Title: Speak
Bibliography:
Anderson, L. (1999). Speak. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux.
ISBN: 978-0374371524
Summary:
In the summer before high school, Melinda is raped by one of the soon to be be seniors at her new high school. After not being able to speak due to the trauma, the operator sends officers and the party is stopped. Everyone blames Melinda for calling the cops on the party when she actually is going through a tough time due to the rape. Her trauma is compounded by the abandonment and rejection of her best friend and classmates. Additionally, Melinda has a hard time talking to her parents. Since Melinda feels like she is not able to speak to anyone about her rape, she focuses on art. The same situation occurs again during the school year, however this time she has witnesses. She is finally able to speak about it and slowly gets back on track with her life.
Critical Analysis:
Speak is an excellent young adult novel which deals with a very strong topic, rape. There is a wide range of emotions felt throughout the story. The reader is able to join Melinda in her traumatic journey. One can feel Melinda’s frustration of wanting to suppress the memory of the terrible event, as well as wanting to talk about it. To me, this novel presents a sense of empowerment. Even though Melinda struggles tremendously while trying to voice out her problem, she is able to overcome it. This accomplishment also demonstrates that there is always hope. Additionally, this excellent novel may be able to inspire having empathy for others, as it takes us through a topic which is not openly talked about. It shows that no one really knows what someone else is going through and people should always be considerate.
Without a doubt, Speak presents feelings, emotions, topics, and themes that may be a bit controversial but of utmost importance to readers. The novel addresses a topic that is often kept silent, but it shows that talking about it is often the only way out. “There is no magic cure, no making it all go away forever. There are only small steps upward; an easier day, an unexpected laugh, a mirror that doesn’t matter anymore” (Anderson, pg. 278).
Awards Won:
Michael L. Printz Award
Edgar Allan Poe Award Finalist
National Book Award Finalist
Review Excerpts:
"Speaking out at the 'wrong' time-calling 911 from a teen drinking party-has made Melinda a social outcast; now she barely speaks at all. . .While Melinda's smart and savvy interior narrative slowly reveals the searing pain of that 911 night, it also nails the high-school experience cold. . .An uncannily funny book even as it plumbs the darkness, Speak will hold readers from first word to last." --Starred, The Horn Book
Connections:
Other books by Laurie H. Anderson:
Wintergirls
Fever 1793
Chains (The Seeds of America Trilogy)
Related books:
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Looking for Alaska by John Green
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
If You Come Softly by Jacqueline Woodson
Title: I'll Give You the Sun
Bibliography:
Nelson, J. (2015). I'll Give You the Sun. Penguin Young Readers Group.
ISBN: 978-0142425763
Summary:
Since day one, twins Noah and Jude Sweetwine have been inseparable. However, as they enter their teenage years, things start to change. They both start competing for their mother’s attention, as well as with their art. At the same time, they also struggle with finding their own identities. Noah is gay and in love with Brian, and Jude places her attention on being a teenage girl. To make things worse, the twins learn their mother is having an affair and wants to divorce their father. After a tragic accident, they face the sadness of losing their mother. Later, Jude starts attending California School of the Arts, but not Noah, due to her never submitting his application. Jude struggles with her art so she is sent to a mentor who she later learns was the man who was having an affair with her mother. Meanwhile, Noah is taking dangerous dives from a cliff thinking that his mother’s ghost is there to help him to safety. After Jude and her friend Oscar save Noah from one such jump, the twins and their father are able to talk about everything and reconnect.
Critical Analysis:
I’ll Give You the Sun, by Jandy Nelson, is an incredible novel that takes the reader through a roller coaster of events and emotions. In this novel, we are able to follow the lives of twins Jude and Noah. Their sibling rivalry is present through pretty much the whole story but ends with a beautiful message. Despite much conflict, the siblings manage to repair their relationship. The writing is incredible giving the opportunity for both siblings to give their side of their own story.
The flow of this story is quite interesting. The twins’ bond is beautifully presented throughout the story even when there are struggles between them. Their issues and separation happens gradually instead of overnight like in most other stories. Despite their numerous differences, the twins share a very strong bond.
I’ll Give You the Sun is most definitely a must read. It shares an exceptional story that may resonate in the life of many readers. So many topics and themes are shared beautifully in this novel.
Awards Won:
Michael L. Printz Award
Stonewall Honor
Review Excerpts:
* "A resplendent novel...Art and wonder fill each page."—School Library Journal, starred review
* "In an electric style evoking the highly visual imaginations of the young narrators, Nelson captures the fraught, antagonistic, yet deeply loving relationship Jude and Noah share."—Booklist, starred review
"Told in poetic prose with the barest hint of magical realism . . . a compelling meditation on love, grief, sexuality, family, and fate."—Horn Book
Connections:
Other books by Jandy Nelson:
The Sky Is Everywhere
The Fall Boys and Dizzy in Paradise
Related books:
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
Lovely, Dark and Deep by Amy McNamara
The Good Sister by Jaime Kain
There Will Come a Time by Carrie Arcos
Title: Firekeeper’s Daughter
Bibliography:
Boulley, A. (2023). Firekeeper's Daughter. Square Fish.
ISBN: 978-1250866035
Summary:
In the novel Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley, Daunis Fontaine, an 18-year old with a French mother and an Ojibwe father, struggles to find a balance between protecting her Native American heritage and helping the FBI in the investigation of a meth epidemic. After tragedy strikes her family, she puts her dreams of going out to college on hold and stays home to take care of her fragile mother. Her involvement with the FBI begins then. Her undercover work uncovers numerous secrets, making the investigation much more complex. She is faced with many troubles that nearly cost her her life, but at the end, is able to bring justice to those affected by the drug use and learns to what it is to be a strong Ojibwe woman.
Critical Analysis:
Firekeeper’s Daughter is just an incredible piece that I could not put down! It keeps the reader entertained from beginning to end. I have to admit that at first I felt as if it had a slow start but as the first event unfolded, I felt like it just took off.
I really liked how the main character, Daunis Fontaine, is described at the beginning. I feel like it really helped understand her actions later in the story. Her love for science makes her the perfect person to involve in such a case. Also, her struggle of finding that balance between two worlds is something that many readers can connect to, making this story even more special.
In addition, the rest of the characters contributed greatly to the story. Despite the numerous characters and events throughout the novel, I was able to follow the story with no problem. The way this novel is written just brings the story to life in a very particular way. Sadly, drug use and its consequences is another topic that many can relate to.
Overall, I think this novel was great! A reader can connect with the story because it addresses so many topics that are prevalent in today's world.
Awards Won:
A Printz Medal Winner
A Morris Award Winner
An American Indian Youth Literature Award YA Honor Book
Review Excerpts:
"Boulley, herself an enrolled member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, writes from a place of love for her community and shares some key teachings from her culture, even mixing languages within the context of the story. She doesn't shy away from or sugar-coat the very real circumstances that plague reservations across the country, and she tackles these through her biracial hero who gets involved in the criminal investigation into the corruption that led to this pain. An incredible thriller, not to be missed." ―Booklist, Starred Review
"This suspenseful upper-YA novel will keep readers wondering who Daunis can trust." ―Horn Book, Starred Review
"A suspenseful tale filled with Ojibwe knowledge, hockey, and the politics of status." ―Kirkus Reviews
Connections:
Related books:
Hearts Unbroken By Cynthia Leitich Smith
Give Me Some Truth By Eric Gangsworth
Sadie By Courtney Summers
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