Physiologists generally agree that adolescence is one of the most difficult periods of life. Most teenagers are trying to figure out who they are, what they believe, and how they fit into the world around them. Beginning in the late 1970s, an entire genre of fiction, called coming-of-age literature, emerged and serves, at least for many adolescents, as credible presentations of young people learning to confront the difficulties of their lives , often fraught with pitfalls. feelings of rejection, seemingly unresolved personal troubles, social problems, school and family problems, etc. Indeed, one of the values ​​of reading is to see and better understand certain aspects of ourselves by studying others. Reading SPEAK, a somewhat controversial book due to its subject matter—rape—is a worthwhile effort in any middle school classroom and offers many valuable life lessons to young adolescents. Through the experience of reading this inspiring novel, someone can realize how important art can be in a person's life. Mr. Freeman, Melinda's art teacher, helps her understand that life is like art. When a mistake is made in life, there is a chance to start again, just like erasing a drawing and starting again. Mr. Freeman introduced his course by saying, “Welcome to the only course that will teach you how to survive. » (10) In art class, some of Melinda's projects represent her life because they can go from scary, "dead" and mysterious to beautiful, just like Melinda. Ivy, an art classmate, told Melinda, "That turkey bone thing you made was scary too." Scary in a good way, well scary. (145) Mr. Freeman also plays a big role in helping Melinda, whose name means "I am pretty", realize that she is full...... middle of paper...... .I didn't know what to do. She watches me engrave the words. She gets closer to me. I write more. I was stupid and drunk and I didn't know what was happening and then he hurt me – I scribbled it – raped me. When the police came, everyone was screaming and I was too scared, so I ran across a few yards and walked home. (183) Even though the teenage years are the most difficult, it is important to remain hopeful during this time, regardless of the circumstances. The novel SPEAK teaches teens everywhere the important power of their voice. Yes, there are times when it can be important to remain silent, but sometimes silence can be deadly. Melinda is the perfect example of a girl who almost lost everything because she couldn't speak. This coming-of-age novel contains many lessons that can be learned if the reader simply opens their ears to listen to others speak..