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Speak

By Laurie Halse Anderson

(148)

| Hardcover | 9780374371524

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Book Description

The first ten lies they tell you in high school

"Speak up for yourself - we want to know what you have to say." From the first moment of her freshman year at Merryweather High, Melinda knows that this is a big fat lie, part of the nonsense of high school. She is friendless, outcast, Continue

The first ten lies they tell you in high school

"Speak up for yourself - we want to know what you have to say." From the first moment of her freshman year at Merryweather High, Melinda knows that this is a big fat lie, part of the nonsense of high school. She is friendless, outcast, because she busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops, so now nobody will talk to her, let alone listen to her. As time passes, she becomes increasingly isolated and practically stops talking altogether. Only her art class offers any solace, and is is through her work on an art project that she is finally able to face what really happened at that terrible party: she was raped by an upperclassman, a guy who still attends Merryweather and is still a threat to her. Her healing process has just begun when she has another violent encounter with him. But this time Melinda fights back, refuses to be silent, and thereby achieves a measure of vindication. In this powerful novel, an utterly believeable heroine with a bitterly ironic voice delivers a blow to the hypocritical world of high school. She speaks for many a disenfranchised teenager while demonstrating the importance of speaking up for oneself.

Critics

  • Speak. Le parole non dette

    La trama e le recensioni di "Speak. Le parole non dette", romanzo di Laurie Halse Anderson edito da Giunti. Dal primo giorno di liceo Melinda Sordino sa di essere un’emarginata. Dopo aver rovinato a tutti la festa di fine anno scolastico chiamando la ... (read full critics)

    Qlibri published on Tue, 11 Oct 2011

  • SPEAK

    A terrifying television memory I have is a clip from the Twilight Zone movie that I watched when I was in high school. I remember distinctly a woman without a mouth. Where lips and teeth should have been was smooth, stretched skin. Her "brother," a d ... (read full critics)

    teenreads published on Thu, 16 Sep 2010

32 Reviews

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  • 2 people find this helpful

    "Don't expect to make a difference unless you speak up for yourself."

    Bellissimo libro! Ma come al solito va letto in lingua. Credo che nella traduzione perda metà del suo fascino, che appunto risiede nei dialoghi, nei giochi di parole e nell'arguzia con la quale l'autrice ci propone un argomento decisamente serio.

    "Yes/no. Stay/go. Suit yourself. Don't bohter furthe ... (continue)

    Bellissimo libro! Ma come al solito va letto in lingua. Credo che nella traduzione perda metà del suo fascino, che appunto risiede nei dialoghi, nei giochi di parole e nell'arguzia con la quale l'autrice ci propone un argomento decisamente serio.

    "Yes/no. Stay/go. Suit yourself. Don't bohter further."

    "Nothigh is perfect. Flaws are interesting."

    "There is no way they can punish me for not speaking. it isn't fair. What do they know about me? what do they know about the inside of my head? Maybe I don't want to incriminate myself. Maybe I don't like the sound of my voice. Maybe I don't have anything to say."

    La storia non lascia con l'amaro in bocca, bensì ci si sente rinascere, proprio come quando ci si riscopre vivi dopo tanti giorni di dolore.

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    Giulia said on Feb 9, 2010 about the Paperback edition | Add your feedback

  • 1 person find this helpful

    I will re-read this book again! I won't tell you what's going on, because I don't want to ruin the excitement you will get.

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    xYang said on Sep 10, 2008 about the Paperback edition | Add your feedback

  • 1 person find this helpful

    Great book!! This is the second time I have read this book. We read it for the high school book club. I think illustrates well how clicky and snobish high school students can be.

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    SheReads said on Mar 6, 2007 | 2 feedbacks

  • Speak is another wonderful example of how you should never judge a book by its cover. When I first bought the book, I had never heard of it before and was not anxiously awaiting to begin it like I do other books that I know a little about. When I began reading the book though, I could not put it d ... (continue)

    Speak is another wonderful example of how you should never judge a book by its cover. When I first bought the book, I had never heard of it before and was not anxiously awaiting to begin it like I do other books that I know a little about. When I began reading the book though, I could not put it down and finished it within a day. Laurie Halse Anderson provides a wonderful young adult piece of literature that I would recommend for any person, young or old. The book is broken up into small chapters, which helps the more reluctant readers. Symbolism is seen throughout and would be easy to find with younger readers. Melinda is a wonderful character that is easy to love as soon as you begin reading. Her story is one that will break your heart, make you laugh, and leave you wonder what happened after you turn the last page.

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    Elizabeth Gifford said on Nov 2, 2011 | Add your feedback

  • I really enjoyed the book. I liked how she was silent throughout. I could almost connect with Melinda in that way. The way she kept everything to herself until she finally burst. I tend to keep things bottled then when they come out it's like an explosion. The dialogue and Melinda thoughts throughou ... (continue)

    I really enjoyed the book. I liked how she was silent throughout. I could almost connect with Melinda in that way. The way she kept everything to herself until she finally burst. I tend to keep things bottled then when they come out it's like an explosion. The dialogue and Melinda thoughts throughout the book were well written and kept me wanting to read. But what was most inviting to keep reading was the suspense of wanting to know what happened at the party. Another thug I liked was how the art teacher kept wanting her to almost tell her own story through expression. Now I'm no art person but I love the thought of expression through different mediums other than words. Overall great book and one that I would recommend.

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    Snease1 said on Nov 1, 2011 about the Others edition | Add your feedback

  • Final Thoughts on Speak

    In the end I found Speak to be a fairly enjoyable read. The writing style was very different from almost everything else I've read and made the story much more compelling. The way the main character talks was fantastically done, with the witty comments and sarcasm perfectly placed. It made her a ver ... (continue)

    In the end I found Speak to be a fairly enjoyable read. The writing style was very different from almost everything else I've read and made the story much more compelling. The way the main character talks was fantastically done, with the witty comments and sarcasm perfectly placed. It made her a very fun character to read about. While the subject matter seems considerably more mature then the target audience, I felt the author approached in is such a way as to make it appropriate and meaningful to a young teenager audience. All in all, I enjoyed read and would recommend it to someone who was looking for a simple, non daunting read.

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    Aarondickinson said on Nov 1, 2011 about the Others edition | Add your feedback

Book Details

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Prices Change currency & sellers

ISBN Edition List Sale Seller
9780374371524 Hardcover $17.00 $12.24 bn.com
$17.99 $13.71 The Book Depository
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+ 2 copies tradable: 1 in USA →
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