Speak

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Summary: Speak
Review: 'Speak' is a book that allows the reader to see through the eyes of a teenage girl, Melinda Sordino. Melinda busted a wild End-of-Summer party by calling the police. But that was in August and now she's in her first year of highschool and almost everyone hates her, whether they know her or not. Melinda sees this all too well, "I am Outcast," is an appropriate quote by Melinda. But nobody bothered to ask or understand why she called the cops at the party and this secret is what is keeping her from speaking. To anyone around she seems to have suddenly gone mute, and hearing her own voice is a rare surprise to Melinda, unless it is within her own head. Her own mind is where she usually dwells, but there is a beast there, her summer secret, waiting to leap out and destroy her. Melinda has names and labels for everyone and everything, she's funny and witty despite the cruelty of her peers. But if Melinda wants to make anything in her life better, she will have to speak the truth and let go of her burden, her secret. This is her challenge.

I loved this book, it completely draws the reader into Merryweather High and Melinda's everyday life. This book could be recommended to anyone, but would especially appeal to young women (ages 13 & up.) I think everyone can identify with this book and it is a definite buy.

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Summary: i love this book!!
Review: The book, Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson, is great! It is about a girl named Melinda who just enters high school as a total outcast. Sure, she used to have friends, but this all changed when she called the cops at a high school party and the party got busted. Now, her ex-friends, and even people who have never met her before, are giving her the silent treatment and tons of dirty looks. But, Melinda has some silent treatment of her own going on. She refuses to speak to anyone, and if she does speak she makes sure she doesn't say too much.She cant tell everyone what really happened at the party... she cant tell them w,hy she called the cops... its much easier to stay silent. But finally in the end of the book she decides to SPEAK out! Im positive you will be pleased and surprised with the ending! This book is great for teenage girls, and even boys, because it shows that there are tons of problems in high school, and everyone need at least one person to listen to them speak.

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Summary: A very good book to read!!!
Review: Speak, by Laurie H. Anderson is a book that deals with real life issues. It's about a girl named Melinda Sordino who is having a hard time in High School. All of it is because something that happened at a party, which made her call the cops. Everyone got busted. Now all of her old friends won't speak to her. She is all alone with no one to talk to.

What I most like about this book is that it keeps you in suspense until the very end. You will always be wondering what happened that is making Melinda speak less and less everyday. I also like that it is one of the few books that I feel kids my age can actually relate to.

This book would most be enjoyed by girls although boys might like it as well. Since Speak has some bad language in it, it would not be appropriate for young children. If you are searching for a book to buy, I highly reccomend Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson!

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Summary: Jaysens book review
Review: The book "Speak" is about a girl named Melinda Sordino. She busted an end of the summer party by calling the cops. She finds life becomes hard for her, everyone hates her and looks down on her. The only break she gets is when she is alone. Something happened the night of the party that well I can't say or it would ruin the hold book but she has to fight not to speak the truth. I like how the book shows you how every day life is for a teen. It shows how hard and how easy things are at times. The only thing I didn't like about the book was that it's more of a girl book, but it was still good. People that would like this book would be in their teens and most likely in middle school or high school. I recommend this book for females, but if your a male and you happen to get stuck with this book It isn't that bad.
Jaysen Longtin

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Summary: Proud to Speak
Review: The seniors' end-of-the-year party ends abruptly when Melinda, a soon-to-be ninth grader, makes a phone call to the police. Because of this call, many people were arrested, and Melinda enters high school hated by all. But all is not as it seems. Melinda had a reason for calling, a reason that no one could know.

Traumatized by what had happened, Melinda finds it harder and harder to speak up. "Every time I try to talk to my parents or a teacher, I sputter or freeze. What is wrong with me? It's like I have some kind of spastic laryngitis." Her speech problem worsens as the year goes on, forcing her into her own thoughts and memories. Nothing she wants to say comes out right for her.

Throughout the year, Melinda has been given an assignment by her art teacher to create a tree that shows life. Her art and her speech entwine, neither one flourishing until Melinda is forced to make the confrontation that will rescue her soul.

