Important Quote: Speak

While reading, there is always that one quote that stands out among the rest. The one you keep going back to. Even if you don't know why you like it, you just keep on reading it. That's how I felt with the quote "We held it in front of an antique mirror at midnight to see our futures. I couldn't see anything" (Anderson 40).

I love this quote for many reasons. For one, it allowed me to further connect with Melinda. Her not seeing anything in the mirror symbolizes how she doesn't see anything positive in her future. She doesn't even think she will have a future. It's devastating. As a reader, my heart dropped. It shows how much Melinda has given up and that she doesn't see anything to live for. All her hope is gone.

Of course this makes the reader want to read on. You want her to be happy. For things to get better. For Melinda to smile again. Well where I'm at in the book, things are still looking pretty rough for Melinda. I hope things get better. It can't stay dark forever... right?

The Importance of Art

Painting, drawing, sculpting... art. It can be a powerful thing as Melinda descovers throughout Speak. Throughout Melinda's struggles (see previous posts) she finds a feeling of calm and safety in art. It is something she still finds hope in, even when she feels like giving up. Usually, Melinda is very quiet but her art expresses so much emotion that she hides inside. For example, Melinda's art teacher says "This has meaning. Pain" when he sees her project (Anderson 64).

In this way I can connect to Melinda. Art to me is a way to calm down and express my feelings. Being able to relate to Melinda in this way helps connect me to the book and understand what she is feeling. The way Anderson develops the sense of need Melinda has for art shows how powerful it is.

An example of how art can express feelings that may be hidden.

Speak: How Society Affects Melinda

Nobody understands. No one.
Nobody cares. No one.

This is how Melinda feels constantly. Every day. 24/7. But WHY? Well, like many things, this can be blamed on society. Melinda is surrounded by students that, to put it kindly, hate her. Normally when someone says, "OMG everyone hates me!" they are usually over-exaggerating. Not in Melinda's case. Well maybe they don't all HATE her but they all dislike her.

She made one choice: to call the cops at a party. And no one forgives her. She's an outcast. With her entire school acting this way, it greatly impacts Melinda. Her grades drop a lot and she starts skipping classes almost everyday to avoid the ineventable: seeing her classmates.

This conflict between Melinda and society creates suspense and emotion throughout the book. The reader wants to know how Melinda is going to handle it. Will her classmates ever forgive her? Why did she call the cops in the first place? So many questions spinning in the reader's head push you to keep reading. Emotions also connect the reader to the book. "I want her to get better! I hate seeing her so sad! She doesn't deserve this!" Common thoughts I have experienced while reading the book.

Maybe you can relate to what Melinda feels. Where nobody understands and nobody cares. Even if you can't, the way the book is written emotionally engages the reader because of how society affects Melinda.

Speak: Real Life Issues

Society. Problems. Two words you often see by each other because let's face it our society has several problems. In the book Speak there are many real life issues covered throughout the story: the main one being bullying. An issue often talked about but with no action really taken. The whole book is based off of this since Melinda is bullied by pretty much 99% of her grade.

As for what the author thinks...

The author takes a clear stance against bullying. Describing in details the struggles Melinda faces to show the effects of bullying. It's clear the author wants people to stand up for people being bullied, since this is what Melinda wants constantly.

Change. Change is needed, and this book proves that. Bullying is a growing problem that no one should have to go through, but so many people do. Change. That's one of Laurie Anderson's reason for writing Speak: is to inspire change.

Speak- Character Contrast

Do you guys have that friend that is so completely different from you and it's just like how are we even friends?? That's how it is for Melinda and Heather. I honestly did not think two people this vastly different could get along. Both of them are going through the same problem: not having any friends and not being like by most of the school. How they go about this problem is incredibly different.


First, Melinda: After having crashed a party last year, the entire, literally ENTIRE, student body hates her, well except Heather of course. Overall, Melinda is just overwhelmed and upset by the whole thing. She lost all of her good friends and is now left feeling extremely alone. She begins to withdraw, her grades drop, she skips classes to hide. Melinda has lost all hope at this point.


Heather: Being her first year in Syracuse, Heather is an outcast because no "group" will let her join and she is stuck alone on the outside. Whereas Melinda gave up, Heather is VERY determined to find a group. She makes plans to get into one group and climb the latter of popularity until she reaches the top. She's always coming up with new ideas and plans. Like when Heather says, "What should we do? What do you want to join? Maybe we should tutor at the elementary school." (Anderson 23) Her thoughts are constant and don't seem to stop. But when nothing seems to be working, she breaks down and slowly starts losing hope.


And in that way, they are similar. Melinda has lost all hope, and Heather is slowly joining her.

New Book- Speak

As of a few days ago, I started reading the book Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. As for why I picked this book, I'm not really sure. I just happen to see it on Good Reads so why not give it a try.

Imagine this:

• It's the first day of high school
• You walk into the auditorium with all the other students
• All your old friends suddenly hate you
• No one offers to sit by you, so you sit alone
• The kids behind you start making fun of you and laughing
• Then comes lunch
• You have no where to sit
• And all of a sudden, out of no where, you are hit straight in the chest with... mashed potatoes

Sounds like a pretty awful first day in my opinion, not to mention that's only the first half. But this is Melinda's first day of school all because of an incident that occurred last year. The reader doesn't know much about what happened, but so far I know that: there was a party and Melinda ended up calling the police. Yes, she crashed the party. But why??? The reader is left wondering this as the suspense builds up and you want to keep reading.

The Fault in Our Stars: Final Post

Okay... I have read this book 5 times in a row now and have made so many posts about it that I have decided this will be my last post regarding The Fault in Our Stars. I would like to leave you with this note: give this book a try.


I've heard so many things about this book ranging from "this book is perfection" to "this book is cliché and like Twilight but with cancer".


Clearly, I disagree with the second one. This book has so much meaning in it and it's more then "just a romance novel."


John Green does such a great job creating characters that the reader can relate to. In every character throughout the novel, I can see parts of my personality in them. For example:


Augustus: I can relate to Augustus because of his fear of oblivion (being forgotten). I think that many people can relate to this, when you sometimes feel like everything you are doing is without a reason.


Hazel: I am similar to Hazel in how she thinks about other people. She believes that she is going to hurt others and to avoid that she tries to isolate herself.


Isaac: I think out of all the characters in the book I am most like Isaac. He believes in the goodness of everyone. That no one will hurt you. This is false, leaving Isaac hurt time and time again, yet he always remains believing that everyone is too nice to hurt anyone. Isaac also focuses on being the best friend he can. He puts everything into his relationships and friendships and is always there to help.


Hazel's Mom: I can relate to Hazel's mom a lot throughout the book. She hates seeing her people upset and would do anything to give them a time of happiness. She's trustworthy and always there to help when life gets rough.




I think no matter what your personality is you will be able to find a character you can relate to throughout the book. Overall, PERFECT book that everyone should read!