Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

 

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson



 

Bibliography: Anderson, Laurie Halse. 1999. Speak. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux.

ISBN: 0374371520

Plot Summary: Melinda is in her freshman year of high school and is seen as an outcast because she called the police at Kyle Rodger's end of the summer party. However, unknown to all of the partygoers something terrible happened to her that night. In the midst of all this, she has lost all of her friends and seeks refuge in a janitors closet during school hours to avoid the people that used to be her friends. However, when she sees one of her old friends become threatened, she tries to find her voice and is able to confront the happenings of the end of year party that changed her life forever.

Critical Analysis: The novel Speak draws readers in and paints a vivid description of life as a high school student who is not accepted among her peers. Melinda is relatable and as the story progresses we are exposed to her internal struggle to understand the happenings of the fateful 911 call that caused her to become an outcast. We see Melinda grow emotionally throughout the text while the situation and language used is believable and matches age of the characters being represented. The plot of the story follows Melinda throughout her freshman year in high school, and only reveals the night of the 911 call near the end of the text. The end of the text is hopeful and you are left with a sense that Melinda will be fine and has grown to accept the past and will be able to move on with the future. The setting is contemporary and reminiscent of the time period in which it was written and is recognizable today. The theme of the text is mature and is of serious nature. However, it encompasses the landmarks of transitioning to high school. This is a time when many people lose their friends and the reader is able to connect with Melinda on a more personal level. The book is written from Melinda's point of view and is written so that we are able to feel her actions within the story and understand her thoughts and feelings to truly get a sense of how the events surrounding the end of year party have affected her. Everything about this book is natural, believable, and relatable to many high school students facing various struggles and wanting to fit in and be accepted while still being themselves. Though, the serious nature of the book and traumatizing events may not be easily relatable. Every high school student has wanted to fit in and be accepted among their peers. The text does a great job at presenting real people with real problems and struggles.

Awards Received:

·         National Book Award Finalist

·         ALA Best Book for Young Adults

·         ALA Top-10 Best Book for Young Adults

·         ALA Quick Pick for Young Adults

·         Edgar Allan Poe Award finalist

·         IRA Young Adult Choice

·         Junior Library Guild Selection

·         Michael L. Printz Honor Book (American Library Association)

·         New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age

·         New York Times Bestseller List

·         SCBWI Golden Kite Award

·         YALSA Popular Paperback for Young Adults

 

Review Excerpts:

·         Publishers Weekly Starred Review - In a stunning first novel, Anderson uses keen observations and vivid imagery to pull readers into the head of an isolated teenager. . . . Yet Anderson infuses the narrative with a wit that sustains the heroine through her pain and holds readers' empathy. . . . But the book's overall gritty realism and Melinda's hard-won metamorphosis will leave readers touched and inspired.

·         The Horn Book Starred Review - An uncannily funny book even as it plumbs the darkness, Speak will hold readers from first word to last.

·         Kirkus Pointer Review - A frightening and sobering look at the cruelty and viciousness that pervade much of contemporary high school life, as real as today's headlines. . . . The plot is gripping and the characters are powerfully drawn . . . a novel that will be hard for readers to forget.

·         School Library Journal - Melinda's pain is palpable, and readers will totally empathize with her. This is a compelling book, with sharp, crisp writing that draws readers in, engulfing them in the story.

·         Booklist - Melinda's voice is distinct, unusual, and very real as she recounts her past and present experiences in bitterly ironic, occasionally even amusing vignettes. . . . Melinda's sarcastic wit, honesty, and courage make her a memorable character whose ultimate triumph will inspire and empower readers.

Connections/Activities:

·         Students can do a reader’s response over the text.

·         Students can compare the text to the theatrical version and analyze the similarities and differences.

·         Students can write about personal experiences or connections that they may have.

Selected other texts from Laurie Halse Anderson:

·         Wintergirls - 978-0670011100

·         Fever 1793 - 978-0689848919

·         Chains (The Seeds of America Trilogy) - 978-1416905868

Related Texts:

·         Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher – 978-1595141880

·         Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell –  978-1250012579

·         It’s Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini –  978-0786851973

·         The Fault in Our Stars by John Green - 978-0525478812

Personal Connections: I have always wanted to read this book. I think that it is a good book, and a great example of contemporary realistic fiction. It describes the struggle that many high school students face when trying to fit in, when in tragic circumstances.