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Anderson, Laurie Halse: Speak
Buchtipps | Englische Bücher
The book „Speak“ by Laurie Halse Anderson is the touching, shocking and sarcastically funny story of a shy girl who has got a big secret.
When Melinda Sordino starts her first year at high school, she has got nobody to talk to. Her ex-best friends Rachel and Nicole don’t want to talk to her, because Melinda broke up a summer party by calling the police. Even all the teachers are evil, boring or crazy, except for Mr Freeman, her Art teacher, who is a friendly and understanding person.
Melinda is becoming an outsider. After some time Melinda hasn’t got anything to talk about and nobody to talk to at school, so she becomes shy and extremely introverted. Her parents have to go to the principal’s office when the teachers notice that there’s something wrong with the strange teen. But they haven’t got an answer to her mysterious behaviour. At home Melinda doesn’t feel safe, because her parents argue very often. The only place where she feels safe is a closet at school where the girl keeps some of her personal things (like a collection of tree drawings from Art, which accompany the whole story). But there’s one thing nobody knows, it’s a cruel and disgusting secret between Melinda and Andy Evans, who is Rachel’s boyfriend and who destroyed Melinda’s life….
After some time the reader gets an insight into Melinda’s biggest fear, which is connected with a dreadful experience at a summer party. Finally the reader finds out WHY Melinda had to call the police at that horrible party night, which changed her life completely…
First I thought that the book was boring and I was not very interested in it, although I liked the cover and the title very much. The more I read, the more I liked the story. It’s written from Melinda’s point of view in small chapters with funny headlines. Actually, I LOVE the black humour and the natural youthful speech which loosens up the heavy dark story and really made me even laugh. The language is very easy. I didn’t have to look up any words in the dictionary but sometimes, when I didn’t understand words, I read the part again.
The story itself is very shocking and I think it’s realistic. It shows an important part of some teens’ lives which is suppressed by the public.
I recommend this book to anyone who likes shocking and touching (emo-)stories about teenage problems.
I would give this book **** stars because the book has a deeper meaning.
Laurie Halse Anderson: Speak
198 pages
Signatur: FE.J/AND, Rating: ****
©Judith Zimmermann, 5B, (Sept. 2008)
Bild © Maneli Naderi 2017