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Loading... Speak: 10th Anniversary Edition (original 1999; edition 2009)by Laurie Halse Anderson
Work detailsSpeak by Laurie Halse Anderson (1999)
 ccathee17c | Jun 7, 2013 |    tauruseducation | Jun 5, 2013 | In my opinion a definite must read for every young woman and really it wouldn't hurt for the young men to flip through it as well. I have to admit that I might caution against handing it to a middle schooler, especially without parent permission. However, for high schoolers I think this can help teens tackle some difficult issues, hopefully before they have experienced them first hand, and hopefully so they'll never have to at all. I recommend fo parents to read the book as well, don't act like this stuff never happens or 'not my child.' Talk with your kids and let them know that they can come to you or their teacher. (  )1  dustandshadow | May 24, 2013 | One of the few books were I liked the movie better than the book. There was something missing for me. I honestly thought my ebook was missing pages at one point. (the part where she is attacked in the closet and the next chapter where she is talking to her art teacher at the end of the year) I ended up getting the book out of the library to read the missing part and to my amazement there was no extra pages. For me there needed to be something between those two points in the book. (  ) JenniferLynn | May 13, 2013 | 4.5 stars Interested in more of my reviews? Visit my blog! Another on my list of Banned/Challenged books. And another book that I apparently failed to be given as a reading requirement when I was younger. And yes, I’m starting to feel like a broken record at this point. But at least I’m getting around to reading them! Better late than never. Speak is a moving and heartbreaking tale about a young girl who is keeping a dark secret from everyone including her family. This kept secret cost her all of her friends who all hate her for what she did, yet she still lacks the will to speak the truth. The truth? She was raped at a party, called the cops, and everyone got in trouble and blamed her for it. ’I am BunnyRabbit again, hiding in the open. I sit like I have an egg in my mouth. One move, one word, and the egg will shatter and blow up the world.’ Speak is the story of her healing, coping, and coming to terms with it all. It was a truly enthralling tale that kept the pages turning despite the sadness each page is steeped in. To me, this was such a vivid and accurate depiction of a teen girl suffering through high school and the blowback from her kept secret. I may not have been able to personally relate to what happened to her, but I think everyone could relate in some way to how she was treated in high school by her classmates and how she felt. I don’t look back on high school (or school in general) with fond memories, I wasn’t popular by any means, and I often found myself dreading going to school. Reading about how she felt, how she was treated, definitely struck a chord with me. It was such a touching novel and I was so pleased that she finally found her resolution in the end and that she finally found the ability to speak. (  ) bonniemarjorie | May 7, 2013 |
 The plot is gripping and the characters are powerfully drawn, but it is its raw and unvarnished look at the dynamics of the high school experience that makes this a novel that will be hard for readers to forget. In her YA fiction debut, Anderson perfectly captures the harsh conformity of high-school cliques and one teen's struggle to find acceptance from her peers. Melinda's sarcastic wit, honesty, and courage make her a memorable character whose ultimate triumph will inspire and empower readers. Anderson expresses the emotions and the struggles of teenagers perfectly. Melinda's pain is palpable, and readers will totally empathize with her. This is a compelling book, with sharp, crisp writing that draws readers in, engulfing them in the story.  But the book's overall gritty realism and Melinda's hard-won metamorphosis will leave readers touched and inspired. Laurie Halse Anderson's first novel is a stunning and sympathetic tribute to the teenage outcast. The triumphant ending, in which Melinda finds her voice, is cause for cheering (while many readers might also shed a tear or two).
Amazon.com Amazon.com Review (ISBN 0142407321, Paperback)Since the beginning of the school year, high school freshman Melinda has found that it's been getting harder and harder for her to speak out loud: "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 caused Melinda to suddenly fall mute? Could it be due to 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' only form of communication is Post-It notes written on their way out the door to their nine-to-whenever jobs. While Melinda is bothered by these things, deep down she knows the real reason why she's been struck mute...Laurie Halse Anderson's first novel is a stunning and sympathetic tribute to the teenage outcast. The triumphant ending, in which Melinda finds her voice, is cause for cheering (while many readers might also shed a tear or two). After reading Speak, it will be hard for any teen to look at the class scapegoat again without a measure of compassion and understanding for that person--who may be screaming beneath the silence. (Ages 13 and older) --Jennifer Hubert (retrieved from Amazon Wed, 02 Jan 2013 23:02:20 -0500) A traumatic event near the end of the summer has a devastating effect on Melinda's freshman year in high school. (summary from another edition) |
LibraryThing AuthorLaurie Halse Anderson is a LibraryThing Author, an author who lists their personal library on LibraryThing.
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Series : -
Author : Laurie Halse Anderson
Pages : 198
Release Date : Oct. 22nd 1999
Publisher : Speak
Format : Paperback, Platinum Edition
Source : Borrowed - Library
So, I am trying something new! A book and movie review! Bear with me for the movie review; it'S my first try, and I hope it all goes well!
Book : My Opinion :
Speak is the first book by Laurie Halse Anderson that I read, and, I have to say; I was saddened that I didn't like it as much as I though I would.
It just didn't entertain me enough. I get that the book is about something really serious, and I think that was what kept me from giving it a two stars. There wasn't enough action; it was pretty repetitive, and there wasn't enough drama for me, and if you know me DRAMA is all that I care about (Or almost, because there is ALSO romance, which is something the book ALSO lacked of, but, I understand, because...putting romance in the book wouldn't have been logic).. I mean, are you going to read a book that tells the life of a normal girl (like me) who says how she eats her breakfast and what grades she got? NO! And that was how I felt whilst reading the book, although, there was the issue of... rape... but it wasn't approached enough to leave a mark on me - or readers, I think. I mean, it did leave an impact on me, but not a big enough.
Speak was a book that, even if it wasn't the best book ever, made me think.
Movie : My Opinion :
I thought the movie was a bit like the book; kinda boring and lacking of action at times, but, unlike the book, when there were dramatic, I thought they were even more dramaticer than the book!
The actor that plays the main character, Melinda, is actually Kristen Stewart. And she plays her part greatly!
IT (the guy that raped Melinda) played his part perfectly; he was the perfect jerk.
For once, I liked the movie better than the book! (