Speak (Platinum Edition) by Laurie Halse Anderson
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Book Reviews of Speak (Platinum Edition)
Book Review: Speak
Summary: 5 Stars
Recently I have read the book "Speak" by Lauri Halse Anderson. I must say, I have really enjoyed this book! The setting of this book takes place in an average American high school filled with cliques, and gossip. The main character in this story, Melinda Sordino has to not only adjust to high school, but she also has to adjust to the public humiliation and ridicule received from her peers. Melinda's fellow friends terrorize her, only because she called the police at a summer party. Melinda's friends are unaware of what really made her call the police. Melinda had been raped.
Once Melinda started school she refused to talk. Especially since Andy Evans,(The guy who raped her) attended the same school. Andy also was going out with her ex- best friend Rachelle. Over a period of time Melinda finally got the courage to talk to Rachelle about what really happened at the party. Melinda explain to her that she had been raped. Rachelle believed Melinda until she told her that it was her boyfriend that had raped her. Finally Rachelle confronted Andy, and was convinced that Melinda was telling the truth. Once Andy found out that Melinda had been talking to Rachelle, he was outraged! He then forcefully confronted Melinda in the janitor's closet. After all of the screaming and commotion, heard from the outside of the janitor's closet, the lacrosse team came to Melinda's rescue. Shortly after the incident, the rest of the school found out the truth, and Melinda was no longer an outcast.
Book Review: The best book to ~Speak~ by Madison Lacey
Summary: 5 Stars
If you have ever been teased, or out side `the in crowd' or a huge break through with in your life you would fall in love with this book. It is heart breaking story at times it even made me cry, or some times it was so funny and how brave she is out standing. To begin it all starts with a girl named Mille she has just started High-School at Merry weather High, She has started school with no friends, wrong clothes, and her old friends ditched her. All because of a party Rachel's brother took the to when they were supposed to be roller skatingbut instead went to a seniors summers party (with beer and drugs and seniors) but will she was there she called the cops.
When she finally makes a friend it is a new girl named Whitney she just moved from Arizona and wants to be a part of the clique the Marsha's (who do ever thing right and have all color coordinated clothes). Then her old best friend Rachel is going out with Andy Evens who is a total purvey then she confronts Rachel about Andy and they become friends again. Then you finaly find out about why she called the cops it was because Any Evens Raped her, when Rachel goes to prom with him he tries to get in her pants she leaves him for a portiagel friend. On the day after prom Melli collects her stuff from her closet and heads for her locker andy Evens Bumps her back in to it.......
Is he going do it again or just talk and if he is going to rape her again what well she do? To learn what happens read the book Speak.
Book Review: A character who truly comes to life, scars and all
Summary: 5 Stars
A couple of weeks ago, I read You, a YA novel that, for all its compelling thoughts and voice, got so involved in having a clever plot that it forgot that the best thing about "slice of life" books is when they remain grounded in everyday life. I mention that to say that Speak, by contrast, is the sort of YA book that manages, miraculously, to do almost everything right. Speak is the story of Melinda Sordino, a young girl who starts her freshman year of high school abandoned by her friends, misunderstood by her parents, and slowly withdrawing into a near-mute state. The reasons for this remain murky for some time, although Anderson foreshadows it well and deals with the nature of Melinda's crisis well. There's a lot here that I loved, but what Anderson really creates is a rich, thoughtful character whose psychology and scars seem genuine, not forced, and one whose story truly feels believable and relatable. The book stumbles at a few points - there's some heavy-handed symbolism, the art teacher is a bit absurd, and the climax is a bit silly. But they're all minor, forgivable points when woven into such a rich characterization. By the time you finish the book, you truly feel as if you know Melinda well, and she feels like someone who could easily be around you at any time. I have to admit, I was a little skeptical going in, but I really loved Speak a lot, and I totally understand the push to include it in English classes - and agree with it 100%.Book Review: powerful and inspiring
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a great book for teen girls, and anyone who knows a teen girl. It is a powerful and inspiring study of depression and recovery.
Melinda, a 9th grader begins freshman year as a social outcast, shunned because she called the police during a summer party. The reason she did so is misunderstood by her peers but becomes clear to the reader very quickly. She has suffered a very real trauma, has no friends, her parents are emotionally absent and her teachers, with the exception of her art teacher, treat her with suspicion. Melinda believes no one wants to hear what she has to say, so she decides to only speak when absolutely necessary and becomes almost mute. However, she does not stop feeling or thinking and a large part of this book is her internal dialogue. Her fear and confusion are clear but so too is her drive to recover. She really is trying to come out from under the weight of her pain but doesn't know how to ask for help.
I was completely sucked in by this book. Melinda has become one of my favorite YA girls (in books). I found the ending very satisfying, it brought me to tears of empathy, relief and joy.
Book Review: Courtesy of Teens Read Too
Summary: 5 Stars
SPEAK by Laurie Halse Anderson is a riveting, compassionate book about a teenage outcast.
Melinda Sordino destroyed her reputation before even setting foot in the dangerous halls of Merryweather High School. By calling the police at an end-of-summer bash, she is now officially considered a loser. With her old friends gone, Melinda no longer speaks to anyone; even her new "best friend," Heather.
This novel on self-discovery, empathy, and social acceptance is simply breathtaking.
Without a doubt, SPEAK is a phenomenal book. It is emotional, inspirational, gripping, and surprisingly funny. It is told from Melinda's poignant, outspoken point of view. Anderson perfectly depicts the cliques, heartbreaks, and reality of high school. This book will grip you from cover to cover.
SPEAK captured my heart with it's sarcastic sense of humor and perfect portrayal of high school. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a laugh, a tear, or anything in between.
Reviewed by: Tara - The Class