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Hello, readers! Welcome back to A Look at Books, a bimonthly publication featuring book reviews and lists, bookstore tours, and more. Today, I’m offering a book review of Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson.
Disclaimer: This book contains references to sexual assault and self-harm.
Speak is one of the most powerful books I have ever read. It’s told from the point of view of Melinda Sordino, a high school freshman with a painful secret that she’s revealed to no one - not even the reader. On top of this, she’s forced to deal with ordinary high school difficulties, like cliques, fake friends, slipping grades, and parents who can’t see past their own noses.
Her secret is close to consuming her, by keeping her words deep inside her and darkening her world. At first, it’s impossible for her to summon the courage to speak out. But courage has a way of coming to you.
Speak is a deep read full of sadness and irony that will stay with you long after you close the book and slip it onto your shelf.
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