1.Book Review
The book “Speak” has been written by Laurie Halse Anderson with this book she was the first time nominated for the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature. “Speak” was initial published by the penguin group in 1999. Laurie Halse lives with her second husband, Scot Larrabe, and her children in NY. The book told about a 14 years old girl who was raped on an end of summer party by an older boy.
In the summer of her freshman year of high school Melinda Sordino has been raped by an older senior called Andy Evans during the party. There upon Melinda called the cops and these broke up the party immediately. After this night she is an outcast at her school. Even her closest friends stop talking at her. The only person who wants to talk to her is Heather from
I think Laurie wants show us how people are concentrated on them self, nowadays. Melinda called the police but nobody ask why, everyone just blamed her to broke up the party.
So even Melinda blamed herself. And at school, no teacher noticed that she didn’t speak, or her parents. Why they didn’t do anything? Why didn’t anybody recognize her situation?
I like this book because it shows a girl which overcomes her fears and become another person. I think it’s a very realistic story which could happen to everyone. I don’t like that Laurie writes very detailed how Melinda blamed herself in contrast to the end, when she overcomes her fears. This part was very short and besides to few detailed.
2. Description of the main character
Melinda doesn’t like and blame herself for the rape. After her rape she decided that it would be the best to stop to speak and so she redlines herself from everything. Melinda thinks that everyone at school hates her but over the story it turn out that some of her ex friends still like her. Also Mr. Freeman, the art teacher, likes her and helps her on his own way. After all she was never alone unlike she ever thought.
Melinda is a 14 years old girl which doesn’t have a lot of friends. Basically she had only three people which with she peak and that are Heather, David Pertaki, her lab partner, Mr. Freeman. Before the end she also can speak sometimes with Ivy. Melinda can’t talk to her parents, because they are very busy and that is the reason why she doesn’t want to charge her parents with her problems. In fact she has only Heather as a friend but after some time Heather dismissed her for the Marthas. Therefore the only person she trusts at school is Mr. Freeman and at the end she tells him about her rape what shows that they have a very strong connection.
The most pupils at school don’t like her because she broke up the party. If they would know what happens really at that time they would probably understand why she called the cops. The other people don’t even take a look at her except for David Pertaki. He likes her and invites she to come to a party at his house but she was too afraid and so she defeat. Her parents notice that she doesn’t speak and also her teachers, but they don’t help her, with the exception of Mr. Freemann tries to help her of on his wise.
I think only Melinda will change in the book namely at the scene with Andy Eavens when he tries to rape her again. There she remarks that it wasn’t the fault of her. He was the one who done something wrong and in this moment she overcomes her fears and she changed from the girl who stopped to speak to a self – confident girl who don’t think to keep her mouth. I think the best where you can see her change at her art, as her tree on her pictures changes also herself changes. At beginning her art looks like trees from a child and at the end the trees were not perfect but very good. With this dispartion trying something again and again she shows to me that she is a fighter and wants to live.
