Speak | Laurie Halse Anderson

Speak | Laurie Halse Anderson | It speaks to me.

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Speak

	Speak Laurie Halse Anderson Puffin, 2006 - 224 pages average customer review:based on 1181 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Melinda Sordino busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops. Now her old friends won't talk to her, and people she doesn't even know hate her from a distance. The safest place to be is alone, inside her own head. But even that's not safe. Because there's something she's trying not to think about, something about the night of the party that, if she let it in, would blow her carefully constructed disguise to smithereens. And then she would have to speak the truth. This extraordinary first novel has captured the imaginations of teenagers and adults across the country.

Awards for Speak

A 2000 Printz Honor Book
A 1999 National Book Award Finalist
An Edgar Allan Poe Award Finalist
A 1999 Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist
Winner of the SCBWI Golden Kite Award
An ALA Best Book for Young Adults
An ALA Quick Pick
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
A Booklist Top Ten First Novel of 1999
A BCCB Blue Ribbon Book
A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
A Horn Book Fanfare Title

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Excellent read

I first became interested in the book after seeing the film adaptation of it on TV one day as I was flipping through the channels. The character of Melinda Sordino was captivating. Soon afterwards, I bought Speak and read it in one sitting.

Although this is labeled as a YA novel, I'm an adult woman and thoroughly enjoyed the novel. Anderson has written a completely realistic, heart-breaking, inspiring and at times funny portrayal of high school. Melinda is a character I could become friends with, she is that real. The rape and Melinda's reaction to it are so vividly and sensitively portrayed by Anderson. You really begin to feel the pain, despair and loneliness of Melinda as you read the first person narration of her first year of high school. If you're thinking of reading this or giving it to your teen to read, definitely do it. You won't have any regrets. I can also vouch for the movie adaptation, it was excellent and Kristen Stewart IS Melinda Sordino, no question.

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It speaks to me.

Melinda and her friends attend a high school party during the summer between Middle and High School where Melinda has a close encounter with a high school student who goes too far even after she says No. She is drunk, confused and scared so she calls the cops. In a fit of panic she flees the scene and spends the rest of her summer alone. From the first day of school she knows she has no friends now, her actions landed many people in jail. She befriends a new student named Heather and begins one long silent year of schooling. She stops speaking to anyone, they can't understand because she has no voice to explain it to people around her. In art (the only class she is passing) she is assigned to spend the year trying to work on one subject, trees. She recedes into herself as she tries to work out what happened and what she can do to fix it. She finds an abandoned Janitor closet and creates a safe space for herself.

http://dailylitmajor.blogspot.com/2008/08/speak-by-laurie-halse-anderson.html

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Speak

An instant classic for this generation. Speaks to anyone and everyone who has been a teenager, alienated, or alone. A powerful book, great writing. Would recommend this one to anyone with a teenager, any teens looking for someone who feels like they do, and anyone dealing with hard situations in life. A wonderful message of hope, and endurance, with touches of black humor.

one of the best books ever written

this book is about a girl who doesn't know how to speak when she has to and at the end learns its better to speak up...
this book was written in a different but entertaining way,melinda's irony made this book funny and entertaining....

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Courtesy of Teens Read Too

SPEAK by Laurie Halse Anderson is a riveting, compassionate book about a teenage outcast.

Melinda Sordino destroyed her reputation before even setting foot in the dangerous halls of Merryweather High School. By calling the police at an end-of-summer bash, she is now officially considered a loser. With her old friends gone, Melinda no longer speaks to anyone; even her new "best friend," Heather.

This novel on self-discovery, empathy, and social acceptance is simply breathtaking.

Without a doubt, SPEAK is a phenomenal book. It is emotional, inspirational, gripping, and surprisingly funny. It is told from Melinda's poignant, outspoken point of view. Anderson perfectly depicts the cliques, heartbreaks, and reality of high school. This book will grip you from cover to cover.

SPEAK captured my heart with it's sarcastic sense of humor and perfect portrayal of high school. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a laugh, a tear, or anything in between.

Reviewed by: Tara - The Class

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