Speak

Book Review about Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson is a novel about a girl named Melinda Sordino. Melinda was a normal 13 year old girl, but after she goes to a party over the summer going into freshman year, her whole world changes. Suddenly, no one is talking to her, even her best friend, because she called the cops at the party. She finds herself becoming mute, as all of her “friends” betray her.

I really enjoyed this book because I was engaged from the first page to the last. I personally get really distracted when I read, however, because this book was so captivating, I never found myself distracted or dozing off. I think that the author did an outstanding job showing the reader the importance of speaking up for yourself. By the end of the book, I had also learned the qualities of true friends. I strongly dislike the new girl, Heather, who befriends Melinda when she has no one else. But when Melinda seems depressed, it causes their friendship to have troubles. This shows me that true friends will support you even during your toughest times.

Speak has a very significant title because it is the overall big message of the book. I think Laurie Halse Anderson titled this book Speak because it emphasizes the lesson and it shows what Melinda has to do in order to overcome her fear. Speak has made me view the world a different way, it has expressed to me that you never know what someone might be going through. I have learned to never make assumptions about people based on their actions or appearance. I think everyone should realize this by reading Speak, and I assure that whoever does, will be just as touched by it as I am. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes suspenseful fiction books, specifically shy or depressed teenagers.