Common Sense Media Review
Controversial book about rape is powerful and painful.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
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Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 16 parent reviews
Parents say that this book is a poignant yet polarizing read, with many educators and parents arguing that it handles sensitive topics like trauma and recovery with honesty, despite concerns about its language and depiction of negative experiences. Some reviewers praise its ability to spark important conversations among teens, while others find it too dark, slow, and lacking in redemptive characters, suggesting it may not be suitable for younger audiences.
- educational value
- sensitive content
- serious themes
- parental concern
- age appropriateness
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
Based on 133 kid reviews
What's the Story?
High school should be the best time of Melinda's life. Instead, freshman year is a nightmare as Melinda finds herself rejected by her friends, cut off from her parents, and unable to reveal a terrible secret. In fact, she isn't speaking at all. Melinda's slow healing process is a realistic and compelling one, and readers will cheer for her when she finally does use her voice.
Is It Any Good?
This is one of the most devastatingly true and painful portrayals of high school to come along in a long time. The cliques, from the Jocks to the Big Hair Chix to the Marthas (devotees of a certain Ms. Stewart), are pigeonholed to perfection. Outsider Melinda seems somehow familiar, too. Her witty, ironic commentaries can't cover up her pain at being excluded.
Kids who are genuine outsiders stand to gain a lot from this compassionate novel. The author offers real solutions to Melinda's pain: Melinda's connection to a mentor, her artistic creations, and even her plans for a flower garden all feed her inner strength. When she's finally able to speak, readers will rejoice in her triumphs.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Speak has received lots of praise and is taught in classrooms, from eighth grade on up. But its controversial subject matter has also made it a target of censors. Do you think it's too intense for teens? Should any book ever be banned or require parental permission?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Coming of Age
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Puffin
- Publication date : January 1, 1999
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 12 - 12
- Number of pages : 198
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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