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A review by yoongitloml
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
4.0
5 hours, 42 minutes and 27 seconds
This book just took 5 hours, 42 minutes and 27 seconds off my life, but it'll be on my mind forever.
Every once in a while a book comes along that you simply cannot read enough of. For me Speak is one such book. The first sentence alone is so vivid, it lays the foundation for what comes next. What a powerful book. I didn’t expect to be so taken with Melinda Sordino, but damn, was she so much stronger than I expected.
In the beginning of the book, you see so much of her sarcastic and cynical side, and you wonder whether that’s who she really is or if the incident at the party changed her. And what I loved about this book was how well the author handled the fact that you don’t really come back to being yourself after something as traumatic. It changes who you are and how you look at the world, and that’s why I adored the fact that Melinda didn’t go back to being her happy-go-luck self at the end of the book.
This book really opened my eyes to the struggles of others. Who would’ve thought quiet Melinda would’ve gone through so much? It really puts into perspective that everyone is fighting their own battles, internally or otherwise, and we are in no position to judge them for it. I remember some readers saying that Melinda should’ve just talked to someone and got over it, what, like it’s that simple? The entire book deals with her learning to not blame herself anymore, finding out what she stands for, and discovering who is as a person after what happened. If this book does anything well, it’s helping you understand that everyone deals with trauma differently, and that at times, everyone’s indifference to your struggle does nothing but make it worse. This book really does wonders in showing both the ups and downs in relationships, with your family or even with your friends, and that is ridiculously important in making this book feel realistic.
Another thing I want to talk about before the review ends is the wording in the book. You could spend hours analyzing it and wondering if it implies what you think it implies.
For example, Melinda says “Maybe I’ll be an artist if I grow up.”
And that’s an If, not a when. And its tiny implications like these that give you chills that make this book as amazing as it is.
This book just took 5 hours, 42 minutes and 27 seconds off my life, but it'll be on my mind forever.
Every once in a while a book comes along that you simply cannot read enough of. For me Speak is one such book. The first sentence alone is so vivid, it lays the foundation for what comes next. What a powerful book. I didn’t expect to be so taken with Melinda Sordino, but damn, was she so much stronger than I expected.
In the beginning of the book, you see so much of her sarcastic and cynical side, and you wonder whether that’s who she really is or if the incident at the party changed her. And what I loved about this book was how well the author handled the fact that you don’t really come back to being yourself after something as traumatic. It changes who you are and how you look at the world, and that’s why I adored the fact that Melinda didn’t go back to being her happy-go-luck self at the end of the book.
This book really opened my eyes to the struggles of others. Who would’ve thought quiet Melinda would’ve gone through so much? It really puts into perspective that everyone is fighting their own battles, internally or otherwise, and we are in no position to judge them for it. I remember some readers saying that Melinda should’ve just talked to someone and got over it, what, like it’s that simple? The entire book deals with her learning to not blame herself anymore, finding out what she stands for, and discovering who is as a person after what happened. If this book does anything well, it’s helping you understand that everyone deals with trauma differently, and that at times, everyone’s indifference to your struggle does nothing but make it worse. This book really does wonders in showing both the ups and downs in relationships, with your family or even with your friends, and that is ridiculously important in making this book feel realistic.
Another thing I want to talk about before the review ends is the wording in the book. You could spend hours analyzing it and wondering if it implies what you think it implies.
For example, Melinda says “Maybe I’ll be an artist if I grow up.”
And that’s an If, not a when. And its tiny implications like these that give you chills that make this book as amazing as it is.