Speak

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Summary: speak
Review: I love this book Speak, it has such a meaning to it like don't be afraid to meet new people, don't go to parties if you are going to cause drama or any type problems at a party like Malinda did.
I can relate to her in some ways like afraid o meet new people, feeling insecure about yourself, and just not wanting to put yourself out there. Andersons book is Inspirational. Her book is definitely on my top ten - list. I would recommend it to anyone who is afraid to make new friends or anyone who likes to go to parties and is in for a surprise in the book Speak. It is a great book and I am exited to read Andersons next book.

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Summary: Read, But With Caution
Review: This book was fantastically written. It was passed around my seventh grade class, and I can honestly say I was gripped until the last page. Anderson tells the story of a freshman in highschool who has emotional problems following a party she and a friend attended the previous summer. She is shunned at school, and her parents don't understand what is happening to her. She experiments with cutting herself and contemplates ways out. She stops speaking.
My only qualm with this book was that it stuck a nerve. It was a bit too close to home, and it affected me very deeply at the time I read it because I was going through something similar. I almost passed it on, but a friend pressured me to finish it. I did, but it was probably not the right thing to do at the time.
To those who have been sexually abused, get help. It's not wrong to speak up, and it is NOT YOUR FAULT, regardless of what the abuser would have you think. PLEASE TALK TO SOMEONE. Be very, very careful with what you read, and don't read something if your gut tells you not to (even if a friend suggests you do). Come to terms with the world before you pick this up. I wish you luck.
To those who have been shunned, or are being shunned, don't read this. Yet. Someday, come back and visit this. But give yourself time. You don't need this now. GO TALK TO SOMEONE. It's the single best thing you can do for yourself. I wish you luck.
This book brings people to their knees. Be careful when you read it. By all means, do read it at some point, just think on it before you order it.

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Summary: Just Stand Up and Speak
Review: From her first day at Merryweather High, Melinda has been the school-wide outcast. Like ninth grade is not hard enough already! She hasn't a friend in the world after she busted the end of the summer party by calling the cops. Everyone was drinking and "having fun." Well not from Melinda's side of the story. It is at that very party that something happened to her that changed her life. Now even thinking about that August day makes her stomach turn. She really needs someone to talk to-like maybe one of her old friends. There is Nicole the insane jock girl, Ivy the suffering artist, and above all there is Rachel. Rachel was Melinda's best friend. They did everything together. They took swimming lessons, they painted each others toe nails, they even knew each other's deepest darkest secrets but not even Rachel knew what had happened to Melinda, despite the fact that she was at the very same party. Never the less, they are all useless now because not any of them will talk to her. Everyone knows her as the girl who busted the party- if they only knew her side of the story, then things would be very, very different.

That's exactly how you hear the story, from Melinda's point of view. I think that this is very important because this way you can see all of the things that she sees, you can hear all of the things she hears, and you can feel her pain. Since no one will talk to her, Melinda retreats into her head where she is safe and alone. She never realized that by doing so, she has become more mute to her surroundings then ever before. It is not so comfortable inside her head, either-there is something banging around in there that she does not want to think about. IT haunts her everywhere she goes, IT is around every corner waiting to strike again. Even though she tries to avoid it, it will not go away. Even with this pain inside, she still refuses to speak to anyone about what happened. No one must ever know, ever. So she continues on with her gloomy life, until she can't avoid IT any longer after there is a painful confrontation. Once that happens-she can't be silent. She must speak the truth.

I feel that the overall theme of this story is that even when something bad happens you must not keep it inside! Although I
know that it is hard to speak up for yourself, keeping your mouth shut is worse.

I really enjoyed this book because of a lot of reasons. This book is one of Laurie Halse Anderson's finest as you can see. It represents life for a teenager so clearly that you laugh when you hear about something humorous, you gasp at times of suspense, your fingers tingle with anticipation to keep turning the pages, and at some points, you might honestly shed a tear or two because the entire time, you know what it feels like. You understand Melinda's pain, you have been there before. It is so true and honest and clear. Along with that, it is an overall great story with a powerful ending that teaches a lesson to not just teens, but adults as well. It is a very strong read. It definitely has some controversial things in it that I would not recommend to children. This is definitely one for young adults. Though it has some rough parts, it is an amazing story that will stay with you forever.

