Genre 6- Speak

Anders, Laurie Halse. Speak. New York: Penguin Group: 1999.

ISBN: 0-14-131088-X

Plot Summary
Anders tells us a story of a young girl who has been traumatized. Speak begins by describing a timid girl who has one ‘friend’ and barely speaks to anyone. As the story continues, we learn that Melinda’s parents argue frequently and that Melinda once had friends but lost them after ‘ratting’ everyone at a party. Towards the end of the story the reader learns that Melinda’s silence is because she was so stressed from being raped by another boy in school, Andy. After finding refuge with her art teacher, friend Heather, and standing up to Andy, Melinda finds strength enough to learn to ‘speak’ and get past her experiences.

Critical Analysis
First and foremost, Speak is intended for an older audience. I would recommend this book to a counselor or older high school students. Laurie Anderson tells a story about a young girl who is being socially outcast for a really horrible situation. The story is written in stanzas or short paragraphs. These short paragraphs take a few pages to get used to but fit Melinda’s personality. She is interesting and to the point. I loved the meaning behind this story! Yes, a young girl is raped and that is a horrible situation but the story is more about how a girl finds sanctuary with her friends and her art class/teacher and finds her voice again. This story really highlights that teachers or any person involved in a student’s life should be mindful that even though we may not realize it, students find help with just being around us. Melinda was able to work past her experience by working with her art teacher Mr. Freeman. Overall this was an extremely well written story that I would highly recommend to older students.

Reviews
The Horn Book- “An uncannily funny book even as it plumbs the darkness, Speak will hold readers from first word to last.”
Publishers Weekly- “A stunning first novel… Anderson infuses the narrative with a wit that sustains the heroine through her pain and holds readers’ empathy…”

Connections
Although this book is highly recommended, I would not use it in my lesson plans. I would however use this story to help students recover from personal situations. Allowing students to read this book privately could help them feel less alone. Also, much like Mr. Freeman, I feel like being a teacher and doing my job well will give students another outlet and maybe allow them to express themselves without being forced to.