Speak

Melinda Sordino starts high school as the most hated - well, shunned - girl in the freshmen class. Her former best friend, Rachel - who goes by the name Rachelle now - has cast her out of her inner circle. Other former friends treat her like a pariah. And the whole school knows what she did at the end of the summer party. The only problem is, they don't know what led her to calling the cops. And Melinda isn't speaking about it.

Anderson reminds adult readers how difficult our teenage years were. How hard it was to adapt in high school. She tells her target audience that it's okay to speak up against things that you don't agree with. That you're not alone in this world, no matter what happens to you. ( )

Speak is a 1999 book that has a lot of flaws mainly in the POV. If it wasn't from our main's perspective many things would make more sense. It hinges on her whole relationship with Rachel/e falling apart, but also keeps going over and jump-roping itself through hoops to keep us never knowing WHAT happened.

What happened is very important. But for more than half of the reading time you just get seeds thrown at you and nothing else. Little things that have no water, no nourishment. It's such a long and boring read which makes the reveal of sexual assault and the titular title: Speak, moot. As an older teen to adult getting to the reveal is unlikely to happen. This book appears to have a strong Did Not Finish ratio in all ages. The mystery isn't really enthralling, it's just a topic brought up between team names and then forgotten about for another chapter.

While the trauma and problems existing between Melinda being kicked out of her friend group and excommunicated aren't valid. It's just terribly painful to slog through her POV and slowly wonder if everyone around her might be right about her. People say things here or there and with a POV tainting everything, we -the reader- are left trying to find the truth.

The truth is Melinda called the cops on a party because she was sexually assaulted. The truth is she told no one. The truth is she's left this gaping chasm here and then covered it with a rug and nobody, not even her parents know somehow. It's a very confusing read. The parents behave in the dark the whole time, the cops never told them somehow. Nothing really works and then the end.

Speak ends with everything kind of fixed magically. It feels too clean, too well wrapped up. Trauma and alienation like that doesn't vanish. This book pulls the rug out with a reveal and the reveal makes you feel bad for Melinda, but it doesn't save her from being really hard to care about or bond with in writing.

The following reviews really expand on the problem I had with this book:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/347079160?book_show_action=true
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/17232114?book_show_action=true
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1274820390?book_show_action=true

Two point five stars. ( )

This fictional account of a teen girl's rape and the aftermath during her Grade 9 year left me shaken but ultimately optimistic. Despite an abusive catalyst, the outcome ends up being positive. And as much as the subject matter was arresting, it's good to talk about sexual assault and stories that address the issue head on, especially with our children. It is through communication of the difficult subjects that we grow into better people. ( )

This is one of the best books I've ever read.Melinda the main character is so smart and observant.
Here she is talking about her family

I'm not pretty or smart or athletic. I'm just like them--an ordinary drone dressed in secrets and lies. I can't believe we have to keep playacting until I graduate. It's a shame we can't just admit that we have failed family living, sell the house, split up the money, and get on with our lives.

Giving thanks

The Pilgrims gave thanks at Thanksgiving because the Native Americans saved their sorry butts from starving. I give thanks at Thanksgiving because my mother finally goes to work and my father orders pizza.

She's in trouble over her grades.

the Battle is roaring at full pitch. Grades, blah, blah, blah, Attitude, blah, blah, blah, Help around the house, blah, blah, blah, Not a kid anymore, blah, blah, blah. I watch the Eruptions. Mount Dad, long dormant, now considered armed and dangerous. Mount Saint Mom, oozing
lava, spitting flame. Warn the villagers to run into the sea.

It's so far into the book before we learn what has happened to Melinda to take away her voice.

I can't recommend this perfect book more highly everyone who's been in high school should find something here to love. I hardly ever rate a book 5 stars, especially after only one reading, but this is a book I know that I'll read again and again.

( )

This book is about a girl who is raped at a party before the start of her freshman year of high school. Her friends turn on her for getting the party broken up, but she never tells them about being raped. She goes through the year lonely and not speaking, but by the end of the year her art teacher has encouraged her to speak and she finally tells about what happened. This book is an incredible story of a girl finally finding her voice to speak up after her trauma. This book is definitely for older students in high school classrooms rather than a middle grades classroom, but it's a wonderful story for those looking to find their own voice. ( )