Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Format: Trade Paperback
Pub. Date: 1999
Type: Fiction, Young Adult ~ Library Book
Pages: 198
Read: 3/24/2015
Rating: Liked it ♥♡

I have heard a lot about this book and eventually decided I needed to read it. It is about Melinda Sordino (written in first person from her point of view, not my favorite style of writing) who called the police during an end-of-summer party, now that school is starting she is OUTCAST. Her friends won’t speak to her, even strangers hate her. Even before I read a spoiler about what happened at the party I had a pretty good idea and I was right. Even so you might find this review has a few spoilers.

Melinda decides the best way to survive is to stick to herself and keep quiet, living life inside her head. Unfortunately a teacher singles her out as a ‘trouble-maker’. She copes by sitting alone against the wall in lunch with the rest of the losers. She cuts classes, then starts cutting school, even though her old friends are not talking to her they are not mean girls, so Melinda cannot hate them. This makes things worse. She has trouble sleeping. Avoiding her parents is easy since they are decidedly un-involved in what is happening to their daughter, leaving notes and money for pizza if they are not going to be home. The only time they show any interest was when her grades started falling, even then they have no interest in why.

A short book, quick read but one that is very well written, Ms. Anderson has done a great job catching the thought patterns and speech patterns of teenagers. I have one complaint, I couldn’t understand how everyone knew she had called the police but no one knew why. Before I read the book I thought they must have heard why, if they knew she did, but didn’t believe her. I just re-read the part where Melinda is remembering the party, and it is explained. I do this sometimes, read books so fast I miss stuff. So it’s not a mystery and it now makes sense. Not that it bothered me horribly before, I still thought it was a good book.