Rating:
Summary: ...
Review: Speak was about a girl name Melinda Sordino, a freshmen at Merry Weather High School, who goes through many problems in life. At the beginning of the book Melinda goes to school with no friends. All of her old friends do not like her anymore. During the summer Melinda called the police when she was at a party. All of her friends got mad because a bunch of people got in trouble for the party. Melinda has to cope with not having friends, her parents fighting all the time, and the fact that she was raped by a boy named Andy Evans. She finds comfort in art class. Mostly because Mr.Freeman, her art teacher, will listen to her. Melinda fixed up an old janitor's closet that she stayed in to get away from everything at school. It felt more like home then her own house. Andy Evans tired to rape her again in that closet. She fought him off and he got in trouble. At the end of the book Melinda opens up and starts to talk to people about her issues. She tells Mr.Freeman what has went on and he listens.

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Summary: 'No' Means 'No'
Review: Not only was I able to read 'Speak' in one day, but I found it to be very liberating. I am a victim of rape...was a victim of rape...when I was 18...some 15 years ago. The silence will surely kill you on the inside in a way that the physical act could never do. Rape takes away a very important part of you..in my case and 'Melinda's', it robbed us of our virginity. The saddest part is that for a 13 year-old girl, the concept of the first kiss is still at arms length, let alone a physical relationship. I commend the author for sharing this story in a format that can bring inspiration and education to teens as well as adults.

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Summary: PLEASE SPEAK!!!!!!!
Review: The book speak is a wonderfull book that teaches you a very imporant lesson. This book is about a girl named Melinda, who will soon be a freshman in highschool. Before she starts highschool she attends a end-of-the-summer party and busts it. So now school has started, her old friends won't talk to her and even people she doesn't even know hat her from a distance.
But there was a reason why she busted the party that night, and a very good one at that, but she hasn't told anyone.
This book will keep you on the of your seat wondering why she would do this when the party was so much fun. This book will also teach you to SPEAK up no matter what the case is. Expecially in her situation

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Summary: Emily's Speak Review
Review: Let me start off by saying that Speak is a wonderfully written book. I was required to read this book for class and was not extremely excited about at first. When we started to read it, I really got into it. It is a little confusing but that is what makes it exciting.
The main character of Speak is Melinda. In the beginning you find out that no one likes her. Basically she is an outcast. Her best friend and her group of friends last year refuse to talk to her. They have all gotten on with their live and are doing bigger and better things. Melinda seems to be stuck without anyone.
As you read this book you are taken through Melinda's journey through a year of school. You do eventually find out why she is such an outcast. Melinda also does overcome it. There are many ways that you can relate to this book. Overall Speak was so good so I had to give it 5 stars.

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Summary: Speak was good
Review: I thought it was good and this book can realate to many freshmens in high school!!

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Summary: Speaks Volumes
Review: This is a story about a girl named Melinda. She was afraid to speak the truth about the awful thing that happend to her at a summer party.
*I think the climax of this but is really good but some of the book gets a little boring because she is just telling us about all the clasess she has and it becomes kind of boring repetitive.
* I recomend this book because how difficult it is to SPEAK the truth and tell others what has happened to you.

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Summary: Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
Review: The book speak is narrated by a freshman in high school, Melinda, who ever since she called the cops at an end of summer party has been an outcast at her school in New York. Before that she had been in the popular group at school. Every one at school, even people who don't know her, hate her for ruining that party. The incident that occurred there was much to emotional for her to repeat, so no one ever hears her side of the story. Her life at home is very hard as well, as her parents hardly talk to her and fight all the time. Everything that happens to her seems to be bad, and it gets worse as the year progresses. Eventually, through all the trouble she gets into from saying what she wants, her brain refuses to let her speak at all anymore. After the pressure builds up and she can't stand it any longer, she summons the courage later in the year to speak up about what really happened at that party and things resolve themselves. This book is very suspenseful as the events at the party are slowly unraveled, and you find out what it was that made Melinda call the cops that night, and what caused her to become the outcast at school. It was a very good book, funny at parts, incredibly sad sometimes, and very exciting to read, for either gender, and any age. I think the author wanted readers to realize how a first impression of some one or going by what some one told you about a person is not a good way to judge him or her.