Module 7 - Speak

Module 7 - Speak

Book Summary -
The summer before Melinda starts high school, she goes to a party and is raped.  She calls police, but is silent, not knowing what to say.  As school starts, she rarely speaks, and then is abandoned by her former friends.  She finds out that her rapists, Andy Evans, is a student at her school.  She becomes the outcast, and withdraws from society.  She skips school and only finds an outlet in her art class.  As her former best friend Rachel starts to date Andy, Melinda struggles, but succeeds in telling her that Andy raped her the summer before.  Rachel ignores the warnings, even though Melinda presses the subject.  At the end of the year, as she's cleaning out her "hideaway" (the janitor's closet), Andy confronts her.  She fights back and finally finds her voice. 

APA Reference -
Anderson, L.H. (1999).  Speak.  New York: Farrar Straus Giroux.

My Impressions -
This is such a powerful book.  It reminds us that we must speak up for ourselves.  The pain that Melinda feels at not being able to say what happened is translated through Anderson's writing.  This is a "crying" book.  It is full of pain, loss, and ostracization.  At the end, though, it is so full of hope.  The reader really goes on a journey with Melinda throughout her ordeal and the following year without hope.  I love, love, love this book.

Professional Review -
Gr 9 Up- After ruining a summer party by calling the police, Melinda Sordino begins her freshman year as an outcast. The truth is she was raped, and because of the trauma, she barely speaks. The teen's struggle to find acceptance and her voice is compelling and illustrates the cruelty of peer pressure and high school cliques.
Ralston, J. (2003). Speak (Book). School Library Journal, 49(10), 99.

Library Uses -
This book is ideal for a book talk.  Since it is such a heavy subject, it is perfect for a discussion led by a librarian or teacher.  It lends itself to discussion of the theme of speaking up for oneself and how important each person's "voice" is to them and to society.