Rating: 
Summary: A Social Outcast.....
Review: ...would perfectly describe Melinda Sordino. Since last summer everything has gone wrong for her, it's like she gave up on herself. This dark humor she uses to describe the everyday situations of her seemingly pitiful existance, give this book a different twist. This book portrays an inside look into the mind and through the eyes of a teenage outcast. She has not always had this form of social anxiety, she busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops. Her best friend has deserted her. "Her eyes meet mine for a second. 'I hate you,' she mouths silently." Her only hope for human connection at school is a "happy, driven, and aerobically fit," girl named Heather. Everything that Heather is is something that Melinda once was. The dynmamics of the characters alone make this novel one many highschool atudents can relate to. Andy Evens. That name makes Melinda shutter. What could have happened to make her have this painful "sparatic laryngitis"? Andy doesn't seem to inflict any harm on Melinda but they way he make Melinda feel makes him a sketchy character. Laurie Halse Anderson has crafted a realistic documentary of life through the eyes of someone who wasn't perfect, and provides the reader with a strong and direct message. "Speak," the title tells us all that painful problems are hard to take in. If you ever are in the position of Melinda, all she ever needed was someone to believe and listen to her. I enjoyed reading "Speak," but I found it raw and way too drawn out. It had no conflict or climax to the book. It did not keep me drawn in or interested. The message of the book did serve it's purpose and made me understand the position on Melinda and why she was withdrawn from life.
Rating: 
Summary: A Look Into True Life
Review: Speak is a very accurate portrayal of high school life. The book follows Melinda Sordino, a high school nobody, through her everyday 'adventures' at Merryweather High. She has no friends and is hated by almost all. During the summer, a party was busted by the cops, who were tipped off by Melinda, and from then on she was an outcast. Laurie Halse Anderson gives a very on the mark display of the drama and cruelty of teenage life. Anderson really finds the true feelings of teenage girls and her book shows all the not so pretty parts of their lives. All through the book, Melinda is tormented and harassed by everyone at her school, not to mention her problems with her parents at home. But something more dark and scary happened the night of the party. Something that she has not even dared to think about until now. But as Melinda discovers, nothing can hide or hold back the hurtful truth of what happened that night.
Through this book, Melinda finds strength in the most odd places and she learns how to cope with her pain. She grows up and understands what it is like to be someone.
I enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to anyone. It was easy to read and I believe that everyone can relate to it in someway. It is faithful to life and there is no sugar coating. Anderson writes the truth.
Rating: 
Summary: Your Life Blame!!! Is Gone
Review: Imagine that you and your friends convinced an older brother to take you to a senior party. You're there and everythings fine. Yet suddenly everything becomes flipped. Your friends hate you. People you don't even know scowl and sneer when you walk down the hallw, when you get back at school. You have no one to talk to, and if you did you wouldn't trust them anyway. That's what happened to Melinda in the book Speak, by Lauria Halse Anderson.
Melinda and her friend, Rachele are just going into Junior High. It's a month before school starts and Melinda's friend, Rachele asks her older brother if they can go to the party with him. Melinda's having a great time. Everyone's drinking and partying. A cute senior hits on her. Then he asks her to go for a walk and she says yes. Suddenly Melinda's standing next to a pay phone, covered in mud, and she's crying. She's dialed the numder for the police and their on their way. People are running from the cops. Melinda runs all the way home. It's over or is it?
Melinda's a well formed character. I find her oddly funny in the sense that even through all the yelling, and pain she still has a sense of humor. Like when her parents are yelling at her, and all of the peer-pressure. I also find it funny because she gives certian charcter's nick names like the Martha's, the Jerks, the Jocks. The teachers are Mr. Neck, Miss Weatherbe, and Mrs. Hairmaster.
I would recommend the book Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson to anyone who wants to laugh, cry, and blush with the character's amazement. The book Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson reminds me of another book that I read called, A Child Called "It," by David Pelzer, the boy may not have been abused the same way as Melinda but it still is really emotional.
Rating:
Summary: A Classic
Review: Melinda Sordino was only in the 8th grade when something happened that would change her life forever. After being raped at a high school party, she calls the cops, and people get into trouble, and their fun is broken up. By the time Melinda starts high school, none of her old friends are talking to her, and her rapist is now harassing her. She's flunking in school, and won't speak. Until she meets the one person who helps her tell the truth about what happened that night. This is a truly wonderful book, with real life issues. It's a must read for all teenagers.
Rating:
Summary: A very emotional moving book
Review: This book still brings me to tears whenever I see the cover... This book is very accurate on how it feels to a victim of rape. Melinda is a heroine I can look up to. Even though she could not speak she still lived her life. The best part is most definetely the end. I will not ruin it for you.
Rating:
Summary: A MUST read book!!!
Review: A tramatic story that makes you think and realize the horrors of the real world. Its a story that captures you every second. It is about a girl that overcomes her greatest fears. This is an excellent book and I recommend it strongly!!!
Rating:
Summary: Just average...
Review: Speak is another book about the cruelties of high school and what it's like to be an outcast. While I like the narrative, it was just too boring most of the time and only once every 10 or so pages something slightly intresting or something that slightly has to with the plot, came up. It was too spaced out. The intensity slope on this book never really gets too steep. It's more of just a little speed bump. And the ending isn't really the most intense either. It only lasts about 4 pages and doesn't really give us anything reasonable to work with. It shows that she couldn't speak, and when she finally wanted to speak, she chose to use violence instead. Great theme (sarcasm). If you want a great coming-of-age story, pick The Perks Of Being A Wallflower. Nothing I've read has come close.
Rating:
Summary: Please read this book.
Review: I think a lot of people don't really understand what it means to be raped and this book shows people how confusing things like that can be. I haven't been raped so I don't know if it's accurate or not but it is still an extremely moving and interesting book. You can see the world a little clearer if you understand the bad things that can happen and I think people who make fun of others who are different in school like Melinda will think twice about their actions after reading this book.
Rating:
Summary: Speechless Book
Review: At first, when I started reading this book, I thought it was kind of boring and I didn't really understand what the whole story was about. But then I kept on reading the book and I started liking it more and more. This book is about a girl named Melinda who was just a normal girl until high school started. Melinda became mute. She hadn't figured out why she had become this way until she found out that it was because of a senior named Andy Evans. He turned her into this mute and shy girl the night he took advantage of Melinda at a party during the summer. I really liked this book because it showed great writing and was good to read during my free time. I also gave this book four stars because the story kept me interested and kept me thinking throughout the whole story. This is a great book to read during your free time and you can really get to see what a great writer Laurie Halse Anderson.
Rating:
Summary: AWESOME!!!!
Review: oh my gosh!! this book is a must own. i saw it at my book faire and i was told it was good. so i bought it. me being a slow reader, read this 208 paged book in 3 or 4 day!!( it usually takes me a month to read a 200 paged book!!) you have to buy it!!
| 
