Speak Summary

Which of these is the best plot summary?

• Melinda Sordino begins high school as an outcast. Her friends are not speaking to her because she called the police at a party. Melinda cannot tell her friends that she was raped. She withdraws and has trouble communicating with others. The only thing she is interested in is art. But when her ex-best friend begins dating the boy that raped her, Melinda has to tell the truth.

• Melinda Sordino called the police at a party over the summer. Nobody wants to talk to her anymore because she ruined the fun. Melinda becomes an outcast and no longer has any friends. Her grades begin to drop and her parents get very angry with her. Melinda has no idea how she will ever be happy again.

• Andy Evans raped Melinda. Now Melinda must hide from Andy in school. She takes over an abandoned janitor’s closet. She decorates it and makes it her own. She avoids Andy Evans as much as possible. Melinda finally tells the truth about what Andy did to her over the summer.

• Melinda becomes friends with Heather from Ohio who is starting school and does not know anyone. Even though Melinda and Heather do not have much in common, they continue to do things together. However, Heather decides they can no longer be friends. Melinda is ruining her reputation. Melinda is upset with Heather and decides that Heather is not a nice person.

Melinda has a hard time trying to ______ her feelings. She suffers because of her silence.

• communicate

• harass

• outcast

• overcome

What happens when Melinda finally thinks about what happened on the night of the rape?

• The reader sees that Melinda only called the police because she did not like any of her classmates.

• Melinda realizes why no one is her friend anymore.

• Melinda thinks she is so hurt that she will never be the same again.

• Melinda finally starts to accept what happened to her.

Melinda refuses to tell anyone what happened at the party. She thinks the only resolution to her problem is to ignore it. In this sentence, what does resolution mean?

• beginning

• question

• solution

• contribution

Why does Melinda tell Rachel the truth about Andy?

• Rachel is going to the prom with Andy and Melinda is jealous.

• Melinda wants Rachel to be happy.

• Melinda fears Andy will harm Rachel.

• Melinda is angry at Rachel and wants Rachel to be miserable.

The author changes the mood to one of hopefulness at the end of the story by—

• showing that Melinda failed art class and is moving to New York City

• showing that Melinda is able to draw her tree and talk about what happened

• showing how Melinda and David become friends

• showing that Melinda and Heather reconcile their differences

Why does Melinda refuse David’s offer to go to his house and celebrate the team’s win?

• Melinda is not a sports fan.

• Melinda does not like David.

• Melinda is afraid that David will want to touch her or kiss her.

• Melinda’s parents will not let her go.

How does Heather prove that she is not a true friend?

• She is worried that Melinda will ruin her reputation.

• She spreads rumors about Melinda.

• She lies to Melinda about where she is from.

• She is only friends with Melinda so that she has someone to sit with at lunch.

The tree and Melinda’s inability to complete it is a symbol of—

• her unhappiness at home

• her future and how she does not know what she will become after high school

• the fact that Heather treats her poorly

• the way she has stopped developing because of the rape

Which sentence from this story supports the idea that Melinda will recover from the effects of the rape?

• I will not be buying a yearbook.

• It wasn’t my fault. And I’m not going to let it kill me. I can grow.

• The house is quiet, dark. Cool breeze slides in between the curtains.

• Tears pop up from some hidden spring. Damn. I sniff and wipe my eyes on my sleeve.