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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
this is such an important book and it‘s one of my favourites. it deals with an experience that unfortunately way too many people can relate with and it shows the grief and pain and shame so amazingly that it just haunts you. amazing prose that differs from what we normally read and makes the story so real and meaningful. everyone should read this book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
“But you got it wrong. The suffragettes were all about speaking up, screaming for their rights. You can’t speak up for your right to be silent. That’s letting the bad guys win... but don’t expect to make a difference unless you speak up for yourself.”
challenging
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I don't know how I feel about this book. It felt like an authentic representation of adolescence. Melinda's beliefs, choices, and actions felt realistic from a teenage point-of-view. The ups and downs of high school felt accurate. The topic of rape was handled tactfully and honestly. But still, I didn't connect to it as much as I thought I would. I never felt fully immersed in Melinda's feelings. I didn't feel the progression of the plot until late in the book. Her turning point preparation felt too rushed for me to be able to latch onto any emotions, and the final crisis and resolution felt almost out of place--not quite natural. Overall, it was a very worthwhile read, but not one I would arbitrarily suggest to someone as a good book to check out.
emotional
medium-paced
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Speak is told through Melinda’s point of view and it is done really well. To me it is almost like her diary explaining her day and as the story progresses she also talks about her feelings and she just happened to decide to label different sections.
Melinda acted how I would think most in her situation would act, quiet, withdrawn, hurt. Through the progression of the story Melinda slowly grows and learns that she is stronger than she thought, that what happened wasn’t her fault and that she can take a stand.
It wasn’t until like the last couple of chapters that it got all wrapped up. Melinda found her voice to say no and tell someone what happened. My problem though is that we don’t see the after effects of that. We had seen the initial effects on Melinda after the party but once she found her voice again I would have liked to have seen at least a little more.
I like the way that the author handled the subject matter. Melinda eventually said what happened but the author didn’t really go into detail. It dealt more of the after effects and how Melinda handled it and handled how people around her, even her friends and family, were now treating her. Overall it is a good book. I was rooting for Melinda. I kept reading wanting to know how she would eventually find her voice again.
Melinda acted how I would think most in her situation would act, quiet, withdrawn, hurt. Through the progression of the story Melinda slowly grows and learns that she is stronger than she thought, that what happened wasn’t her fault and that she can take a stand.
It wasn’t until like the last couple of chapters that it got all wrapped up. Melinda found her voice to say no and tell someone what happened. My problem though is that we don’t see the after effects of that. We had seen the initial effects on Melinda after the party but once she found her voice again I would have liked to have seen at least a little more.
I like the way that the author handled the subject matter. Melinda eventually said what happened but the author didn’t really go into detail. It dealt more of the after effects and how Melinda handled it and handled how people around her, even her friends and family, were now treating her. Overall it is a good book. I was rooting for Melinda. I kept reading wanting to know how she would eventually find her voice again.