speak by Lauren anderson

Speak by Laurie Anderson, is the type of book that makes you really think about the choices you will have in your life. It is about friendship, and how art is the only way you can really express yourself. Speak has all the parts for a successful “teen” drama. It has suspense that makes your eyes want to fly across the page, back and forth until you know what, why, and how the book turns out in the end. I have read almost one third of the book and I now know a lot about Melinda life and why she so isolated and insecure. Melinda is still struggling with the secrete she been keeping inside her, she is constantly being urged to speak, often by celebrities she imagines talking to her. For example, when Melinda feverishly imagines daytime talk show hosts giving her advice, she hears Jerry Springer telling her, "Speak up […], Melinda, I can't hear you!" (76.6). the real people in Melinda's life are also urging her to talk. Mr. Freeman, Melinda's art teacher, is the only adult who can clearly see that Melinda is holding a secret that's tearing her apart. He encourages her to express her emotions through art and to speak her secrets out loud.
The truth about Melinda’s depression comes out when Melinda’s former best friend, Rachel, begins dating Andy. Though she and Rachel don’t communicate throughout the book, Melinda feels it’s her duty to tell her about the rape. Rachel’s response was pretty hostile, but eventually she acknowledges the truth and dumps Andy. This is the turning point of the book when things begin to change for Melinda,
I notice a lot while reading this book. The title of each of these chapters is related closely to the content within it. These chapters break down Melinda’s days in classes, at school, and at home. Each of the larger sections ends with Melinda’s grades for the grading period, both for school and social aspects. Her grades in her social life go up while her grades in class except her art class go down and the more the book gets