Reviews with content warning for Sexual harassment - Speak

Reviews tagging 'Sexual harassment'

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

76 reviews

letters_from_gabriella's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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_serena_'s review against another edition

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emotional inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

This story is heartbreaking, yet so impactful as Melinda finally defends herself and speaks up for herself. I cannot imagine the pain and loneliness she felt. I can however relate to hurting and no one noticing - parents brushing you off as acting out.
Unfortunately, I think this story will be timeless. Written in 1999 and it's still just as impactful and powerful in 2024.

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liad24's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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your_geekygf's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

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mawar12's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Melinda was raped at a party and then called cops but didn't say anything. She just left because she didn't know what was happening she was stop young. However because she can't say what's happening, her frienda at the party blame her for calling cops and all decided not to befriend her , which I find so ridiculous because they've been friends since kids. They shouldn't let it get like that.
Especially Rachel.

Reminds me when I was selectively mute, and I had an oral presentation. Melinda was lucky Daniel Petrakis was there to help her to not present by just saying she has a right not today anything and just write on whiteboard. Such difference is western American culture.

I hate that heather decided not to befriend Melinda when it's Melinda who befriend her when she had ni friends. Although it made snwse Melinda was depressing, it's her job as a friend to help Melinda. Then she said she had reputation to maintain and go join cheerleaders. I hated how she treat Melinda and then returned the friendship bracelet, which caused Melinda to cry. Reminds me how much crying I had to do in school when almost all friends I made, all abandoned me because I was too quiet and I lack communication skills.
I had selective mutism and anxiety and people just thought I was shy.

Mr neck show Melinda Picasso paintings and she was inspired. Little by little she started express her emotions through art, kinda like art therapy. She started voicing things out like telling her dad to go get sunflower seeds when she used to be so quiet.
Daniel Petrakis asked her out but she said no. He was nice to Melinda and her lab partner. He stood up against a racist teacher.
Ivy seem nicer to Melinda when she washed out mess she make on Melinda's shirt.
Melinda send note to Rachel warning her to stay away from Andy because raped a girl. It's sad Rachel ignored that note.
Heather suddenly went back to Melinda's house crying but then she pushed aside the bunnies in Melinda's room and then she complained about the Martha cheerleaders being very mean. She asked heather for help for decorating posters and I'm happy finally Melinda discovered her voice and say No. Because heather had been mean to her.
Melinda started to find more courage the more she voice things out.
When Melinda finally sit beside Rachel in the library writing inside a notebook to communicate with each other, it's kinda dumb that Rachel confessed she shouldn't be still mad at Melinda yet chose to not say anything.
Then, writing in the notebook ,Melinda confessed that she was raped by Andy at the party and when she tried calling the cops she couldn't say anything, scared and went back home.
Rachel was angry and said what Melinda is saying isn't true and that she's jealous. I was shocked how in denial she was and didn't trust her friend.
Then she had a fight about it during prom and broke things off with Andy, which is good.
Melinda was sexually assaulted again by Andy but this time she fought back , telling Andy no. Honestly I find this part to not make sense because she did it right after people suspect him. Which most people won't do, it would cause too much suspicion. But I guess it's important to the story.
She fought Andy back and broke off some mirror and held the piece of glass against Andy and tell her no, making Andy scared. Which I liked.
She also screamed , and people discovered what happened.
The entire school now see her as a hero.
I'm sad there's no scenes at the end about her with Rachel though, just saying that Rachel told Melinda to call her. It's like we didn't get closure
. I'm also sad Melinda parents were neglectful and always blame their child but not actually ask her what happened. Her mum just think 'suicide is for cowards' when she discovered her daughter self harmed. Even the guidance counselor all blamed Melinda for her grades and they all say she's attention seeking. It's disappointing. Although at the end the parents seem to have better relationship with her. I like how her art teacher always encouraged her. And she finally told him her story.

Overall this book is good but it kinda drag a bit at the beginning . But I still like the book, it promoted awareness about mental health, sexual assault victims and selective mutism. And it was published way back in 1999.

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lucius_gooseman's review against another edition

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dark

2.0

This is a story that needs to be told. Great. And to be told by a real survivor of s/a is even better. But the way Anderson writes Melinda makes you actively dislike her. I felt nothing for anyone in the book. A bunch of nothing characters thrown together onto a canvas that should have been empowering, not boring. Anderson, for me, is not a strong author. If you're hell-bent on reading her, I'd recommend Fever over this any day.

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bookeduntil's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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sunnylain's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Content Warnings

k31r's review against another edition

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emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

mimo_'s review against another edition

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dark sad tense medium-paced

3.5

the book was aight i see it's importance but felt like smn was missing?? maybe because its young adult so it was never going to go super in depth but it was a good read nonetheless

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