A young lady entering high school is raped at a summer party. Unable to tell anyone she shuts down until finally she can speak out about what occurred.
General Information:
- Age Range: 12 – 18 years
- Price: $10.99
- Grade Level: 7 – 9
- Lexile Measure: 690L
- Paperback: 224 pages
- Publisher: Square Fish; Reprint edition (May 10, 2011)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 9780312674397
- ISBN-13: 978-0312674397
- ASIN: 0312674392
Plot:
This book follows the story of Melissa and her traumatic experience with sexual assault as an incoming freshman in high school. The story speaks about her at a party and it is at this party that a boy named Andy assaults her. She calls 911 but in her panic flees from the party and says nothing to anyone. When she goes to high school everyone thinks she busted the party and she was so traumatized from the assault that she was unable to communicate to anyone what had occurred to her. The book however starts with her at high school and goes through her classes and then her eventual trouble in those classes. Eventually she sunk into a deep depression with her grades suffering and her own form of communication is through the trees she was drawing in art class. In the end Andy was revealed and he went to attack her again but this time she was defended by her fellow students. The book ends with the art teacher giving her an A+ and with her finally opening up and telling her teacher the full story as the school now backs her and treats her as a hero instead of a villain.
Reading and Interest Level:
This book is marketed for grades 7-9 and ages 12-14 years old. I think the interest level is actually much broader than that especially with the concepts included in the book I think anyone from 7th -12th grade would be interested in this book.
Evaluation:
I would evaluate this book as a very well written book and a compelling read. The style of writing which may seem discombobulated and disorganized at first as it bounces around a fair amount within the context of the plot line may turn some readers off but it helps connect us through the chaotic nature of Melissa’s thoughts. This was a very traumatic experience for her and she at first can not mentally cope with it and then you add the added pressure of failing grades and being ostracized by everyone in her school. It tells her story in a compelling way that really gives insight to the trauma and the problems that victims of sexual assault face. Overall it was effective in giving out its message and providing an outlet for young teens to read about this experience.
Bibliotherapeutic Value:
The bibliotherapeutic value of this book is one of the reasons for its success and the reason why it is continually referred to for teens. The #MeToo movement and the idea of women coming out and speaking against sexual assaults and rape that occurred to them is well known in the recent news. It is extremely difficult for people to discuss these themes especially due to its traumatic nature. This book is a way for girls to read and realize they are not alone in this and that though it is traumatic and a huge issue they will work through it and when they do speak about it they will not be hated for telling the truth. This is one of the most useful therapeutic books out there for teens.
Issues Present:
Issues present in the book are very obviously laid out for the reader. There is the issue of sexual assault which is the biggest issue. It also has severe bullying, and references to underage drinking in the beginning of the book. There is also the issue of severe language throughout the book. All of these issues are things that have been challenged in this book as some parents do not want their teens reading about such topics.
Defending the Title:
Defending this book is rather simple in the sense that there are lots of cases to choose from to help you defend this book. Sexual Assault and the trauma that comes with it will inevitably lead to strong language. This is a tough topic but it is one that needs to have a voice especially for all the young teens that are out there just like Melissa, too scared to speak out about the sexual crimes committed against them.
Book Talk Ideas:
The book talk idea that I would like to bring up for discussion would be to follow how her trees evolve throughout the book until she actually comes out with her story. The pages to really focus on would be: 103, 118, 147, 152, 153, 196, 197, etc.
Genre:
The Genre of this book is Teen Fiction: More specifically a story of sexual assault and how a young girl handles it.
Similar Reads:
Authors Website:
http://madwomanintheforest.com/
Awards:
School Library Best Books of the Year
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books Blue Ribbon Award
California Young Reader Medal
BCCB Blue Ribbon Award, Books for the Teen Age
New York Public Library
Golden Kite Award Winner
National Book Awards Finalist
NYPL Books for the Teen Age
Booklist Editors’ Choice
American Library Association Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adults
ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adults
School Library Journal Best Books of the Year
American Library Association Best Books for Young Adults
Golden Kite Award for Fiction
PA Carolyn W. Field Award
Michael L. Printz Award – Honor
American Library Association Quick Picks for Young Adults
Kentucky Blue Grass Award
ALA Best Books for Young Adults
Edgar Allan Poe Award Nominee
Horn Book Magazine Fanfare List
Professional Reviews:
https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-374-37152-4
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/laurie-halse-anderson/speak-anderson/
http://www.yabookscentral.com/yafiction/275-Speak
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/439288.Speak
Why I chose to read this book?
The hook for me in this book was the fact that I have never read a book that was explicitly about a sexual assault. I have read books that contained sexual assault such as A Girl with a Dragon Tattoo as an example. This book was eye opening in the difficulties that woman can face in when it comes to sexual assault. It was appalling to see that she could not talk about it do to the trauma and then when she opened up about it finally to someone who was supposed to be her friend the first thing that came out of her friend’s mouth was You are a liar. It is an eye opening book that really does a great job showing us these difficulties and on top of that it was a very good read.
Librarianship 