Speak-Anna Horowitz

Horowitz, Anna

English, Period 6

November 17, 2008

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson is a book I am recommending everyone to read. I selected this book because one of my friend. She told me that it was a good book and that I should read it. The next time I saw her, she gave me the book. I read it, and she was right, it is a really good book.

The whole book is mainly about a girl named Melinda. It is Melinda's first year of high school, and she is basically friendless. She always had a bunch of friends in the previous years, but when she called the cops at a summer party, nobody would talk to her, although something went on there that she isn't telling anyone.

The quote I decided to use in the book is," There is a sprinkling of losers like me scattered among the happy teenagers, prunes in the oatmeal of school. The others have the social power to sit with other losers.. I'm the only one sitting alone," and is said by Melinda. I think this quote has a lot of significance. It shows how although there are other losers in the school, still no one can really relate to Melinda, because not only is she loser, but she is friendless. All the other losers hang out with other losers, but Melinda is a loner, and has no one to be with.

For my rating system, I chose trees. I chose trees because in the book, Melinda's in Melinda's favorite period, art, for the whole year, she gets assigned a tree. The whole year she attempts to get her tree just right. Also in that class, she feels like the teacher really understands her. I give this book four stars out of five. I give this, because it is a really good book, but its not the best I've ever read.

I would suggest that kids over the age of 12 read this book. It is kind of a little depressing and some kids might not understand it fully. I recommend this book to people because it is a true story, and you can relate to it. Also, I think that people would like it because it gives off a message that even though something may seem one way, it may be totally different. And last, I think that it is good because it can put you in someone like Melinda's position where you get a total different perspective of something, and of someone that you might see that doesn't have any friends. I hope you enjoy this book.