I had never read Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, which was originally published in 1999, until a few weeks ago and now I can’t get the emotional silence of Melinda Sordino out of my head.
Sad but true, it is clear that friendship in high school relies so much on not being embarrassed or embarrassing, on wearing the right clothing and not saying the wrong thing, or not doing the wrong thing, even when someone actually did something horrifically wrong to you.
Like rape.
Melinda, who is a freshman in high school, has gone mute during a significant amount of the book as she holds in her secret of what really happened at the party in summer when she called the cops for help. When school starts she loses her circle of friends, her popularity, and her energetic self, all taken from her after that night. As she internally deals with the aftermath of what happened to her and what’s next, she also loses her love of life itself. Although she doesn’t speak, I do find a creative symbolism in how Melinda bites her lips until they bleed and are obnoxiously chapped.
It is easy to feel hopeful for Melinda, to want to watch her succeed and hold her hand while she tries to find comfort and empowerment in skipping school, and later building her own personal cocoon in a school closet.
Laurie Halse Anderson perfectly details the turmoil of being a teenager, the pressure of grades and personal goals, that ever-lasting stare of the cheerleaders who you will never understand, and that stiffness in the air of uninspiring teachers you're told to confide in. The atmosphere of high school that Halse Anderson creates is right on, from the sloppy lunch menu to changing in the locker room for gym, the closets we find comfort hiding in and the terror of being caught without a late pass; all sting the readers own memories as you laugh, roll your eyes and feel an admiration for Melinda’s strength and ability to just get through the day. This book could very well be the last book that speaks about high school without mentioning Facebook and Myspace, or even including the Internet, computers and email, while still staying relevant in today's digital age.
While reading, I felt that weird intriguing feeling when the characters and the atmosphere of the book take place in your home town. Syracuse, New York isn’t the city of choice in most novels but Laurie Halse Anderson proves that even behind the pretty white fences of Central New York, one simple party in the backyard can blacken the soul. That is, until one is given the chance and finds the confidence to speak.
Speak has had a predominant position in middle schools and high schools classrooms for the past ten years as a bold introduction to the topic of rape and date rape. It has no doubt become a modern classic and perhaps the only book which is a timeless look at the private thoughts and solitude that a rape victim endures. Hopefully in Melinda’s silence, a loud voice has been awakened in other high school victims.
Isobella Jade is a petite model and author of the book called Almost 5’4”. She blogs daily about the modeling business and being a petite model. She also speaks on a podcast called "Model Talk" each week that shares tricks and tips of working in the modeling business.