Speak

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson is a realistic fiction tale about alienation and it stresses the importance of communication and in standing up to injustice. The main character, Melinda, is raped at a party shortly before the beginning of her freshman year in high school. She calls the police but is unable to tell them what is wrong. Traumatized, she walks home. When the police arrive, she is not at the party and they arrest the party goers for underage drinking. Since Melinda was overheard calling the police, the students of her school blame her and she becomes a social pariah.

As the year goes along, she progressively finds it harder and harder to speak – to anyone. Everything in her life becomes more difficult to deal with as she speaks less. Her grades go down, her only friend is a girl new to the school who cares more about being popular than in being a friend, she starts cutting class and her parents argue frequently. Her family and the school administrators don't understand that her behavior isn't just due to normal teenage moodiness and try punishment to resolve the problems.

Melinda is paralyzed by her despair until she does a report on woman's suffrage that includes a silent protest and, little by little, she begins to improve. Melinda begins to do yardwork, talking to her parents and even has a conversation with a girl she used to be friends with about her rapist's reputation. The girl tells her that "he's only after one thing, and if you believe the rumors, he'll get it, no matter what." She begins to realize that her silence enables her rapist to hurt other girls. She eventually has a confrontation with him which unleashes her anger and she is finally able to talk about what happened to her.

I really enjoyed this book. Even though she doesn't speak, Melinda has a constant commentary running in her head which is quite entertaining. Despite its dark subject matter, I didn't find the book depressing. I did feel Melinda's pain, though, especially when she is rejected by her only "friend". I would recommend this book to high school students, especially girls, the story is engrossing and the message important. Speak has received numerous accolades and awards including: ALA Best Book for Young Adults, Edgar Allan Poe Award finalist, IRA Young Adult Choice, Michael L. Printz Honor Book, National Book Award Finalist, New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age, New York Times Bestseller List, SCBWI Golden Kite Award, and YALSA Popular Paperback for Young Adults.