13 Books to Read If You Loved 13 Reasons Why

Written in 1999 by Laurie Halse Anderson, Speak follows Melinda Sordino, a freshman at Merryweather High. Though the year has just begun, Mel is withdrawn and quiet, isolating herself from her friends and family before refusing to speak altogether. The novel unfolds over the course of a year, as Mel comes to grips with her rape by a senior student, first admitting to herself that it happened, then fighting back when it almost happens again — finally finding her voice to speak up about the brutality she suffered.