Speak

Book: Speak
Author: Laurie Halse Anderson
Pages: 198

Speak is the story of a high school freshman girl, Melinda, who has been through a traumatic event. However, she is not able to tell anyone about what happened to her. Her friends abandon her and Melinda becomes completely isolated and alienated. Her grades start to suffer and she stops talking in class. What happened to Melinda and what will happen to her?

Information about teenage alienation:

• Adolescents are the most frequent victims of feelings of alienation.

• The alienation often associated with the adolescent quest for identity commonly involves a distrust of adults, a rejection of their values, and a pessimistic world view.

• Teenage alienation is viewed as pathological if it accompanies serious psychological disorders, such as phobias and obsessions.

Sources:
Alienation Information

Questions:
Have you ever felt alienated or alone? How do you cope with these feelings?
How can you help someone else who seems to be alienating themselves?