Anderson, Laurie Halse. 2001. SPEAK. New York: Puffin Books. ISBN 014131088X
PLOT SUMMARY
This young adult novel about a freshman girl, Melinda, and her struggle to come to terms with a rape is a look at friendships, isolation, and eventual understanding.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This Young Adult book deals with a secret date rape that occurred at a summer party and is hidden by the fact that all the students know is that the main character, Melinda, called the police to break up the party. She is an immediate outcast as she starts high school with no friends and very little personal interactions. Anderson portrays all the characters typical in a high school setting from the popular boy character, the pretty girl, the move-in, the recluse, the exchange student, and the coach/teacher. The relationship between Melinda and Heather is typical of high school girls; Heather is new and wants friends and Melinda has lost all of her friends and needs Heather. The dynamic of the every outgoing Heather is in contrast to the closed up, secretive Melinda
The book is divided into four large sections entitled “marking periods” that correspond to grading weeks in high school. There are smaller subsections in the book that are in a diary style with headings and then narrative underneath.
In the beginning, readers are immediately drawn in with the description of the first day of high school from worrying about your clothes, your hair, to the bus ride and finding your locker and finding people to eat lunch with at school.
The progression from the first day of school through the prom season is easy for readers to follow. The daily classes and social climbing is also included in the book.
Anderson’s writing is a dialogue and narrative trade off. The dialogue is very typical of high school students’ language and their interaction with adult teachers like Mr. Neck and Mr. Freeman. From the dialogue in Melinda’s head to the trivial school search for a mascot, Anderson weaves this amazing web of the inside/outside world using Melinda’s silence and the ever babbling school building buzz. The art class is really therapy to expose Melinda’s quiet inner secret. Mr. Freeman works relentlessly to try to get Melinda to express herself through art and finally he is the one that Melinda trusts and she finishes the book by saying, “Let me tell you about it.”
Throughout the book, Anderson uses the word “IT” to describe the accused rapist, until Melinda reveals his name in the latter part of the book to Rachel by writing Andy Evans.
The theme of this book is that to stay silent is to suffer and to speak is to reveal and save. Melinda’s silence has made her unrecognizable to her family and friends. Once she speaks up and releases the secret, she is vindicated and saves others.
REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Book Links ALA 01/01/07
Publishers Weekly starred 09/13/99
Booklist 09/15/99
School Library Journal starred 10/01/99
Books for the Teen Age (NYPL) 04/01/99
Wilson’s Junior High School 01/09/10
Horn Book starred 09/01/99
Wilson’s Senior High School 10/01/07
Kirkus Review (1999) - The plot is gripping and the characters are powerfully drawn, but it is its raw and unvarnished look at the dynamics of the high school experience that makes this a novel that will be hard for readers to forget.
School Library Journal (October 1999) - This is a compelling book, with sharp, crisp writing that draws readers in, engulfing them in the story.
CONNECTIONS
Lynch, Chris. 2005. INEXCUSABLE. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0689847890
· Partner this book as another on the same subject of date rape
McDaniel, Lurlene. 2007. HIT AND RUN. New York: Delacorte Press.
ISBN 0385731612
· Partner this book as another high school experience
Anderson, Laurie Halse. 2007. TWISTED. New York: Viking.ISBN 0670061018
· Partner this book as another by the same author with a male main character
No comments:
Post a Comment