Plot

A teenager is traumatized into silence after a disastrous summer party.

In the book Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson, Melinda Sordino is forced into the worst year of her life. Her best friend, Rachel Bruin, has turned against her with all other of Melinda's fellow students looking away; not daring to take a single glance at Melinda. All because of one stupid end-of-summer party.

Freshman high-school student Melinda "Kristen Stewart" has refused to speak ever since she called the cops on a popular summer party. With her old friends snubbing her for being a rat, and her parents "Elizabeth Perkins, D.B. Sweeney" too busy to notice her troubles, she folds into herself, trying to hide her secret: that star senior Andy "Eric Lively" raped her at the party. But Melinda does manage to find solace in her art class headed by Mr. Freeman "Steve Zahn".—yusufpiskin

The young adolescent Melinda Sordino arrives at high school feeling confused, depressed and alone. Her school peers call her "squealer", because she alerted the police during a summer party after she was sexually assaulted by Andy Evans. She refuses to tell anyone the events that took place. Her depression and distance from people is made worse by the increasingly large gap between her and her parents. She finds great support with her art teacher Mr. Freeman and her school friend David Petrakis. Her feelings threaten to engulf her but Melinda learns to grow from her experiences instead of repressing the past emotions that have scarred her for the rest of her life.—Andrew Rodriguez, Tinton Falls New Jersey

Fourteen-year-old Melinda Sordino begins her first year in high school and struggles on the first day. She has no friends, and appears uncomfortable when speaking to others. On the bus to school, she meets Heather, whom she somewhat befriends. Throughout the day, she is made fun of by several students, repeatedly called a "squealer". It's revealed that that Melinda called the police to a house party during the previous summer. However, her reason for doing so was because she was raped at the party, by popular senior student Andy Evans, but her trauma prevented her from reporting her assault over the telephone or to the police when they arrived.

Melinda's poor grades on her recent report card prompt her parents to order that she meets with history teacher Mr. Neck, to review options for improving her current grade. In response, she is assigned an essay on a history topic of her choice relating to the turn of the 20th century, to which she chooses the suffragette movement. After refusing to read her paper aloud to her class, Melinda is sent to the principal's office, where a meeting occurs with her parents. Despite seemingly befriending Melinda, Heather soon abandons her when the chance for social advancement arises. The only other student with whom Melinda gets along with is her lab partner, Dave Petrakis, who has successfully managed to avoid affiliating himself with a clique.

Over the year, the restoration of Melinda's confidence progresses at a slow rate, with some help from Dave and her art teacher, Mr. Freeman. When her former best friend, Rachel Bruin starts dating Andy, Melinda fears that Rachel will be assaulted as well. Melinda meets Rachel at the library, and reveals that Andy raped her by writing it on a piece of paper. Rachel initially refuses to believe Melinda, thinking that Melinda is lying out of jealousy. However, Rachel soon realizes the truth when confronting Andy; who mentions Melinda's name, despite supposedly never meeting any of Rachel's friends before. Seeing Andy's lies and misogyny, Rachel leaves him and spreads the truth of Melinda's assault to the other students.

Exposed as a rapist and a liar, Andy soon corners and threatens Melinda in a custodian closet. Andy demands Melinda take back her accusation, attempting to rape her again. In the struggle, Melinda overpowers him, blinding him with turpentine and holding a shard of glass from a broken mirror to his neck, threatening to kill him. They are found by Melinda's distant friend Nicole, who along with other girls from her field hockey team, and the altercation removes any doubt about what happened at the house party. The girls help restrain Andy, as Melinda leaves. Mr. Neck sees Melinda walking away from the scene and asks what was going on, but Melinda doesn't respond.

On the way back from the hospital after being treated for her injuries, Melinda rolls down the car window and breathes in deeply. She finally finds the strength to tell her mother, who already suspects something awful, the truth about what happened at the party.