Bullying

When people get bullied, it really affects them. Think about a time when someone said something negative about you. You were probably upset at some degree. Well, other people are affected by negative comments. It is really sad when someone is picked on all through school and no one really realizes that when they join in on that, they are adding to that persons hate for themselves.

When people hear constant criticism from the people around them, they start to believe the negative comments. This leads to a low self esteem and eventually a self loathing. This is very destructive to an individual and is devastating. This person's self image is completely damaged and they will never get over the ridicule.

Just think if someone was bullied long enough that his or her self image was so corrupted, they decided to kill themselves. What if they waited for one day, a test. A test to see if one person would be kind to them. What if no one, not even you did anything to show a little kindness, not even a smile or a "hey"?

This is why we must think about what we say or do before we do them. Our actions have an impact on the people around us, and I for one don't want to cause anyone pain like that. I want my impact on people to be a good one.

Speak Book Review

In tragic times, sometimes it feels like we are alone. In Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, Melinda feels like she is all alone. She hides in many ways, silently begging for help. When no one seems to care, Melinda gets more and more distant from the real world, and even herself. Laurie Halse Anderson's book Speak forces the reader to acknowledge bad things do happen in the real world, but there is still hope, if we speak out.

To begin with, Melinda is the protagonist in this novel. The way that Anderson wrote about Melinda made my heart ache for her. I could feel her pain along with her. I connected to Melinda in a very personal way. I felt like I knew her, and I wanted to be the one that helped her. Also, Melinda was the type of character that was misunderstood, and that appealed to me too. Lastly, Melinda was very tough, she kept herself together even though she had so much pain inside her. She made me want to strive to be tougher, too.

Along with the characters, the plot of Speak really drew me into the book. Melinda went through something no one should have to go through. She was raped at a party over the summer. Everyone at school hates her though, because she called the cops at the party. No one knows what really happened, and they don't figure out. Melinda struggles throughout the book to find peace within herself and others. She uses art as a type of escape, but her assigned topic is a tree. She just can't figure out how to make a tree into art. Throughout the book, I saw how Melinda struggled, and I wanted to help her.

Lastly, I could really connect with Melinda. I can understand what it feels like to hide something from everyone, and need someone to notice the struggling going on. Also, this book reminds me of Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher. They both have devastating stories of misunderstood and neglected girls. And I was drawn to them both. I love books that make me feel.

For anyone who likes emotional books, Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson is a must read. This book not only made me feel what Melinda felt, but made me reexamine my life and think. I was just waiting to see what would happen with the high school drama, and I could imagine what it was like. This book was one that I could read multiple times... I already have.