Book Blog #1

Speak

     Laurie Halse Anderson

 Premise

          Sometimes, one night is all it takes to go for someone to go from an ordinary girl to an outcast. Melinda learns this in this realistic fiction novel. In this story, Melinda begins high school friendless due to her calling the police at a party over the summer. Her classmates shun her, but there is something nobody knows. Rather than speak the truth about what happened that fateful night, Melinda keeps her lips locked. Expressing herself in art class is something she enjoys but she still has trouble with letting her feelings show. As regretful memories and troubles at home keep Melinda depressed, readers are left wondering if the real story will ever come out.

                                                                          My Reaction

          I enjoyed this book. It was a little slow in parts but I found it to be funny and different from what I normally read. Melinda's sarcastic take on the world around her is amusing and intriguing. The story features her problems with her parents as well. They have grown very distant over the years and are either arguing with her or with each other. Melinda's world is much like ours.  She is just starting ninth grade in the book. Before the incident she had many friends. It got me thinking how one twist of fate can leave someone feeling like they have no one to turn to.

                                                        SPOILER ALERT!!!

             What happened at the party was that Melinda got raped. No one else at the party saw it. Afterwards she felt scared and confused so she called the police, causing many peers to get in trouble for under age drinking. Thus she was despised by many classmates and former friends.  Melinda never told anyone about the rape.  Her situation seems to be in a downward spiral until she finally speaks the truth. Her friends understand what happened and speak to her again. The moment she gained the courage to speak the truth, she was able to move on and look ahead at what she hoped was a brighter future.