LitPick Review
Speak is the debut novel by Laurie Halse Anderson. It is about a ninth-grade girl named Melinda Sordino who chooses not to speak. At the beginning of the book, Melinda is just beginning high school with no friends. The only class she really cares about is art, where she is constantly trying to carve, draw, or sculpt the perfect tree. Throughout the book, we watch as Melinda struggles to deal with a huge problem in her life.
Opinion:
I loved Speak. Melinda's narration is the perfect mix of humor, sarcasm, and seriousness. I enjoyed the way the book was divided into small sections instead of chapters, and each section had a unique title. It was very easy to picture the book in my head; something like what happened to Melinda could happen to anyone. Laurie Halse Anderson really made it seem true and like Melinda was a real person. All in all, I thought was Speak was amazing. It was a moving and powerful story of a teenage girl trying to overcome her fears. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a good read. It's also a great tool to learn more about how to deal with depression and abuse.
