Speak

Anderson, Laurie Hales. 1999. SPEAK. New York: Penguin Group. ISBN: 9780141310886

Speak by Laurie Hales Anderson tells a story of a young woman going through the pains of sexual abuse by a classmate at such a young age. The story is told through Melinda Sordino’s thoughts on dealing with being an outcast in an entire school where only one person knows the real truth. The truth is Melinda was raped at the end of summer party. The truth is that she called the cops. The truth is that she ran before the cops show up, getting everyone else in trouble. This event left Melinda speechless for almost an entire school year. Melinda deals with the humiliation of former friends questioning her beliefs. 

Melinda embarks on a journey of finding herself and her true friends. She embarks on a journey of freedom from pain and the ability to move on as a normal teenager. She begins her healing process in the bathroom stall, “I start another subject thread on the wall: Guys to Stay Away From. The first entry is the Beast himself: Andy Evans” (page 175).

This Michael L. Printz award winning story “presents a realistic picture of an American High School life and it concomitant social pressure.”(Carger, 2007). Melinda is a believable character that can relate to any child who has or is going through a very difficult situation.

Reference List: 
Carger, Chris Liska. 2007. Crossing Borders, Finding Families. Book Links(January) p.36-38. Ebscohost. Database online available at: http://ezproxy.twu.edu. Accessed September 16 2011.