First edition
| Author | Laurie Halse Anderson |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Young adult fiction |
Full Answer
What writing style is the book Speak?
Speak is written in the first person, in present tense, from the point of view of Melinda Sordino. Although Melinda is barely able to talk, through her first person narrative the reader is instantly intimate with her. We are drawn right into her head, experiencing her fear, anger and sense of humor.
Is Speak a Romance book?
Speak, published in 1999, is a young adult novel by Laurie Halse Anderson that tells the story of high school freshman Melinda Sordino. After Melinda is raped at an end of summer party, she calls the police, who break up the party....Speak (Anderson novel)First editionAuthorLaurie Halse AndersonLC ClassPZ7.A54385 Sp 199910 more rows
Is Speak fiction or nonfiction?
SPEAK is a work of fiction.
What genres does Laurie Halse Anderson write?
Laurie Halse AndersonGenreYoung adult fiction, historical fiction, picture books for young readersNotable worksSpeak (1999) Fever, 1793 (2000) Catalyst (2002) Twisted (2007) Wintergirls (2009) Shout (2019) Seeds of America trilogy Chains (2008) Forge (2010) Ashes (2016)Notable awardsMargaret A. Edwards Award 20097 more rows
Is the book Speak inappropriate?
This book is pretty negative. There are very few redeeming characters. The main character has been raped and that frames her narrative. The words 'spaz' and 'retarded' are used more than once and it feels like lazy writing.
Is Speak a sad book?
By Laurie Halse Anderson. It would be fair to call Laurie Halse Anderson's bestselling novel a "tearjerker." The novel's young heroine, Melinda Sordino, is deeply sad. She's been raped and can't tell anybody. All the people she thought were her friends hate her.
Is Speak an autobiography?
Long before there was #MeToo, there was "Speak." Published in 1999, Laurie Halse Anderson's semi-autobiographical novel about rape was a best-seller and later a movie starring Kristen Stewart.
What is the theme of the novel Speak?
Theme of "Speak" Melinda was raped at the party by a boy named Andy Evans. After the rape, Melinda is unable to speak about what happened to her and quits speaking altogether. Rape and the consequences for the victim is the main theme, along with losing one's voice and the tremendous courage it takes to find it again.
What is the plot of the book Speak?
After a blurred trauma over the summer, Melinda enters high school a selective mute. Struggling with school, friends, and family, she tells the dark tale of her experiences, and why she has chosen not to speak. In the book Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson, Melinda Sordino is forced into the worst year of her life.
What type of genre is Speak?
NovelYoung adult fictionSpeak/Genres
Is Speak realistic?
Speak, The realistic fiction novel by Laurie Halse Anderson, is a book about a young high school girl named Melinda.
What is Laurie Halse Anderson known for?
Laurie Halse Anderson is a New York Times-bestselling author known for tackling tough subjects with humor and sensitivity. Two of her books, Speak and Chains, were National Book Award finalists. Two more books, The Impossible Knife of Memory and Shout were long-listed for the National Book Awards.
What is the book "Speak" about?
Speak is written for young adults and middle/high school students. Labeled a problem novel, it centers on a character who gains the strength to overcome her trauma. The rape troubles Melinda as she struggles with wanting to repress the memory of the event, while simultaneously desiring to speak about it.
What is the theme of Speak by Barbara Tannert-Smith?
Barbara Tannert-Smith refers to Speak as a "postmodern revisionary fairy tale" for its use of fairy tale imagery. She sees Merryweather High School as the "ideal fairy tale domain", featuring easily categorized characters—a witchy mother, a shape-shifting best friend, a beastly rapist.
What is the voice of Melinda Sordino in Speak?
Speak is a first-person, diary-like narrative. Written in the voice of Melinda Sordino, it features lists, subheadings, spaces between paragraphs and script-like dialogue. The fragmented style mimics Melinda's trauma. The choppy sentences and blank spaces on the pages relate to Melinda's fascination with Cubism. According to Chris McGee and DeTora, Anderson's writing style allows the reader to see how Melinda struggles with "producing the standard, cohesive narrative" expected in a teen novel. Melinda's distracted narrative reiterates the idea that "no one really wants to hear what you have to say". In her article, "Like Falling Up into a Storybook", Barbara Tannert-Smith says,
What is the Dewey decimal for "speak"?
Dewey Decimal. [Fic] 21. LC Class. PZ7.A54385 Sp 1999. Speak, published in 1999, is a young adult novel by Laurie Halse Anderson that tells the story of high school freshman Melinda Sordino. After a sexual assault ends up in her busting the end of a summer party, Melinda is ostracized by her peers because she will not say why she called the police.
What is Anderson's writing style?
According to Chris McGee and DeTora, Anderson's writing style allows the reader to see how Melinda struggles with "producing the standard, cohesive narrative" expected in a teen novel. Melinda's distracted narrative reiterates the idea that "no one really wants to hear what you have to say".
Is "speak" a trauma novel?
This expression slowly helps Melinda acknowledge what happened, face her problems, and recreate her identity. Speak is considered a problem novel, or trauma novel.
Is "Speak" a coming-of-age novel?
