Speak by: Laurie Halse Anderson

Laurie Halse Anderson is an author that I'm slightly familiar with because of her book Fever 1793 that I read in 7th grade. I considerably enjoyed her writing, so I checked out another great novel of hers, Speak. Laurie Halse Anderson was born on October 23, 1961, in Potsdam, New York. She was a well-behaved student and considered writing as a hobby for some time. She is now a well-known author for children and young adult books. To continue, Speak describes the conflict of the high school freshman, Melinda, and her behavior for much of the novel. This book obligates the reader to think about their actions and effects on people's feelings. Speak is set in Syracuse, New York. Exact dates aren't listened in the book. However, because the book was first published in 1999, it probably takes place in the late 1990’s. Most of Speak happens in Merewether High School where Melinda is facing her conflicts. Melinda is a freshman striving depression who entered high school with the wrong hair, clothes, and …show more content…
Communication is beneficial. If something is bothering you, tell someone. But Melinda is suffering from her past. She loses the ability to communicate after she was assaulted at a party that past summer. It was an end of the year party and Melinda called the police because of her horrific experience. The one person she talked to didn’t believe her and discouraged her because of what she thinks is a lie. Melinda re-learns to talk. Her art teacher, Mr. Freeman, helped step her through the challenging times by introducing her to art. She learns that silence, like most things, has the right place and purpose and that speaking out can be risky but very necessary. This book has an informal writing style. To simplify it, it is Melinda's diary. It includes her daily thoughts, hatred toward people, and secrets. Melinda, at times, can be a quiet, forgotten freshman but has a loud