Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Speak
Laurie Halse Anderson

Anderson, Laurie H. 2006. Speak. (Platinum Edition). New York: Penguin Group. ISBN: 0142407321.

A teenage girl. A tragic event. These two should never have to go together, but when they are brought together in Speak, a powerful and life changing story is the result. Melinda Sordino starts her story in the weeks before her first day of high school. Everyone hates her because she called the police during a party in the woods. Told in a form of stream of consciousness, the reader discovers that Melinda has a secret and cannot tell anyone why she called the police. As the story goes forward, told in quarters of a semester, the reader finds that Melinda is slowly losing her grip on reality, suffering depression, anxiety, thoughts of suicide, and selective mutism. It is halfway through the book that Melinda tells the reader she was raped in the woods. Living with this guilt has sent Melinda into a tailspin. Art class seems to be her only reprieve and the reader can see her transformation through her art as the story progresses. It is only after being confronted with her rapist again that she regains her voice and attempts to pull her life back together from the ruins she has left it. With an ending that exudes hope and deliverance, Melinda is finally able to do something about her situation: SPEAK.

Melinda is quite possibly one of the strongest characters a reader can come across in any genre of fiction. This young girl pulls at the heartstrings in the first sentence of the book, “It is my first morning of high school. I have seven new notebooks, a skirt I hate, and a stomachache” (Anderson, 3). There are very few people who cannot relate to that thought. Young adult readers see the story through her eyes and can relate to her situations and problems, as this is how they think and act too. Melinda takes a horrible journey in this book, however she comes out stronger and smarter and her growth as a fictional character leaves the reader satisfied that she will turn out all right.

The plot of this story might make some uncomfortable, which is good because it will start them thinking and make them more aware of the world that exists outside of their box. This story reads like something one might find on the nightly news or an expose in a newspaper. The plot is so engaging that one will find themselves turning the pages faster than they can be read. The “what happens next” aspect of the book leads to twists and turns that keep the reader on edge. The climax of the story comes near the end and is exactly what the reader can hope for. While then ending can be characterized as happy, it is better characterized as optimistic. The narrator, Melinda, has a chance to put her past behind her and make her future bright.

High school, a contemporary setting that most can relate to. From the hallways, bells, and hall passes to the cliques, lunchtime, and buses. It is a part of growing up that most readers will have experienced in their life. This setting is believable because it is real. The great thing about the setting in this book is that it goes beyond the high school. The setting could almost be Melinda’s mind. It is here that the reader spends the majority of the book. This setting tells more to the reader then description of the high school.

An important topic or theme of this book is the high school experience. Growth and inner strength play a large part in the latter part of the book. These emerge in the book at the rate Melinda lets them. Her growth can go no faster then what she thinks and over the course of her freshmen year of high school the reader realizes this. This may resonate with the readers of Speak as it will help them understand that things cannot be rushed when they have no place to go.

As mentioned before the text of the book takes on a type of stream of consciousness. The reader reads what Melinda thinks and sees and nothing more. The point of view of the story is appropriate as Melinda is the only one that can tell this story. The emphasis on narration over dialogue is also important. All of these aspects lead to the style the book is written in as the only appropriate way. Third person would detract from the story and leave much to be desired. It is obvious that the author wanted to tell this story. Written so eloquently and with such emotion it is hard to believe this is not a true story. It reads with such raw and blatant emotion.

When speaking to the gender and culture of this book it is hard to get away from typecasting and stereotyping. Those two words can quite possibly explain the whole high school experience. However, Anderson never lets those characteristics touch her main character. Never once does the main character become sugarcoated to appeal to an audience. She is real. She has a real problem and real emotions and she tells the story of many young women who may have had her real experiences touch their lives. She is a real to the point that the reader reaches out to her in their mind’s eye, they cry for her, feel for her, and perhaps are her.

Speak has become a modern classic and has won many awards to prove this. Starting with the Michael L. Printz Honor in 2000 it has also been honored with being a National Book Award Finalist, a Junior Library Guild Selection, and a School Library Journal best book of the year.

From Publishers Weekly
“The book's overall gritty realism and Melinda's hard-won metamorphosis will leave readers touched and inspired.”

From Booklist (starred review)
“Melinda's sarcastic wit, honesty, and courage make her a memorable character whose ultimate triumph will inspire and empower readers.”

From School Library Journal
“This powerful novel deals with a difficult yet important topic-rape. Melinda is just starting high school. It should be one of the greatest times in her life, but instead of enjoying herself, she is an outcast. She has been marked as the girl who called the police to break up the big end-of-the-summer party, and all the kids are angry at her. Even her closest friends have pulled away. No one knows why she made the call, and even Melinda can't really articulate what happened. As the school year goes on, her grades plummet and she withdraws into herself to the point that she's barely speaking. Her only refuge is her art class, where she learns to find ways to express some of her feelings. As her freshman year comes to an end, Melinda finally comes to terms with what happened to her-she was raped at that party by an upperclassman who is still taunting her at school. When he tries again, she finds her voice, and her classmates realize the truth. The healing process will take time, but Melinda no longer has to deal with it alone. Anderson expresses the emotions and the struggles of teenagers perfectly. Melinda's pain is palpable, and readers will totally empathize with her. This is a compelling book, with sharp, crisp writing that draws readers in, engulfing them in the story.” Dina Sherman, Brooklyn Children's Museum, NY.

Art is one of the things that helps to bring Miranda back to life. Her struggles and frustrations are seen in her art and reflect the different moods of her freshman year. The art teacher Mr. Freeman starts his class by making each student pick a subject out of a box. This is their subject for the entire semester. This might be a good introduction for beginning discussion of the book with a classroom. Each student or group member can choose a scrap of paper out a hat and then create a work of art on that subject. This can be an icebreaker to begin discussion about a book with a sensitive subject. After completion of this project then discussion can be opened and students or group members can begin to speak themselves.