Melinda goes into her first year of high school as a friendless, depressed, outcast. Nobody will talk to her after she totally ruined a party that summer by calling the police. Without anyone to listen, Melinda stops speaking all together. Throughout the year, Melinda learns how to face the harsh truth of what happened to her. You watch Melinda grow and flourish, kind of like a tree, until she’s ready to fight back; until she’s ready to Speak.

I love this book. I have just been reminded of what a good book is. 

When I first read it freshman year, this was my favorite book, one of the best I’d ever read. I guess some things never change.

Reading this a second time, a little older, a little wiser, I have discovered so many things I didn’t notice the first time.

I frequently talk about how a lot of books have a great deal of irrelevant balderdash that you don’t need or even want to read. Speak has none of that. Every sentence is exquisite, adds to the story, tries to tell you something, makes you feel a certain way. 

Speak is packed full of metaphors for life and love and loss. it’s poetic, but in a cool way; not a cringe way. There’s also onomatopoeias in here, which is something you don’t see very often and I think it’s really creative. The writing is so unique and well thought out, every word must have been strategically picked, but somehow flows effortlessly. 

I could tell you my favorite lines but I think rewriting the entire book into this review would be plagiarism…

I love our protagonist Melinda. She is utterly believable. I am reading the diary of a highschooler. I am Melinda, you are Melinda, we are Melinda. I’m going to name my first born Melinda. 

Now Melinda, SHE’s got character development – the best g@d@mn character development I’ve ever read: It’s subtle, you have to notice, you have to care; and you will care. 

Melinda is also hilarious. The whole book is written in her ironic inner monologue. This is somehow a funny book even with all the horrible, serious topics they cover. 

Everything about this book is my favorite. I want to read it again and again and again. I want to, as Melinda would say, tear it up and chew on its bones. Reading this book feels like listening to your favorite sad song on repeat, and it’s definitely stuck in my head like one.

Eleven stars.