DNF Review: Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

February 14, 2016     erinthebooknut     Book review

DNF Review: Speak by Laurie Halse AndersonSpeak by Laurie Halse Anderson
Published by Puffin on April 1st 2001
Pages: 198
Goodreads

Melinda Sordino busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops. Now her old friends won't talk to her, and people she doesn't even know hate her from a distance. The safest place to be is alone, inside her own head. But even that's not safe. Because there's something she's trying not to think about, something about the night of the party that, if she let it in, would blow her carefully constructed disguise to smithereens. And then she would have to speak the truth. This extraordinary first novel has captured the imaginations of teenagers and adults across the country.

DNF

Everyone talks about how great Speak is. It’s read in classrooms, talked about on a million book lists, and I really can’t see why. That’s not to say I hate the book, I don’t. Not really. Hate is much too strong a word. But I really didn’t like it.

For one, I didn’t find the main character very likable. Or very deep for that matter. She’s a teenage girl, she has problems a, b, and c, and that’s about all there is. She’s pretty wishy washy about things, she hides in a closet all day, and I really wanted to smack her upside the head.

Another reason I didn’t care for this book is that nothing really happens for a long time. And I mean a LOOOOONG time. Besides that, the formatting is really irritating. You have these tiny chapters that only focus on one topic at a time. It’s really disjointed and confusing.

So really, this book was not for me. It was way over hyped and I kinda feel like I’m the only one who doesn’t like it but that doesn’t bother me that much. I have very specific tastes. I only made it about 40% through before I just kind of skimmed for the good parts and put the book away.

I’m not sure if I’ll be keeping my signed copy,  have other signed books from this author so if I do decide to get rid of it I’ll probably do a giveaway.

Agree or disagree? Like or hate? What do you think of Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak? Share your thoughts in the comments.

From my shelf to yours,

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One response to “DNF Review: Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

  1. I really didn’t like Speak either, so you aren’t alone there :O. I don’t really get why it is as popular as it is, in my English class it was one of the options would could read and I really wish a different YA novel was chosen since ALL of the options where the same genre… But great review, sorry you didn’t like it either :/

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