This June we’re breaking the formula! Hannah and Stephanie each assign the other a book that they think their friend will like. Hannah’s pick for Stephanie is a book she has wanted her to read since they were in college together: Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson.

As she begins her freshman year of high school, Melinda is coping with a trauma that is not immediately apparent to the reader, but is revealed to be a sexual assault by an older classmate at a party during the summer. In shock after her rape, Melinda calls 911, but then disappears, leaving all her peers to label her as simply the girl who “called the cops” on their party and then ostracize her at school. The novel’s action centers on Melinda’s attempts to cope with her trauma, most notably of which is her stubborn refusal to speak. Join Hannah and Stephanie this week as they share two different but valuable perspectives on this book and the issues it brings to light. 

Resources: 

https://muse.jhu.edu/article/404125/pdf 

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