Speak by Laurie Halse AndersonAR Reading Level: 4.5
On the library stacks: YA Fiction
Awards: BCCB Blue Ribbon Book; SLJ Best Book; Boston Globe/Horn Book Award/Honors; Golden Kite Award; State Award; YALSA Top Ten; Booklist Editors' Choice; Edgar Award/Honor Book; ALA Notable/Best Books; Heartland Award for Excellence in YA Literature; Michael Printz Honor Book; National Book Award/ Honors; Society of School Libr. International Best/Honor; ABC (Assoc. of Booksellers for Children) Choice; Horn Book Fanfare
Recommended for: Grades 9+
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
There's really not much I can add about this book that the awards have not already acknowledged (see above) or that the blogosphere has not already covered (see below). I will say that this book took me so long to read because I was intimidated by the subject and how it would be handled. But I should not have worried.
This is the story of a girl named Melinda who is raped right before the start of her freshman year and chooses to remain quiet. Because of her choices, she becomes a social outcast at school. At home her parents are too busy ignoring each other to notice that their only child is silently screaming for help.
It may sound heavy, and to some degree it is. But this book is also written with a warmth and humor that endeared me to Melinda and kept me fully invested in her journey of self-discovery. I read this book in a day and was impressed by how well it was written and how sensitively the topic was approached.
Also reviewed by: The Boston Bibliophile ~ Bart's Bookshelf ~ The Book Nest ~ Sam's Book Blog ~ Book Thoughts ~ Reviews by Lola ~ Trish's Reading Nook ~ Boarding in my Forties ~ off the shelf ~ things mean a lot ~ Bermudaonion's Weblog ~ my cozy book nook ~ At Home With Books ~ Bending Bookshelf ~ The Bluestocking Society ~ Book Nut ~ Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin'? ~ Book Addiction ~ Stephanie's Confessions of a Book-a-holic ~ Becky's Book Reviews ~ It's All About Books ~ So Many Books, So Little Time ~ cucullus non facit monachum
Book 46 of 50 for the RYOB Challenge, Book 45 of 50 for the YA Reading Challenge
Source: BookMooch
4 comments:
You're so right - this book handles a sensitive subject very well. Thanks for linking to my review.
I have been wanting to read this for quite sometime!
Great review.
I agree with you. This book was powerful and well written. I too liked the character of Melinda and was really rooting for her throughout.
I'm with you, friend :)
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