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A review by laheath
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Excellent portrayal of a young girl dealing with being raped at a party before the beginning of high school. She almost completely stops talking to anyone and loses most of her friends due to a misunderstanding about why she called the cops at the party. It's a long time before she tells anyone what truly happened. Her art class and teacher help to save her as she learns how to express herself for an assignment. She also slowly regains her voice to protect future victims and to defend herself.
The faculty members represent a full range of support, or lack of, found in high school. I would have liked more resolution with the parents though. Told in first person, her emotions, her feelings of isolation and her feelings of fear at each future encounter with her rapist at school are often raw as reflected in the words and in the writing style. Nothing in the narrative dates the material so it remains timely. The afterword by this author and by author Jason Reynolds is a must-read.
The faculty members represent a full range of support, or lack of, found in high school. I would have liked more resolution with the parents though. Told in first person, her emotions, her feelings of isolation and her feelings of fear at each future encounter with her rapist at school are often raw as reflected in the words and in the writing style. Nothing in the narrative dates the material so it remains timely. The afterword by this author and by author Jason Reynolds is a must-read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Rape
Minor: Bullying