Hofstra University Writing Studies and Rhetoric Professor Lisa DeTora considers Speak a coming-of-age novel, citing Melinda's "quest to claim a voice and identity".
What is the historical context of speak?
Historical Context of Speak. The narrative of Speak is closely connected to the idea of feminism, and to the dialogue in America surrounding the issue of rape. Since the rise of the feminist movement in the mid-20th century, rape has increasingly become a part of the national conversation.
Who said Melinda came to her in a dream?
Extra Credit for Speak. Such stuff as dreams are made on. In interviews, Laurie Halse Anderson has said that Melinda came to her in a dream; she credits this experience with helping her to develop Melinda’s strong and distinctive voice. Melinda in the movies.
What makes speak by Laurie Halse Anderson great?
What makes Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson great is the time when it was published. This book was published in 1999, almost 20 years ago. Twenty years ago, the YA genre didn’t exist. When Laurie Halse Anderson tried to get this published, a publisher emailed her back and said “it’s good, but teens don’t like reading”. The YA genre didn’t really become what it is today until after Twilight was published.
What is the book "Speak" about?
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson is a character driven novel about a girl named Melinda who has just started high school. She is withdrawn, feels like an outcast, and has troubling talking as a result of being raped at a party over the summer.
Is the first person narrative fluid?
The first person narrative is fluid and natural. The paragraphs are short. To a large extent, this feels like a journal written by the narrator Melinda. To pull the reader closer to the action, the book is written in the present tense, so we’re encountering everything directly alongside Melinda.
Young Adult
Speak is written especially for teens and tweens, both male and female, though it has much to offer adults too. Because Speak is told entirely from the point of view of Melinda Sordino, a fourteen-year-old high school freshman, it falls squarely into the young adult genre.
Realism
Laurie Halse Anderson takes pains to channel her inner fourteen-year-old and give Melinda a realistic voice. In an interview, Anderson says, "When I wrote Speak […] my kids were in elementary school.
Coming of Age
Speak focuses on the hardest part of Melinda's life. All her high school dreams are crushed when Andy Evans rapes her at a high school-party before she starts her freshman year. When she starts high school, she's lost her virginity against her will.
Overview
Speak, published in 1999, is a young adult novel by Laurie Halse Anderson that tells the story of high school freshman Melinda Sordino. After Melinda is raped at an end of summer party, she calls the police, who break up the party. Melinda is then ostracized by her peers because she will not say why she called the police. Unable to verbalize what happened, Melinda nearly stops speaking alto…
Synopsis
The summer before her freshman year of high school, Melinda Sordino meets senior Andy Evans at a high school party. During the party, Andy rapes a drunken Melinda. In shock, Melinda calls 9-1-1, but does not know what to say and runs home. The police come and break up the party, and some people are arrested. Due to Melinda calling police to the party, she becomes ostracized by her peers and abandoned by her friends.
Narrative style
Speak is written for young adults and middle/high school students. Labeled a problem novel, it centers on a character who gains the strength to overcome her trauma. The rape troubles Melinda as she struggles with wanting to repress the memory of the event, while simultaneously desiring to speak about it. Knox College English Professor Barbara Tanner-Smith calls Speak a trauma narrative, as the novel allows readers to identify with Melinda's struggles. Hofstra University Writ…
Theme
One theme of Speak is finding one's voice. Another theme in the novel is identity. The story can also be viewed as speaking out against violence and victimization. Melinda feels guilty, even though she was a victim of sexual assault. Yet, by seeing other victims, like Rachel, Melinda is able to speak. Some see Speak as a story of recovery. According to Latham, writing/narrating her story has a therapeutic effect on Melinda, allowing her to "recreate" herself.
Point of view
Speak is a first-person, diary-like narrative. Written in the voice of Melinda Sordino, it features lists, subheadings, spaces between paragraphs and script-like dialogue. The fragmented style mimics Melinda's trauma. The choppy sentences and blank spaces on the pages relate to Melinda's fascination with Cubism. According to Chris McGee and DeTora, Anderson's writing style allows the reader to see how Melinda struggles with "producing the standard, cohesive narrative" expec…
Symbolism and greater meaning
Throughout Speak, Anderson represents Melinda's trauma and recovery symbolically. Barbara Tannert-Smith refers to Speak as a "postmodern revisionary fairy tale" for its use of fairy tale imagery. She sees Merryweather High School as the "ideal fairy tale domain", featuring easily categorized characters—a witchy mother, a shape-shifting best friend, a beastly rapist. Mirrors, traditional fairy tale tools, signify Melinda's struggle with her shattered identity. After being rape…
Honors and accolades
Speak is a New York Times Best-Seller. The novel received several awards and honors, including the American Library Association's 2000 Michael Printz Honor and the 2000 Golden Kite Award. It was also selected as a 2000 ALA Best Book For Young Adults. Speak gained critical acclaim for its portrayal of the trauma caused by rape. Barbara Tannert-Smith, author of "Like Falling Up Into a Storybook: Trauma and Intertextual Repetition in Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak.", claims the sto…
See also
• Rape trauma syndrome