Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

It is really difficult to criticize a great book like Speak. The layout, plot and characters are all wonderful and just as they should be. If I were in a position to require such things, I would say that every girl from 12-18 should be required to read it, and most other people would benefit from it as well. All in all, this is a really good book about the horrifying yet realistic life of a teenager.

The book begins with Melinda Sordino’s first day of high school. Melinda called the police at an end of summer party, getting several kids into trouble. Before high school even begins, she is ridiculed and ostracized. Melinda starts school lonely and misunderstood and things just keep getting worse.

I’ve read this book multiple times, and I was especially struck by how little identity people seem to have; I think this is intentional. There is a running joke throughout the book about the school being unable to select a mascot. Girls seem to change themselves to fit into the clique of their choosing. Melinda sits in an outdated bedroom that no longer reflects who she really is. I feel as though Anderson is telling us that the trauma and depression that Melinda is suffering is all-consuming. But then again, does anyone really know who they are in high school?