Reviews with content warning for Physical abuse - Speak

i love YA contemporary fiction. give me a traumatized 14 y/o narrating their first year of highschool?? that was me 2 years ago. i’ll take it. i’ll read it. i’ll love it.

Content Warnings

im_just_vidu's review

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-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

5.0

If there's a word I can highly relate to, it would be "silent". I've been the quiet kid throughout my whole life. And also, the outcast. I was not the famous kid or others' favorite one. The only difference between me and Melinda was that I was the nerd and at the top of the class every time. I got good grades, and that's how people knew me. "Quiet nerd" who doesn't speak. Even now, my mom tells me to "speak". When she gets angry and scolds me, she gets tired and tells me "At least argue, so I don't feel bad". Yeah, that's how I am. So I can 100% relate to most of Melinda's story.
When you hit a new point of introversion, you kinda forget how to fight for yourself. You forget how to say "No". So when people come with a plastic smile and ask "can you do this?" you either automatically say yes or say silently that they take it as a "Yes". And that's so sad. Growing up I don't think I've ever had best friends who thought the same way as me. The friends who won't be there anymore when they don't have any use for you anymore. I'm glad that she was not bullied very hard as it happens in most cases. But sometimes not having someone to call your "friend" is also another kind of pain. A pain famous kids might not understand.
I see myself through, Melinda. When she closes a part of her brain because you don't want to feel the way she did, she forgets how to cooperate with things. I think that is what was going through with Melinda as well. And when you have really unsupportive parents who don't even care about you, that's a cherry on top. I liked this story for how relatable it is. How truthful it is.
I hope people won't force others to step out of their comfort zone just because they are quiet or weird. And also I hope everyone gets the courage to speak up for themselves.

Content Warnings

isabellatremoco's review

Go to review page

emotional inspiring reflective sad fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

My favourite book ever. Probably rereading it next year.

Content Warnings

ryan_rajp's review

Go to review page

dark emotional hopeful sad fast-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

5.0

Content Warnings

madmichele's review

Go to review page

emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

won’t comment on the writing quality considering i’m no longer the target age for this novel, but regardless of that, it’s an excellent and important story. originally read it when I was in middle school and it helped me with some things - definitely should be a required reading for young teens.

Content Warnings

carba's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional sad 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

4.0

Content Warnings

More...