SpeakSpeak
Score Modern
What it's about
Melinda Sordino starts high school as an outcast after calling the cops on an end-of-summer party. She stops talking and retreats into her head, where something she doesn't want to face keeps surfacing.
Why it's worth reading
It's on TIME's list of the 100 best young-adult books. It's a powerful novel about finding your voice after trauma.
You'll love it if you liked
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Looking for Alaska
The Bell JarGood to know
It deals with trauma and its aftermath. It's often taught in schools.
By the numbers
- Readers49 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics41 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller30 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #109 of the 260 young adult books we rank
- #191 of the 325 literary novels we rank
- #848 of the 1,648 modern books we rank
- #1621 of the 3,057 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking
If you like this, read next
The Help
Purple Hibiscus
Family Matters
A Lesson Before Dying
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Extremely Loud & Incredibly CloseExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is Speak worth reading?
Yes. It's on TIME's list of the 100 best young-adult books. It ranks #1,621 of the 3,057 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 68.0 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Speak about?
Melinda Sordino starts high school as an outcast after calling the cops on an end-of-summer party. She stops talking and retreats into her head, where something she doesn't want to face keeps surfacing.
How long does it take to read Speak?
About 6 hours (224 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Speak?
If you liked it, try The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, Looking for Alaska by John Green or The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath.