Speak by Laurie Halse AndersonMelinda starts high school alienated from her friends for calling the police at a party over the summer. The year is spent alone and in silence until she finds her voice and the strength to speak about what happened at that party.
The writing style is a bit stunted and abrupt, which was a bit hard to get used to, but once the story gets going and I started understanding the character better, it becomes right. It fits.
I liked that you didn't know what causes Melinda's behavior change and silence until later in the book. It shows how parents, teachers, friends can misinterpret a person's behavior and actions as being "difficult" rather than finding out the cause. As a teacher, this is a great reminder that you never know what has happened or is happening to a student when they are not in your care.
4/5
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