I Can't Hear You. Speak Up.

Coming from an adult who loves to read adolescent literature, it is pretty evident that these novels need to touch on issues facing teenagers today. Without this requirement, young adults are not going to be very apt to read young adult literature (which is pretty problematic). Speak definitely targets issues facing young adults in today's society be it the issue of sexual abuse, depression, or the feeling of being alone. Laurie Halse Anderson definitely meets this requirement. The other major thing I believe Anderson does a very good job with is a requirement Elaine Murphy and her committee came up with when reviewing young adult literature. Murphy is the author of "In Search of Literature for the Twenty-First Century," and she believed that young adult literature "must promote higher level critical thinking skills and allow students to make connections with their own experiences and previous knowledge" (Murphy 110).  Speak almost forces readers to make connections with their own experiences whether they experienced anything Melinda did or not. I feel like it would be hard-pressed to find someone who did not at least know of another person who has struggled with at least one of Melinda's issues.


Not only does Anderson do a phenomenal job of fulfilling her duties as a young adult writer, but she also falls neatly into place in the problem novel category as well. Anderson does not provide a "happily-ever-after" ending; she shows the reader that Melinda still has a long way to go in her coping with her abuse. She also addresses the topic of rape when many authors before her would have never dared to do so. She shows the violence between Andy and Melinda in a more graphic manner. For example, towards the end of the novel, Melinda finds herself trapped in her closet at school with Andy.

"He grabs my wrists. I try to pull them back and he squeezes so tight it feels like my bones are splintering. He pins me against the closed door...I pull my arms again and he slams his body against mine...He curses and turns, his fist coming, coming. An explosion in my head and blood in my mouth. He hit me...I reach in and wrap my fingers around a triangle of glass. I hold it to Andy Evan's neck. He freezes. I push just hard enough to raise one drop of blood" (Anderson 194-5).

This display of violence is quintessential for recent problem novels. Lastly, Anderson also shows Melinda almost succumbing to her trauma, but then she begins to heal through friends, art, and her art teacher.


Ultimately, Speak has gone above and beyond what it takes to make it as a young adult piece of literature, and I would most definitely recommend it to anyone. I had once tried to read this novel in high school, but I never finished it. Upon completing it as a college student, I definitely wish I would have finished it the first time around because I have found that I can relate to Melinda and her problems on a few different levels, and it probably would have helped me out therapeutically during my high school years.

Works Cited

Anderson, Laurie Halse. Speak. New York City, NY: Penguin Putnam Inc, 2003. 194-5. Print.

Murphy, Elaine. "In Search of Literature for the Twenty-First Century." English Journal. (2001): 110. Print.

Literary History

                I am fortunate enough to have many early experiences with books. Being the first child of my family, my parents spent a lot of time in my “development” as they normally do with firstborns. Therefore, I recall many picture books. My favorite was The Fox and the Hound. I revel in the opportunities my mom takes in telling me how that was the first book I learned how to read…before I learned how to read. I begged her or my dad to read that particular book to me every night that I had memorized it cover to cover. My second favorite book just so happened to be Dr. Seuss’ Green Eggs and Ham. I also continue to take pride in the story of Green Eggs and Ham and Sheena. I could read that book front to back in two minutes flat—yes…I time myself. I thought it was pretty impressive seeing as how that was a relatively lengthy Dr. Seuss book. The other major early childhood reading memory I have stored away remained a tradition until my mom and dad divorced and my mom moved out the summer before my senior year (3 ½ years ago). Every Christmas Eve my dad, mom, younger brother, and I would all sit together and read The Night Before Christmas before my brother and I would go to bed. Even after Aaron (my brother) and I had stopped believing in Santa, we would still maintain this tradition. We discontinued this tradition because it just felt wrong doing it once my mom left.

                Throughout elementary school, I was everyone’s pride and joy when it came to reading. I checked them out from the school’s and town’s library, and I was also that weird nine-year-old who requested books for her birthday. Therefore, I obviously flipped my wig when the Harry Potter series came out. I believe I have read the entire series about eight times and own all of the movies available despite my agony over the way the sixth movie was executed.

                There was never a period of time when I didn’t read even in junior high when I experienced what most would describe hell. Between losing most of my elementary friends to the cheerleading clique and developing some of the worst friends I have ever had, I still managed to keep reading.

                In high school I started getting heavily into adolescent literature of course. During that time, some of my favorite books were Cut by Patricia McCormick, Go Ask Alice by anonymous, and any piece of paper that Ellen Hopkins had ever set a pen to. As a whole, I became extremely interested in fiction and non-fiction revolving around the following topics: self-injury, drug and alcohol use, and sex. Therefore, my parents became slightly less enthused about my love of reading. But I was keeping my grades and a part-time job along with striving in soccer and bowling; so I guess they couldn’t complain too much.

                After I graduated high school, I kept reading as much as I possibly could, but my schedule got slightly more difficult after obtaining a full time third shift job as well as a consistent fifteen credit hour load at school. So as soon as I noticed that a course was offered within my major’s requirements to read adolescent literature for a grade, I jumped on it. I hope this course will jumpstart me back into my old reading ways while I am taking it and after the semester is over.