Cheap Speak (Book) (Laurie Halse Anderson) Price

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Customer Reviews of Speak

Emily's Speak Book Review
Laurie Halse-Anderson's novel, Speak, is a riveting story about a teenage girl starting her high school days as an outcast. The main character, Melinda, had called the cops on the end-of-the-summer bash and everyone is busted. The reason for calling the cops is something Melinda keeps deep inside and does not reveal until the end. This novel shows Melinda as she struggles with many difficult aspects of high school and her home life. She has trouble speaking to people and expressing her true emotions. Though she's still very apprehensive, one person she starts to open up to is Mr. Freeman, her art teacher. He has taught her how to express her feelings through art and also told her he'd always be there to listen. Will Melinda finally open up to him or anyone, and find her voice?
I enjoyed this novel because it was realistic and detailed. It is a book that brings forth a mixture of emotions. It will make you laugh, cry, and yell out in anger. I definitely recommend this book.

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Very touching novel
Laurie Halse Anderson's novel, Speak, is very well written. It's an entertaining, riveting tale about a girl who calls the police to a party which results in several of her peers getting busted. Something happened at the end-of-summer party that changed her life forever.
Upon returning to school in the fall, the main character, Melinda Sordino, is blackballed by her classmates. She chooses to deal with her problem and those around her by silencing herself. There is an internal battle going on inside Melinda's head throughout the novel. She finally finds refuge in one of her classes, art. The art instructor is a very caring individual who notices that Melinda is acting strangely and that she is different and withdrawn. He wants to help her so he shows empathy toward her. She begins to use art as an outlet and finds meaning and symbolism in it.
Anderson does an extraordinary job using symbolism throughout the novel. She deals with a very serious subject, yet her writing is extremely witty and funny. I found myself laughing aloud while reading it.
School can be a very negative experience for many young people. The life of a ninth grade student is told from Melinda Sordino's point of view. She is unpopular and berated. The cruelty displayed by her peers, comfortable in their cliques, is something many young adults will be able to identify with. By the end of the novel, Melinda finally speaks! She tells why she called the cops that night. At first no one believes her, then another event happens that turns her life around. You have to read this book!

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Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
I really liked this book. I just finished it a few weeks ago, because in English we had to do literature circles and this was the book three other people and I read. I thought that the book was really good and so did two of the other people in my group they rated it 8 out of ten and 10/10 and I rated 9/10 but the other person in the group gave it 1/10. He said that all Melinda did in the book was whine about things but I don't think that's true.