Speak

Melinda is an outcast at her high school because she called the police during a party where there was illegal consumption of alcohol. Everyone at her school thinks of her as a weirdo and they do not want to associate with her. She is bullied throughout the school year. All she wants is to be left alone; she skips class and finds an abandoned custodian closet to hang out in. She has a hard time coming to terms of what happened during the party and why it happened. Melinda keeps the secret of her being raped by Andy Beast at the party herself. She feels like she doesn’t have a voice and that she is lost. Melinda’s favorite class is art and it is through art where she can let her emotions out and find her voice. When she sees her ex-best friend, Rachel, getting close to him she tells Rachel what happened but Rachel refuses to believe her. In the end Andy traps Melinda in the custodian closet and she finally finds her voice to call for help. Students hear her and open the door and find her fighting off Andy.

This is a realist fiction novel. I really enjoyed how Melinda develops as a character in the story. I like how she finds strength and courage to speak out and try to protect others. Melinda found her voice! This is a very moving novel and definitely recommend it!

Anderson, L. H., (1999). Speak. NY: Penguin 

Here is a link to other books similar to Speak: 16 Powerful Books

Special Note: This book is on the banned book list.