Amber Causey Title :Speak Author :Laurie Halse Anderson Published by :Puffin Books Published in : 1999

Speak is the story about Mel (Melinda Sordino). It tells a tells about how hard her high school life is,Most of the events from the story take place at her school. Everyone, Including Mel’s friends all hate her because she called the police on a party, and she won’t tell anyone why. She does get a new friend named Heather from Ohio who knows nothing about the party incident. Heather does leave Mel to be a part of a group called “The Marthas”

Melinda (Mel) Sordino Mel is the main character and narrator of the story. She is shunned by all of her friends for calling the police on a party she was at. Everyone gets mad at her for doing it but she won’t say why she does it. She was actually raped by Andy Evans and so she called the police but no one knows that because they never bother to ask. She becomes depressed, lonely, and starts to seclude herself from her family.

Andy Evans ( It) Andy is the person now known as “it” to Mel. He rapes her at a party and tries to do it again at school. He dates Mel’s Ex bestfriend.

Rachel/Rachelle Bruin Rachel is Mel’s ex best friend who also shuns her after the party. She dates Andy towards the end of the year and Mel try’s to warn her about him but she doesn’t believe her.

Mel doesn’t speak up about what actually happened to her at the party at first but we learn that she called the police because Andy Raped her and she never told anyone because she couldn’t find the words to express what happened. She meets David Petrakis and he encourages her to speak up for herself. Andy tries to rape her in her hideout at school but she yells no and finds the courage to talk to her teacher about it.

Heather Billings Heather is Mels first new friend at high school but she leave s her to hangout with a new group called the “Marthas”

Ivy Ivy is Rachelle and Mel’s friend but stops being friends with both of them. She becomes closer to Mel after they have art together

David Petrakis David is Mel’s Lab partner and befriends her,He encourages her to stick up for herself.

Reviews edia.org/book-reviews/speak ook/show/ Speak#oth er_reviews “This is one of those books I just couldn't put down. I have read other good ones, but this one I stayed up late in the night just to get that one chapter in to find out more. The feelings and pain Melinda, the main character, shares with the reader is truly an experience. I watched the movie before the book because I didn't even know the book was out! But I loved the movie so much, I saw the book one day, bought it, and didn't put it down until it was finished. I read this when I was 14 I believe, and I would only recommend this book to ages 13+. DEFINITELY READ IT. :)” Honest. Authentic. Real. Use all those words and their synonyms and you have this book. I literally wanted to hop into the sea of words and tell Melinda Sordino " I'll be your friend! Don't despair !" Alas I couldn't do that though. I had to see her struggle. It's painful but since I watched the movie (which was done well by the way) first before reading the book I knew where she was coming from. Melinda's voice was so...normal. She wasn't there to make you like her or hate her. She just who she really was. I liked her immensely though and in real life think would have been friends with her. Her whole take on high school was hilarious and kind of scarily accurate. I totally love the character of David Petrakis. He would have been my hero in ninth grade. No joke.

I think this book is real and tells about what happens to actual people when they are put in that situation. Its one of my favorites