Speak 20th Anniversary Edition

Hardcover, 224 pages

Published Jan. 15, 2019 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR).

ISBN:
978-0-374-31125-4
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4 stars (2 reviews)

"Speak up for yourself--we want to know what you have to say." From the first moment of her freshman year at Merryweather High, Melinda knows this is a big fat lie, part of the nonsense of high school. She is friendless, outcast, because she busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops, so now nobody will talk to her, let alone listen to her. As time passes, she becomes increasingly isolated and practically stops talking altogether. Only her art class offers any solace, and it is through her work on an art project that she is finally able to face what really happened at that terrible party: she was raped by an upperclassman, a guy who still attends Merryweather and is still a threat to her. Her healing process has just begun when she has another violent encounter with him. But this time Melinda fights back, refuses to be silent, …

28 editions

Review of 'Speak' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

this was an abolutely pitch perfect book. it was a finalist for the US national book award in 1999; how did it not win? how can it be written thirteen years ago and it feel so current? it should be mandatory reading for every girl entering high school.

the main character's voice was so fresh. i thought veronica mars had cornered the market for the cynical-yet-sensitive teen - but this book existed long before veronica mars was invented. and her choice of words, her sentence contruction: beautiful. Poetry.

and imbedded in the story is highschool, and highschool english classes that teach how to identify symbolism inside books and every single reader then knows to see her as this diseased tree that needs pruning to be saved. her laying under the tree during her rape...

yes, rape. the story is a 14 yo gets raped and she tells no one. not …