"This story of a cheerleader rising up after a traumatic event will give you"Veronica Mars"-level feels that will stay with you long after you finish."" Seventeen Magazine "Laurie Halse Anderson's "Speak "for a new generation Hermione Winters is captain of her cheerleading team, and in tiny Palermo Heights, this doesn t mean what you think it means. At PHHS, the cheerleaders don't cheer for the sports teams; they "are" the sports team the pride and joy of a tiny town. The team's summer training camp is Hermione's last and she knows this season could make her a legend. But during a camp party, someone slips something in her drink. And it all goes black. In every class, there's a star cheerleader and a pariah pregnant girl. They're never supposed to be the same person. Hermione struggles to regain the control she's always had and faces a wrenching decision about how to move on. The assault wasn't the beginning of Hermione Winter's story and she's not going to let it be the end. She won t be anyone s cautionary tale."