Speak
By Laurie Halse Anderson
If you were raped, would you tell someone?
Melinda's Theory.
"It's easier not to say anything. Shut your trap, button your lip, can it. All that crap you hear on TV about communication and expressing your feelings is a lie. Nobody really wants to hear what you have to say" (Anderson 9).
What if it happened to you?
Melinda has a lot to say, but she can't say it. Would anyone listen, or even believe her? She holds it in and tells no one about what happened at the party even if everyone hates her for calling the cops. What was she supposed to do? She was raped. Throughout her freshman year she lives in her head and speaks very little. The only places in school Melinda enjoys are the art room and an abandoned closet, where she goes to when things get overwhelming. Speak is a novel showing Melinda's journey as she struggles to find the strength to speak up.
Join thousands of people as they read about Melinda's journey.
Praise for Speak
"An uncannily funny book even as it plumbs the darkness, SPEAK will hold readers from first word to last." -The Horn Book, starred review
"A stunning first novel.... Anderson infuses the narrative with a wit that sustains the heroine through her pain and holds readers' empathy.... Melinda's hard-won metamorphosis will leave readers touched and inspired." -Publishers Weekly, starred review
Accolades
A Michael L. Printz Honor Book
A National Book Award Finalist
A Los Angeles Times Book Award Finalist
An Edgar Allen Poe Award Finalist
A New York Times Best Seller
An ALA Top Ten Best Book For Young Adults
and More!
Winner of eight state book awards and a finalist for eleven
Read It, You Won't Regret It.
Visit Laurie's Website at www.writerlady.com