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Speak (novel)
Overview
Speak is a 1999 novel by Laurie Halse Anderson
about a girl named Melinda Sordino
who is an outcast
as a high school freshman
. It was made into a film of the same name
in 2004. The novel was a New York Times
and Publishers Weekly
bestseller. Speak was also named a Printz Honor book
in 2000.
A few weeks before her freshman year of high school, Melinda Sordino and her friend Rachel are invited to a high school party. There, Melinda gets drunk and meets a senior, Andy Evans, who takes her to a secluded part of the woods and rape
s her.
Laurie Halse Anderson
Laurie Halse Anderson is an American author who writes for children and young adults.-Career:...
about a girl named Melinda Sordino
Melinda Sordino
Melinda Sordino is the main character and narrator of Laurie Halse Anderson's 1999 novel Speak. Her last name, Sordino, is an Italian word that can be translated as "mute" or "deaf."-Character:...
who is an outcast
Outcast
Outcast may refer to:*outcast , a person with social stigma-Literature:*Guardians of Ga'Hoole Book 8: The Outcast*Outcast , a 1991 book by Iraqi-Israeli author Shimon Ballas...
as a high school freshman
Freshman
A freshman or fresher is a first-year student in secondary school, high school, or college. The term first year can also be used as a noun, to describe the students themselves A freshman (US) or fresher (UK, India) (or sometimes fish, freshie, fresher; slang plural frosh or freshmeat) is a...
. It was made into a film of the same name
Speak (film)
Speak is a 2004 American independent film based on the award-winning novel of the same name by Laurie Halse Anderson. It stars a then 13-year-old Kristen Stewart as Melinda Sordino, a high school freshman who practically stops talking after being raped by a senior student. The film is told through...
in 2004. The novel was a New York Times
New York Times Best Seller list
The New York Times Best Seller list is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States. It is published weekly in The New York Times Book Review magazine, which is published in the Sunday edition of The New York Times and as a stand-alone publication...
and Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
bestseller. Speak was also named a Printz Honor book
Michael L. Printz Award
The Michael L. Printz Award is an annual award in the United States for a book that exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature. It is named for a school librarian from Topeka, Kansas, who was a long-time active member of the Young Adult Library Services Association...
in 2000.
A few weeks before her freshman year of high school, Melinda Sordino and her friend Rachel are invited to a high school party. There, Melinda gets drunk and meets a senior, Andy Evans, who takes her to a secluded part of the woods and rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
s her.
