Divided into the four marking periods of an academic year, the novel, narrated by Melinda Sordino, begins on her first day as a high school freshman. No one will sit with Melinda on the bus. At school, students call her names and harass her; her best friends from junior high scatter to different cliques and abandon her. Yet Anderson infuses the narrative with a wit that sustains the heroine through her pain and holds readers' empathy. A girl at a school pep rally offers an explanation of the heroine's pariah status when she confronts Melinda about calling the police at a summer party, resulting in several arrests. But readers do not learn why Melinda made the call until much later: a popular senior raped her that night and, because of her trauma, she barely speaks at all. Only through her work in art class, and with the support of a compassionate teacher there, does she begin to reach out to others and eventually find her voice. Through the first-person narration, the author makes Melinda's pain palpable: "I stand in the center aisle of the auditorium, a wounded zebra in a National Geographic special." Though the symbolism is sometimes heavy-handed, it is effective. The ending, in which her attacker comes after her once more, is the only part of the plot that feels forced. But the book's overall gritty realism and Melinda's hard-won metamorphosis will leave readers touched and inspired.

I almost passed this book along without reading it, and I'm so glad I didn't! I'm not usually that taken with books written in the present tense, and I didn't realize this one was at first. I'm not sure why, but it can put me off a little and with Mt. TBR looming large, that would normally mean the book would keep getting passed over. But it fell open as I picked it up to move it to the To Be Mailed pile, and what I saw there was enough to make me sit down and read the whole thing.

This is fantastically written! The protagonist is wonderful, completely real, and fully a teenager. I wanted to cheer with her and hold her hand through her hard times. The author has captured high school with all its terrible nuances, and I felt I was reliving the experience with Melinda (except this time I didn't hate it so much!). I swear, I actually had that social studies teacher, and for the same type of class, too! The only part that didn't fit with me was naming the cliques the way she did -- in fact, it gave me a few odd flashes off Margaret Atwood when they named one the Marthas -- but then, all my schools were much too small to have enough different cliques to bother with differentiating them.

Anyway, this book about dealing with the aftermath of rape does indeed deserve all the praise it's received. It handles the subject matter without being sad or morose, and with a surprising amount of sarcastic humor. Highly recommended, even if this is not your usual sort of read.

But oh my gosh -- a normal Thanksgiving at Melinda's house sounded more like Halloween!

I truely believe that anyone who has, works with, teaches or comes in any sort of regular contact with teens needs to read this book! The adults in this story missed so many signs and i really think it could teach adolescents and the adults around them so much!

This pre-911 book of the teenage experience is a masterpiece. It is written in such a way that it takes adults back to the way they thought when they were teenagers, and it reads to teenagers the way they think. Teenagers, especially really young teens, often have experiences that they are unable to process, and that makes them unable to "Speak," about them to those who might help. This book is about a girl who has just such an "unspeakable," experience just as she is becoming a teenager, and the aftermath of her reaction to it. Every parent should read it. It is a terrific book.

Killer book - made me laugh and cry. Her voice is absolutely perfect and the novel is constructed brilliantly. Highly recommend. Warn you that it's a little dark.

AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME!! this book was so real. it was great Melinda showed the same feeling and thoughts that a survivor of her difficulties would go through. I can relate to her problems exactly and i was with her the whole time. In the beginning it was a little difficult to stay focused but after the first 30 pages or so i was hooked and couldn't put in down. The end was amazing and my favorite part. I loves the raw, hard, edge of this book. There were even parts that her sarcasm made me smile and laugh. I cried with melinda, laughed with melinda, and rejoiced with meilinda. a must read. i'm actually finding it difficult to post it. lol

Poignant and saddening, this book is well written and an incredible read. This book is perfectly paced, slowly revealing Melinda's inner struggle. Highly recommended!

This was an excellent story told from the point of the young rape victim. Beautifully written and wonderfully narrated.

A great story of a teenage girl dealing with a terrible trauma. I picked it up and couldn't put it down.

One of the greatest books I've ever had the pleasure of reading...If you have experienced anything similar to the main character, it's so easy to relate to her and really feel what she feels. This book deals with some serious topics, however, and I would only recommend it to mature readers.

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Thoroughly enjoyed this book. The subject matter is sad and distressing, but the story was completely amazing anyway. Anyone with a teenage daughter (or son) should read this, and then pass it down to them. Highly recommended.

This book was really good. It took a while to get to the point, but I liked it a lot.

This is one of my favorite books. a great read for young girls but also for guys. there is also a movie based on this book. i believe its called speak also. watch it if you enjoy this novel.

Before I read this book, I couldn't figure out why reviewers said it was funny when the subject matter is supposed to be dark. But it was. Melinda cracked me up & brought me right back to the god-awful high school days. Wish I had a closet like the one she found in school to hide out in! (The subject matter IS dark, but Melinda is funny and finds hope despite what happened to her).

Good book read in one sitting.

This is a well written, powerful book about a high school outcast (by no fault of her own). Really worth taking the time to read. With under 200 pages it is a an easy read in one day.

Wow. I really enjoyed this book. I, typically, do not read... at least, not a few years ago... and i read this and thought differently about books and reading. The ending was great, even though it might be slow to begin with, if you stick it out and keep going, it will be an amazing book you will love forever. :)

VERY UNIQUE!

a 2000 Printz Honor Book
A 1999 National Book Award Finalist
An Edgar Allan Poe Award Finalist

I enjoyed this book, however, I am not keeping it because I do not feel as though I will ever read it again.

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