Book Review: Speak

Speak
Laurie Halse Anderson
Square Fish (1999)

Audience:   Parents and teenagers.  Mature theme: rape

Yesterday, I had a few free moments away from my three year old and wandered into a book store that had a table of book selections from the local high school.    I bought Speak and finished it yesterday evening.   I thought it was great and I am so glad that it is one of the selections for high school students to read and discuss.  

Laurie Halse Anderson wrote a lovely poem at the beginning of this edition of the book.  She says that over the years, thousands of girls have contacted her with their own painful stories--be it rape, feeling invisible, cutting, not having a group, dealing with fractured families.  

What I thought the author did such a great job with was depicting how it can happen that this young girl is so completely broken inside and no one realizes.   For that reason, I think it's a great book for parents to read--a reminder to really be noticing those subtle cues that our children give us.  

There is also a movie version starring Kristen Stewart (before she was famous) that is supposed to be good.   It's not on netflix.  If anyone knows where you can see it, leave a post. 

Here's one possiblity:  http://www.watchthisfree.com/search/quick/