the next nine months. She is ignored, used, and picked on as she tries to simply make it through each day. She stops speaking, starts cutting school, and finds refuge in a janitor's closet that she cleans and decorates as a place to hide. She is severely depressed (at times I wondered if the story would end with her committing suicide - it doesn't), in fact this is one of the deepest, most disturbing looks at teenage depression I've seen. And there is a really tragic reason she called the police about the party. As the story progresses and her truth is exposed, I kept bursting into tears for her. But really, the story (the lesson?) is about how she fights her way through her pain and problems. I loved every word o... Read more

This book was a refreshing reminder of everything I love about reading. The story moved so well and with such ease. I'd say in the manner of Go Ask Alice, it is timeless in message with a character so real that you believe every detail as if you are reading about a friend. I think that many of us have been in situations where we have felt like an outcast. I could relate to Melinda on two levels. Level one being the child in me who dealt with her own issues of feeling outside the circle and had her own secrets to keep. Level two being the mom in me who simply just wanted to grasp Melinda and hold her. This book was a refreshing reminder of everything I love about reading. The story moved so well and with such ease. I'd say in the manner of Go Ask Alice, it is timeless in message with a character so real that you believe every detail as if you are reading about a friend. I think that many of us have been in situations where we have felt like an outcast. I could relate to Melinda on two... Read more

I think this book should be required reading for all middle/high school students. This was at first a work for me to read because of the format it was written in. But well worth the effort. This story brings out many important issues we all need to be aware of and on the look out for. If you can't read the book it is also on DVD and portrayed very close to the book and very nicely done. I would also recommend seeing the movie even if you read the book. I got it from my library.