Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

     "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson is a stunning novel about a girl named Melinda, who has become a social outcast, after she busted an end of the summer party by calling the police. Her friends won't talk to her, and her family just doesn't understand her at all. She tries to make friends but even they ditch her for the popular group.

     She numbs her pain by cutting herself. When her mom sees her wrist she just laughs at her and says that suicide us a waste of time. I thought that that wasn't very nice of her mom, instead of laughing she should've said something comforting or even gotten her help to deal with anger. Another coping mechanism that Melinda reaches out to is art. In art, she finds that she can express herself in a way that she can't do while talking. Melinda prefers not to talk to other people. Not even her teachers, principle, or family, even if they try to help her. The only teacher she'll talk to is her art teacher, but she can't even tell him how she feels. 

     Melinda likes to be alone, inside her head but even that, she can't do. If she thinks to much she might think about that horrible night of the party, and she'd have to admit what happened, even to herself. And she would have to speak the truth. To everyone. Her ex friends, and her family. And she just doesn't want to risk doing that.