The novel Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson is an extremely alarming novel that tells the story of a rape victim. The author created the character of Melinda Sordino, the protagonist, in a dream. One night Anderson woke up from a nightmare hearing a girl screeching for help and decided to sit down at her computer to write down what she was hearing. From there, Anderson developed Melinda’s character as well as the storyline of Speak. The novel focuses on the aftermath of Melinda’s sexual assault and the impact it has on her life. She is faced with emotional pain due to her decision not to “speak” in addition to her solitude. Melinda’s biggest struggle throughout the novel is being unable to recover from the horrific assault as well as being incapable of speaking to anyone about the incident.

It was the summer before Melinda’s freshman year in high school and she was at an end of summer party with all of her friends. In middle school, Melinda was a popular girl with many friends as well as good grades, however, this all changed the night of the party. That night Melinda was sexually assaulted and ended up calling the cops on the party, getting her classmates in trouble for underage drinking. Ever since, everyone at school is mad at her, leaving Melinda with no friends. Without the strength to tell her classmates the true reason why she called the cops, Melinda is viewed as that loser who ratted on the party. Not only did this contribute to her depression, but her family relationships did as well. Melinda’s parents barely have time to communicate or spend time with her, hence the reason she feels that she has no one to talk to. Therefore according to Melinda, why bother facing the truth or telling anyone about the assault?

Speak not only takes the reader on the journey of the aftermath of Melinda’s assault, but informs the individual about the trauma of rape, steps of recovery, as well as the difficulties a rape victim may face. Depression takes a toll on Melinda causing her to cut school and hurt herself physically, although, it’s in art class where she feels she can finally express herself freely without holding back. This novel was a National Book Award Finalist and is recommended for the ages of twelve and older. Any individual undergoing a similar experience can relate to Melinda and her behavior in addition to learning how to take the proper precautions in order to overcome the trauma or emotional pain caused by a sexual assault. Therefore, I strongly recommend this novel to high school students in order educate and inform them about the horrors and effects of traumatic events such as rape through the story of Melinda Sordino.