Melinda feels dismayed by the sexuality of her high school peers, largely because she is a victim of sexual violence, but also because she does not feel ready for this next phase of life. Melinda's extraordinary circumstances just highlight the universal difficulties of adolescence-not just the social problems, but the conflicting pulls between the future adult self and the former child self. Not only does it make her story easier to relate to, but it also makes it broadly applicable.

The theme of adolescence connects Melinda to the real world. Furthermore, Melinda exhibits a typical adolescent reaction to authority figures and rejects them by giving them ridiculous nicknames. And it smells gross' ), are not unique to someone suffering from post-traumatic stress. The cafeteria is a giant sound stage where they film daily segments of Teenage Humiliation Rituals. It is humiliating' ) and lunch ('Nothing good ever happens at lunch. Her negative reactions to certain aspects of the school day, such as gym class ('Gym class should be illegal. Many readers will also understand Melinda's feeling of adolescent social isolation. Melinda lists the cliques that the ninth grade class has broken into: 'Jocks, Country Clubbers, Idiot Savants, Cheerleaders, Human Waste, Eurotrash, Future Fascists of America, Big Hair Chix, the Marthas, Suffering Artists, Thespians, Goths, Shredders' (4), familiar high school groups.

Despite Melinda's unusually traumatic experiences, almost every reader can connect to the world she lives in. As a coming of age novel, Speak has a strong focus on adolescence and the problems and desires associated with it.

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