Sunday 16 October 2005

Speak by: Laurie Halse Anderson

Speak
Laurie Halse Anderson
Penguin

Melinda Sordino, a student with good grades and great friends, has made some mistakes. At the end of a summer party she calls the cops, yet when they arrive she doesn’t tell them anything. Back at school the next year, her friends won’t speak to her, and people she doesn’t even know hate her as the fink who wrecked everybody’s party, and her grades start dropping. Her relationship with her parents deteriorates quickly. She becomes sullen, and withdrawn. However this picture is not the whole story.

Her parents know something is wrong but cannot get her to open up. Her only hope is her art teacher; he realizes something is very wrong and through the assignments he gives her tries to draw her out.


This is a story of a girl who is abused, and who doesn’t know how to talk about it, but in keeping it inside she is self -destructing. Can Melinda find her voice and speak of her sorrow, or will her silence destroy her?


5 comments:

Anonymous said...

i havent read this book yet but it sounds like a good one to read!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! is there a sequal??????

SRMcEvoy said...

Not a direct one but Twisted is along he same lines but from a Guy's perspective that get's accused without cause.

Anonymous said...

Yeah I loved speak it sort of tells the story of my life and how I keep every thing inside of me and withdraw my self fom friends and it really helped me realise what is going on wiht me and It helped me open up to the people around me.

Anonymous said...

as a 15 year old this was horrible this book causes some of those who have experienced such situations to go through the trauma over again.

Loraine said...

You have a nice review! Here's mine: http://lorxiebookreviews.blogspot.com/2012/07/speak-by-laurie-halse-anderson.html Have a nice day!th