This power even influences those whom the victim might trust. The abused victims fear that others won’t hear, believe or care about their stories. They hold power, real or perceived, over their victims. Movie directors, politicians or, in Melinda’s case, popular seniors, most often get away with their crimes. Women also came forward to accuse their abusers like Roy Moore, who gained political power only to abuse it. Actors like Angelina Jolie and Gwyneth Paltrow found strength to speak about their abuse at the hands of Harvey Weinstein. In recent weeks, many women and men spoke out about sexual violations that occurred in their youth. Each one of us at some point face challenges that we don’t know how to share. We hear her story in every corner of our world from high school to entertainment to politics. Melina is fictional, but the fear she faces is real and can have lasting effects. In Laurie Halse Anderson’s novel, which will soon release as a graphic novel illustrated by Emily Carroll, Melinda shows us the dangers of hiding our most difficult experiences and the importance of speaking about them openly. “It is easier not to say anything,” thinks Melinda Sordino, a high school freshman in the book Speak who feels she cannot share her story of rape. By Angel Stone, The University of Arizona
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