Speak

Very powerful. It's pretty hard to read about this young woman's reaction to such a tragic event. I'm not sure that she could really recover as much as she does over the 9 month span of the story. But I would like to think it is possible. Definitely recommended. ( )

Excellent novel capturing teenage angst and Melinda's inability to deal with a sexual assault. ( )

I haven't read a book this powerful in quite a long time. I cried. It is a dark, but wonderful debut novel. The writing is just perfect, lyrical yet believable as the thoughts of a tormented teenager. I felt like I knew Melinda from the first page, and my heart just ached for her. I also loved the use of vignettes/comments/thoughts to tell the story. Perfection.

Course evaluation: Anderson has created a powerful novel about rape and the dramatic effect it can have on someone’s life. Her assessment of high school relationships and cliques is realistic, and teen readers will recognize themselves and their friends in this story. Her narrative style is extremely effective in exploring Melinda’s emotions and increasing depression; her use of small vignettes and snippets of dialogue make the narrative style seem as though Melinda is talking directly to the reader. The use of symbolism throughout the story and Melinda’s strong characterization reflect her increasing depression, fear, and eventual glimpse of hope. ( )

Although I would not recommend this book for anybody under the age of 13, I believe that it provides a meaningful and important message about sexual violence among teens and young adults. The main character, a fourteen year old named Melinda, is ostracized by her friends and family after sexually assaulted at a party and calling the police without explanation. Melinda struggles to cope with keeping her trauma hidden when nobody believes she is telling the truth about the assault. Without giving away the ending, I will say that Melinda does eventually feel safe enough to confide in someone about the assault, and finds a way to express her feelings in a safe environment with her art teacher. ( )

i absolutely loved thiis book as it showed the horrible ordeal Melinda Sordino had to go through and how much her life changed after she was raped. It is very difficult for victims of rape to speak up and admit what happened not only to the public, but to themselves as well. Melinda was left with no friends after the incident which made it even harder to speak up. ( )