Speak by Laurie Halse AndersonSpeak, by Laurie Halse Anderson, is a story written in the first person about a young girl named Melinda Sordino. The book's title, Speak, is ironically based on the fact that Melinda chooses not to speak. The book is written as a monologue in the mind of Melinda, an introverted teenager. This story is about a very miserable first year of high school. Although there are several people at her high school, Melinda isolates herself from everyone. There are several people at her school who were her friends in middle school, but not anymore. Not after what she did this summer. What she did was call the cops on an end-of-summer party a friend of hers was throwing. Even though all of her classmates think there was no reason to call, only Melinda knows the real reason. Even if they wanted to know the real reason, there's no way she could tell them. A personal story of rape is not something that rolls freely off the tongue. Throughout the story, Melinda describes the pain she goes through daily as a result of her rape. Rape of a teenage girl often leads to depression. Melinda is convinced that no one understands her, and even if they knew what happened that summer, they wouldn't understand her. Once a happy girl, Melinda is now depressed and withdrawn from the world. She almost never speaks and does not do well in school. She bites her lips and nails until they bleed. Her parents seem to think she's just going through a crazy period, but little do they know, their daughter has suffered a life-changing trauma that will affect her life forever. Many teenagers in high school experience some degree of alienation and feelings of alienation. .. middle of paper ......elpguide.org/depressionScheff, S. On adolescent depression. Retrieved May 27, 2008 from http://www.suescheff.org/depressionMedline Plus Medical Encyclopedia. Retrieved May 28, 2008, from Google ScholarDatabase: http://www.nml.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/1518.htmDepression in Teenagers. Psychological information online. Retrieved May 28, 2008, from http://www.psychologyinfo.com/depression/teens.htm John, C. & Todd, R. (2007, April 17). [TeenageDepression Antidepressant Drug Review]. ABC. Retrieved May 26, 2008 from http://abcnews.go.com/health.depression/story?id=304881&page=1Teen Depression. Guide to depression. Retrieved May 28, 2008 from http://depressionguide.org/teen-depression.htm