This powerful story is told from Melinda's point of view, as an Outsider in the school's many cliques. She must deal with many of life's problems, by herself and with the limited help of others, in this moving book. This story has a dark tone to it, but with the sarcastic views of Melinda giving it a lighter overtone, it makes this a book teenage girls in today's society can relate to, and would enjoy reading. Speak is an outstanding book, well-written, and has that certain quality that doesn't let you put it down until the last word. It is highly recommended by me.

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Summary: Speak!!!!
Review: Speak is a great book! It's about a girl named Melinda who had many friends until she called the cops at a high school party. I'm not going to say what happened at the party because it will ruin the ending but I do just have to say that it is a great ending. Well anyways since that party all her friends has turned against her. She has to start high school with no friends. Basically this book show how Melinda goes through high school with little friends she just meets.
The thing I like about this book is that I can relate to Melinda in many ways. First, Melinda and I are both the same age so we are going through the same thing (beside that know friends part). Another thing is that her parents are like mine the typical "annoying" Parents. The last thing I liked about this book is her friend Heather. She is always looking on the bright side and seems very fun. There wasn't really anything I didn't like about this book because it was so great.
The people that I think would in joy this book are female's around the age of 13-18 years old. Also People who enjoy realistic book would enjoy this book. So if your one of those people or you think that you would enjoy the book because of my review I say you get up right now and go buy or check out the book Speak!

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Summary: Shall she Speak
Review: It all begins with a summer party that ended friendships because Melinda called the cops... and for a deep, mysterious reason. In the story, she starts out a at high school with no friends, which seems like an almost impossible task to some people in reality, but Melinda is getting through it and being " bugged" by her only "friend," Heather from Ohio. As Melinda continues to care less and less about Heather, Heather forgets her, and only comes to Melinda when she needs her. At first Melinda wouldn''t really speak to anyone, then as you get deeper into the story you find Melinda gradually becoming happier and stronger. She finds an acquaintance in her art class( which is the only class she gets a good grade in), and her Physical Ed teacher sees the Melinda isn't to bad at basketball, in fact she can shoot free throws better than all of the guys on the team. To figure out the rest you have to read this story.
I would highly recommend Speak for the ages 13-17. It deals with some serious situations , however the story line could easily be true, and everyone needs to be aware of that. Also, the story line may not be appropriate to younger people do to the bad language, and Melinda is not a good influence. In the story she skips class to go to her closet (which is actually an abandon janitors closet near the senior's side) to be alone. Also, I wouldn't recommend this book for young men because to me it seems like the situations Melinda is put in is something girls are more interested in, concerned about, or more caring about especially when it comes to high school.
I completely enjoyed the author's way of writing, and how descriptive she was. Laurie Anderson made me feel sorry for what Melinda had to go through especially with no friends, and people being absolutely furious at her. I actually began to read this book because of a class assignment and I had to choose from a list of books. I choose this one not really knowing what it was going to be about. This book wasn't one that was hard for me to put down at first. I was having a hard time concentrating on the story line so I kept having to go back and reread the first few pages, but soon enough I could not close it. I didn't like the language Melinda used. I know to some cussing makes it more dramatic, or more believable, but I didn't think it was necessary. Thankfully there wasn't to much bad language, but it did get to me.
LIke I said previously I didn't understand the first few pages, and I'm not sure why looking back on it, but it just could've been because I'm not a big reader and a lot of books are hard for me to like at first. I highly recommend this book and I gave it five stars!

