Alexa St. Angelo
Mrs. Wahlberg
Grade 10 Period 7 CP
11 March 2013

A Silent Outcast's Dark Secret The novel "Speak" written by Laurie Halse Anderson is a story known to most teens. Laurie Halse Anderson did a great job of interpreting many modern struggles most teens may face today. Not every teen is enjoying their high school experience or may have it as easy as their peers do. Freshman Melinda Sordino did not have her ninth grade year go as planned for her. Her story is told in this book. This is a powerful novel that is great for opening discussions and shining awareness on topics such as violence, sex, language, drinking, drugs and smoking. "Speak" tells the story of 13 year old Melinda Sordino, who has a rough first year of high school. The previous summer, Melinda busted a party by calling the cops. No one understood why she did so, and this one act of hers is what made her an outcast her freshman year. It was made known what she had done that night and people weren't easy on her for this. With her friends not talking to her and the constant judgment of those around her who didn't even know her, this caused Melinda unbelievable stress. Melinda, now a mute and friendless, only found comfort in herself but she could never remain eased for too long because there was something else that happened that night that was causing her nonstop stress. She couldn't find the voice to speak about what had happened to her, and she didn't have anyone she could talk about it to anyway. The characters in this book are described as the way Melinda sees them. This book is written in first person narrative, and gives description as to how Melinda sees things and feels towards them. One thing that stands out about this book is that it is almost written as if it were a poem. You don't not see many novels written like this now-a-days. Melinda as the protagonist gives her feelings on the people around her. She discusses her issues towards antagonist Andy Evans, the senior, and how she feels when she sees him around school. Melinda feels a negative way towards him, as well as the many students in school that bully her on a daily basis. The only characters Melinda feels a positive way towards are her art teacher Mr. Freeman, and her friend named Heather. Heather and Mr. Freeman are unaware of her secret in the plot, just like everyone else. The plot of this story is very interesting, suspenseful and intriguing. Overall, this is a very dark novel. It has caught the attention of many teens as well as many adults. It is hard to put this book down because of the way Melinda tells it. It is written basically as a diary, so you can almost feel what Melinda is feeling. It is hard reading the buildup and affect this secret has on Melinda. This book is written as a realistic fiction story, so it is easy to picture and imagine what is going on. Throughout the story you just wonder what will happen next, nothing is predictable. It is like a nonstop cliffhanger, and you wish as if she could just get through this rough patch and get her life back on track. You sympathize for Melinda, and go through everything with her in this story. The novel "Speak" is a very dark novel but is a life changing one. People actually go through what Melinda went through in this story. I highly recommend this book to any teen or adult. I would recommend this to anyone over the age of 13 or 14 only because of its harsh and realistic content. This book is an eye opener, and gets you thinking. It was made into a movie, and the movie is just as popular. The immense educational value this book gives makes it a great book for discussion. It definitely makes you think twice about what you witness around you and may bring realization to things you may have never paid as much attention to before.