Book vs. Film Review: Speak

 

     After reading the book Speak and watching the movie, I can say that I didn't like either. The way the book was written was very bothersome to me. The author didn't use complete sentences ever, and it bothered me to no end. The storyline of the book was alright, and had a good message to young teen girls about rape, and how you should always speak up about things like this. I feel awful for saying that so didn't like a book about rape, but I didn't. Maybe if I was in middle school it would've been alright.

     The movie was even worse than the book. Most of the book was the girl narrating her thoughts, since she never spoke in the book. Making a movie about a girl not speaking is probably the worst idea ever. But, at least they picked Kristen Stewart to play this character. I would rather watch her walk around awkwardly all the time not talking than listen to her try and act. They shouldn't have made this book into a movie, there was no point besides spreading the message to speak up even when you don't want to. You could've read the book to get the message.

     So you don't think I'm the most negative human in the world, I will say that this book did have a good meaning like I said, and I would recommend it to girls between 6th and 8th grade. It would be a good book for them to read, and it's very easy to read. I finished it in a day, mostly because of all the incomplete sentences. It wasn't very difficult. I wouldn't recommend the movie though. It was downright awful, awful acting, and changed a very big scene from the book. The scene where she gets raped didn't happen at all how it did in the book. 

     If I were to make this movie, I wouldn't. This book was not meant to become a movie. It wasn't interesting to watch a girl mope around and not speak. The only reason they did it was to make money. Also, the fact that many kids read this book in school, they probably felt they had to make it a movie since they sold so many copies. The only reason for that was because middle school teachers forced their students to buy it. All in all, I do not advise you to read this book or see this movie. Sorry for being so negative.