Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Anderson, L. (1999). Speak. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux. ISBN 0374371520. 

197 p.

SUMMARY

Melinda Sordino is entering her first year of high school, and at one time, she looked forward to the prospect of making new friends and embracing the whole high school experience with her longtime best friend Rachel.  However, Melinda suddenly has a different view of things, and as she begins her freshman year, she is shunned by her best friend and disliked by many students.  She is subjected to cruel comments, angry looks, and social exclusion.  She befriends Heather, but even that friendship fizzles.  Something happened to Melinda during the summer.  Something awful caused her to unintentionally bust a party.  Now, she’s an outcast.   Her falling grades, social problems, and abnormal silence are causing her to sink into a dismal place.  If only she would speak about it, maybe she could resume a somewhat normal life.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

In Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson tells the story of a thirteen year old girl’s struggle to deal with a serious problem.  Told from the protagonist’s point of view, Anderson succeeds in delivering a story that is personal, tragic, and heartfelt.  She writes in a quick-to-read format that is sometimes told in a conversational dialog form.  Readers will feel the protagonist’s range of emotions as they read about her daily struggles.  Anderson uses words that are realistic and recognizable to today’s teens.  Although the story drags a bit as the protagonist’s skirts around the issue bothering her, Anderson does eventually reveal exactly what happened to Melinda.