Am I the only one who was kind of offended with the writer of Speak?

Well, I for one and glad that YA books dont' shy away from sensitive or controversial subjects. This isnt' the only book that deals with rape. and there are YA books that deal with taboo subjects like incest.

How do you know this author didn't interview women who have been raped? Many authors research the topics they write about it and talk to people who have been through it or talk to experts on the subject. It's false thinking that you can only write what you know (if that's the case, sci-fi and fantasy novels wouldn't exist). That doesn't happen for most authors. So, I guess an author who writes about gang violence can only write about it if she's been the victim of it or a gang member? I think it's quite much to say that writers can only write about rape or incest or pregnancy only if they've been through. That's not reality, either.

I have never been raped, but having been sexually abused as a child, I can understand at least in some way what the character in this book is going through. And I think the author did an excellent job. In fact, Speak is one of my favorite books.

Anyway, I don't think you need to have experience or know someone who has gone through something like this. If that were the case, then a lot of books would be bland and boring, because then we wouldn't have fantasy and the like. I don't think that she just came up with this story with no knowledge whatsoever, because then the book would not have captured the subject and emotions as well as it did. Who knows, maybe she did know someone personally who had been raped? I'm sure she read other books dealing with rape, interviewed victims, and/or went to forums. In order to write a good book on this type of thing, you need to have a good understanding, and I'm sure she educated herself. I don't think you need to be offended, because it's not as though she made light of the subject. I think you should enjoy the book for what it is.

I for one an not offended at all. She did a great job writing that book and making it realistic. Authors don't need to get inspiration directly via getting raped . . . she got some fine indirect inspiration and made that into a great novel. She mainly wrote about the psychological effects that a rape can have on the young mind, any way. She put herself in that teenager's shoes and when your an author, it becomes real. She could picture it. Guessing? Skimming the surface? Well, I don't think you're giving her any credit as an author! She probably did some research as well, so she wasn't completely blind. She didn't get anything wrong, she didn't offend anyone who really got raped. I think you may just being unreasonable . . . :)

Yeh, im pretty offended by that aswell.

No, everyone is entitled to his or her opinion about what is good and what is not, whether warranted or not.