Customer Reviews

Speak

5 star:		(842)
4 star:		(304)
3 star:		(76)
2 star:		(15)
1 star:		(16)

 

 

This book is definitely one of my favorites. It's so different from anything I have ever read, the style, the tone, and the way it was written. It was a compelling read from the beginning to the end.

The story is not written as your average outcast "popular people are stupid" cliche. It's an original. The tone is like Melinda is just relaying her thoughts and what she sees to the reader, rather than her feelings and rage and anger against the people that hurt her. Her character gets stronger as you read on, as she begins to stand up for herself.

I liked how the author didn't just tell you what had happened to Melinda in order for her to stay so silent - instead, bits of the incident unfolds as you read along.

I was caught up in Melinda's world, and even though I'm glad to say that I haven't been there and done that, it was easy to just recognize the pain, fear and confusion she went through just because the author doesn't say it right out.

Overall, an excellent read and I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to feel the triumph of "Speak".

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 She becomes sullen, and withdrawn.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?

All Teens should read this book. Peer pressure does a lot of bad things, one of those things is convincing victims to feel like they have done something wrong.

Speak is a fast-paced read that involves the reader emotionally from the very start. Speak is an accurate portrayal of the very common existence of high school cruelty and peer pressure. Every reader should identify with most of what happens in this novel, no matter what their age.

You will get mad at the good characters as well as the bad. I found myself talking out loud to the characters, which is why I know the book involves you.

Speak passes my Young Adult novel test. The book allows you to read without wanting to put it down, and it flows straight to ending. Laurie Halse Anderson has written a book that will be around for a very long time.

WOW. I loved this book. Melinda, a high school freshman, was raped by a popular jock at a party and called the police - but her friends (and the rest of the school) think it was just to bust up the party. Melinda spends the school year lost in a daze - she can't tell anyone, the only person in school who likes her is the new girl, her parents are never there and don't seem to like her or each other very much, and her teachers think she just has a bad attitude. Her only solace is art class, which becomes the catalyst for her telling the truth. I found myself mesmerized at the end of the book (dramatic scene involving Melinda and the rapist) and really found myself caring about this girl. Can't wait to see if Ms. Anderson writes more young adut novels.

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?

Speak is one of the best teen novels that I've read in a long time. Anderson didn't merely tell a story, she let the reader inside the mind of the heroine. Descriptive language and active monologue allowed me to actually feel the torment and confusion of a young rape victim. Melinda ended her freshman summer with a party at which she was raped by a popular senior. Her call for help was misconstrued as a call to break up the party, and she spent her entire freshman year as a social outcast; even her closest friends turned their backs on Melinda for breaking up the party. She became increasingly withdrawn until she almost completly stopped talking. Only a special teacher and a few somewhat confidants kept her from totally withdrawing into herself. Even so, no one besides IT(her term for her attacker) knew what actually happeded at that party. But as she matures, she comes to realize that what happened to her wasn't her fault, and that it was her right to SPEAK. I totally reccomend this book to anyone in need of a good story and a good cheering session. YEAH!

This book was amazingly well written. I received this book for Christmas('99) and finished it the next day. I didn't want to put it down. The characters are portrayed in a way that relate to teenagers like myself. The author confronts a fear most girls and women don't want to even think about, much less experience. The main chracter, Melinda, spoke in a way that makes the reader understand the pain and fear that took control of her, keeping her from saying what needed to be said. This is one of the most touching books I have ever read. It inspires one to face their fears and move on.

Melinda begins her high school career a complete outcast, alienated from even her best friends. Because of a traumatic event that occured over the summer, she is unable to express herself, or even to explain herself, to those who harrass and dislike her. As the book progresses, we are allowed inside Melinda's mind as she tries to cope with the tragedy, as well as the subsequent fallout. This book gives an honest and realistic view of high school and the pettiness and ugliness that exists there. And I couldn't help but identify with Melinda as a misunderstood outcast. As for the other review which asked why Melinda couldn't just speak to her friends about what happened, I ask this person to consider the pain and humiliation that one would feel after being violated this way. 15- year old children (or teenagers, I should say) do not necessarily have the coping mechanisms to deal with this kind of thing. Luckily, Melinda realizes her voice, and finds the strength to overcome her status as an outcast. She is a heroine worthy of our praise. Adults and teens alike should read this book. As for those who may say the topic is too "adult" for teens, I say you have no idea what being a teen ager these days is really like.

Great book, great story! Melinda manages to be funny while in so much pain. It's so great when she finds the closet and so awful when "it" finds her in there. The art teacher is wonderful in a 'supporting' role.

I highly recommend this for anyone over the age of 10 (and that includes adults. In fact, it would be a good idea for parents to read it, just so they could remember what it felt like, way back then.)

Zachary Beaver was good, but this one has stayed with me longer. I bought this for my 14-year old daughter, who loved it, so I tried it, and was blown away. Ms. Anderson sent me back 30 years and put me right back in high school. I felt so much for the main character and her struggle as an outcast. The author masterfully lets the story unfold slowly, drawing you in. My daughter agrees it was a very accurate depiction of high school life, and we've had some good discussions about the book. I'd recommend this to parents who have girls in high school, to refresh your memory of what it was like, and to give you a window on their world... This is a powerful novel that actually says something, and it deserves a wide readership. Pick it up and follow the main character through her freshman year- I guarantee you'll be moved no matter what age you are.