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Summary: Making Choices-Speak
Review: Speak. "The tough, tender, and darkly funny story of a teenage outcast." It's about a girl named Melinda Sordino who lived in Syracuse, New York. She was busted at an end-of-summer party for calling the cops. She never told anyone what really went on that night, not even her own parents. The next year she starts high school with no friends. Her old friends, Nicole, who now hangs with the jocks, Ivy, who hangs with the artists and Rachel, her ex-best friend who hangs with the foreign exchange students all hate her. Even people who didn't know her hated her from a distance. While in school she discovers herself and then she speaks the truth.
One of my favorite parts in the book is when she goes to the mall and finds Ivy sitting on one of the benches with a sketchbook in hand. She is watching little children getting their faces painted. They are both in art class at school and were assigned different objects to draw, carve, or paint for the year. Ivy was assigned clowns so she was looking at the children getting their faces painted as clowns. Melinda sits down and they talk. Ivy helps Melinda draw her object, which is a tree. She shows her how to just let it flow. I thought this was a touching moment because Melinda has hardly talked to anyone this whole year and here she is finally connecting with one of her old friends.
I suppose there was one part of the story that puzzled me and I didn't quite understand. Why was it so hard for Melinda to talk to her parents? She didn't have to bring up that night with them but I certainly would've said something. Personally I would have been so scared. I mean wasn't she worried of what would happen if she didn't tell someone? I guess that was the part that disturbed me a bit but I imagine that if the author were to have made that change it would affect the entire outcome of the book. The story is about her getting the courage to tell someone what happened, hence the name of the book. I wouldn't change the book otherwise.
The author, Laurie Halse Anderson, writes about a 14 year-old girl who is entering high school. So the best gender for this book would definitely have to be girls. They would understand it better than boys because both genders go through different stages at different ages. For as far as age goes, absolutely over the age of 13. Maybe a very mature individual with an eighth grade reading ability or higher but, there is content in the book that may be hard for anyone under the age to comprehend. Otherwise, practically everyone would enjoy this book.

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Summary: speak session
Review: Freshman high school student, Melinda has found that it's been getting harder and harder for her to speak out loud. She says, "My throat is always sore, my lips raw.... Every time I try to talk to my parents or a teacher, I sputter or freeze.... It's like I have some kind of spastic laryngitis." What could have happened to cause Melinda to stop speaking? It might be because of the fact that no one at school is speaking to her because she called the cops and got everyone busted at the seniors' big end-of-summer party? Or maybe it's because her parents' communicate with her by putting post it notes on the refridge-orator for her to read before they go to work. While these things bother Melinda, deep down she knows the real reason why she's stop talking is Andy Evans. He's a senior at Melinda's high school. Some thing terrible happened to Melinda at that party, other than her calling the cops on every one. Read this book to find out what made Melinda go mute and pull her self out of communication all together.
I enjoyed most about the book was how Melinda seemed to talk to me through out the book. Even though she didn't communicate to any one else. It was like she was only talking to me. Trying to get me to help her with her problems.
I didn't really not understand any thing in the book. Well maybe at first the book was a little confusing. I know it started out right with how she came to a new school but to me it seemed like I jumped right in the middle of the story. Almost like I opened the book in the middle and just started to read.
I am definitely sure that this book was intended for a teenage age group to read. This book talks about this girls' problems as a teen growing up. Parents might be able to relate but it wouldn't interest them as much as it would interest teenagers. It doesn't matter boy or girl. Any one between the ages of 12 through 18 would enjoy this book. You might have to have a certain maturity to read this book. Younger children shouldn't have to know about these kinds of problems quite yet. Children might not be able to fully understand what's going on in this book. As long as the teenager has a normal reading level, and is mature enough, they can read this book. That also goes along with cultural backgrounds.Read this book. I know youll love it. It really opens your mind up. :)

Rating:
Summary: Please Read
Review: I have read some of the reviews with lower ratings and most of the people have similar complaints about the book. They feel as though Melinda should have spoken up about what had happened to her at the party and not keep it to herself and that she should of just gotten over the rape and gone back to her life before. Obviously, these people don't understand how traumatic being raped is. You just don't bounce back and tell everyone about it. When you are raped you feel so violated as so painfully hurt mentally it's hard to open up again for fear it will happen again.

When raped your body, which is supposed to be yours and yours alone is being excruciatingly ripped away from you. Recovering from rape is one of the hardest things in life to go through and instead of people trying to understand what it was like for Melinda to open herself up again people complain that she's being a baby about it. She is not wallowing in self-pity merely trying to find herself after what has completely changed the way she not only looks at herself but those around her.

Some people will never fully understand rape and hen you read Speak you are put in Melinda's position and you see her world through her eyes. Of course she has become sarcastic of those around her how can you expect her to open up to these people after the way they treated her. Speak is a beautifully written novel about the suffering a girl goes through alone not because she chooses too but is forced to when all those around her abandon her in her own pain.