https://padlet.com/fionagenta27/hvv7q52scnmrotxi By: Fiona Genta en-us 2021-03-29 19:57:58 UTC 2021-04-05 20:16:32 UTC hello@padlet.com fionagenta27 https://padlet.com/fionagenta27/hvv7q52scnmrotxi/wish/1365756115 Book Review: Speak Author: Laurie Halse Anderson Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult First Publication: 1999 Language: English Major Characters: Ivy Hall, Heather, Nichole Smythe Burnell, Melinda Sordino, Andy Evans, David Petrakis, Mr. Freeman, Rachel Bruin. Setting Place: Syracuse, New York (United States). Theme: Communication vs Silence, Appearance vs Reality, Family and Friendship, Isolation, Loneliness, and Depression, Memory and Trauma. Narrator: First Person Speak, written by Laurie Halse Anderson, is a distress- driven novel about the life of a girl named Melinda. She is characterized as an outcast, loner, and a quiet individual. She goes through many troubling events throughout the book, all of them hard but some even worse than others. At the beginning of her first year in high school, Melinda experiences what it is like to be completely alone, when her friends abandon her after calling the cops at an end-of-summer party. However, the true reason behind the call is revealed at the end of the book. We, as readers, get to fully feel the protagonist’s emotions and identify the real issue hinted at by the Unfortunately, only we get to understand Melinda's point of view because the rest of her social circle, or lack thereof can barely make out what she’s going through. What makes this book a great read is that it includes a first-person narrative that involves the reader and gets them to engage with the events taking place. It is written in the present tense for the reader to feel like they are sensing Melinda's pain. Furthermore, this literary genre permits communication with the main character, since we-the readers- are the only ones paying attention to her story. Uniquely, the author allows room for empowerment by providing a story many young women can relate to. For this reason, I highly recommend this book.

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