Speak

I decided to reread the novel Speak after reading Asking For It (see below) due to the similarities in the storylines. I've decided both are wonderful in their own ways. Though the underlying message is dark, Laurie Halse Anderson's voice is light-hearted and rich throughout the novel. There is such honesty in the way Anderson describes highschool pains and struggles that it was still resonating with me nearly a week after reading. However, I didn't really connect with Melinda, the main character. It's not that she was a bad character, but I wasn't able to envision myself making the decisions she made or saying the things she had said. But! I could empathize with her conflicting emotions and her difficulty to feel like she belongs in highschool. Speak successfully opened doors that had remained closed for far too long. In a way, this is Anderson's contribution to the word-wide discussion about rape and rape culture. Through this novel, a voice is given to those who would otherwise go unheard.