Independent Reading Book: Speak

This month I chose to read the book "Speak", written by Laurie Halse Anderson. This book captures the idea of acceptance, self worth, and high school cliques. It is about a teenage girl named Melinda who has to go through her first year of high school without anyone to talk to or be with, after she called the cops busting a school party during the summer. Everyone steers far away from her knowing she's the girl who got everyone in trouble. No one knows the real reason Melinda called the cops, they all believe that her intentions were to bust the party. What happened that night of the party, is a mystery, but has left Melinda permanently scarred with a secret to share. She feels like she can no longer speak to others or even herself. Melinda has to learn to open up and speak to the world, accepting herself and feeling powerful, instead of continuing to feel down and out of place. This book was very eye opening and intriguing to read. It took on a totally different twist than I had ever expected, making me really enjoy this book. I also loved reading this book because it was written through the lens of a girl my age, allowing me to be able to connect with the story and it’s environment more. I would definitely recommend this book to my peers if they enjoy reading darker books. It is a deep book, something I am not as familiar with reading, but I found it to be very interesting. I am definitely going to look into reading some of the other books written by Laurie Halse Anderson, because I really liked the way she set this book up.

This book connects to American culture and teenagers today. It explores many issues that teenagers all over America are currently facing each and everyday, shaping our culture. Unfortunately, many teenagers and people are left in the same situations Melinda was in, having to deal with a variety of issues. They all differ, whether it is high school cliques, self asteem, self worth, or many others, but each and every single one can greatly affect the life of a teenager forever. Fortunately, I am not in a situation like Melinda and many other kids my age, but this book allowed me to be more aware of what is going on around me and how I can help others.

Overall, this was a successful book for me. I feel like I was able to gain many things after reading this book, including an understanding of what some of peers around me may be dealing with as well as a new interest for a new genre.