Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Speak
by Laurie Halse Anderson
Pub. Date: 1999
Genre: Fiction
224pp

Synopsis from BN.com:
Melinda Sordino busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops. Now her old friends won't talk to her, and people she doesn't even know hate her from a distance. The safest place to be is alone, inside her own head. But even that's not safe. Because there's something she's trying not to think about, something about the night of the party that, if she let it in, would blow her carefully constructed disguise to smithereens. And then she would have to speak the truth. This extraordinary first novel has captured the imaginations of teenagers and adults across the country.

Why I Picked It:
Another book that's been on my shelf for many many months. I've picked it up a few times, but today I was feeling a little sick and decided to just sit and be quiet.

My Review:
This is such an important book. By putting it down so many times I was seriously underestimating just how powerful it was. It's a book about understanding yourself, wanting to be understood, being strong enough to speak up for oneself, and most importantly, finding your own voice.

I initially found the cadence of the book to be slow. There was no denying that Melinda's narrative, mostly an internal monologue, is witty, intelligent, and couldn't more perfectly capture the high school experience. Down to the detached though loving parents, silly chatty girls and the strange, misfit, and even dictatorial teachers. Melinda is clear that no one seems to be listening anyway, so why bother to speak.

But the horror that happened, that silenced and outcast her, does eventually make itself known to the reader, in bits and pieces. (I am trying very hard not to say too much so as not to undermine the story. I really want to say it all, but I will restrain myself.) Using Melinda's language, "IT" gets a little too close to one of her old friends. To protect her, Melinda finally summons the courage to speak to her friend, tell her the truth.

I suspected what the truth was, and once it was fully revealed, there was no stopping the pages from turning. At the climactic end when Melinda truly finds her voice, I defy you not to cheer, cry, or clap. It's powerful.

It's a story told carefully, in a voice so genuine, so true. I think every teenager should read this book. I think every parent of a teenager should read this book. Okay, I think anyone who has ever BEEN a teenager should read this book. Be wary of the silences, and don't be so quick to judge. Laurie Halse Anderson perfectly captures the voice and experience of the teenage outcast. I really wish I was in a book club -- this one could easily withstand hours of discussion.