Review of Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Speak is a dramatic young adult novel published in 1999 about the experiences

of a high school girl named Melinda.

At an end of summer party, right before Melinda’s freshman year, something

bad happens to Melinda. She calls 911, but when her call is answered she finds

herself unable to speak. A party goer discovers that Melinda has called the

police, and Melinda quickly runs away, not knowing what to do. When the

police arrive at the party, many kids there get in trouble for underage drinking.

Melinda starts high school alone and ostracised because of calling the cops at

the party. Being friendless as well as haunted by what happened to her at the

party, she becomes extremely depressed, and decides not to tell anybody

about what happened at the party. Melinda's grades drop and she is quite

often truant from school as her mental state gets worse and worse.

This is a deeply emotional, thought provoking book that is well worth a read.