Speak by L.H. Anderson was a short book (143 pages), but it delivered a strong message. The protagonist, Melinda, doesn’t say much and as the novel progresses says even less. As the novel is written in deep POV we’re only privy to past details if the protagonist is thinking about them in the present...
I did not enjoy high school. When I hear about those who had 'fun', I always wonder how they managed to avoid the angst that comes from bullying, academic pressure, or bad teachers. But some enjoy it. Maybe they had the steel to survive the bullshit. Everyone is different. Most kids were just trying...
This is one of the books i read in high school and actually enjoyed. I think it's really well-written. Melinda has a unique voice that, in my opinion, is sullen, but not whiny. I think the mystery is really well-developed. It's mentioned every now and then that there's more to Melinda's story than w...
One of my goals for 2016 is to seriously pare down my collection of books. I know, I know, it's a blasphemous thing to say on a site for book lovers. It's taken me a loooong time to feel comfortable with letting my books go, but I want to travel light for awhile. I've been rereading some old copies ...
So I hands down loved this book from beginning to end. The subject matter is hard to get through though, but I thought the way the book was structured with the reveals coming was very well done. The main character is Melinda Sordino. Prior to her freshman year in high school all we know is that Meli...
When Speak came out over a decade ago, it was ground breaking because of the way it dealt with teen sexuality. 16 years later, it is still relevant and continues to change lives because it isn’t afraid to tell the story of a teenager who had real problems and real reactions to them.Melinda doesn’t h...
It might have been the mood I was in or perhaps I was looking for something more, but I just didn’t get it. I thought this novel was boring and so drawn out. I had been saving it wanting to savor the moment when I could really enjoy it and then, as I was reading it, I thought perhaps I got the wrong...
A powerful novel, wonderfully done. Here's a topically related story I wrote in 1997 that was published online at The Barcelona Review: Up From Zero. Below is how Speak fits into the 2015 Reading Challenge...
Melinda Sordino begins her freshman year at Merryweather High School friendless. From the beginning it is obvious that Melinda is having not only social anxiety, but also body image problems “I have entered high school with the wrong hair, the wrong clothes, the wrong attitude.” She is unable to spe...
Anyone who is interested in young adult literature needs to read this book. Speak is one of those novels that changed everything. It inspired a lot of copycat books and is required reading in many middle and high schools.Speak is about Melinda, a freshman in high school. Her old middle school friend...
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