Fever 1793 by Laurie Halston Anderson

This book is about a girl named Mattie Cook. She lives above her mother's coffee shop with her mother and grandfather. She helps run the coffee shop, along with a cook named Eliza. At the beginning of the story, Mattie and her mother find out that Polly, their servant, has died. A rumor begins that Yellow fever is beginning to kill people. At first, no one really believes that people are dying of the fever. Her grandfather, a war veteran, doesn't believe that yellow fever is back either. Mattie's mother wants to send her away to the Ludington's farm, a family friend, but grandfather disagrees. Mattie is stuck helping her mother after Polly dies, and Mattie does not like to work. She would must rather go see Nathaniel, a painter's apprentice, that likes Mattie. Mattie's mother eventually falls ill, and it is assumed that she is going to die. Mattie and her grandfather finally flee the city, but do not make it far. Grandfather becomes ill, and they are thrown out of the wagon they are riding in. They are left with no food or water. Mattie goes to find food for grandpa, and she becomes ill. She wakes up in a hospital in Bush Hill, where French doctors have taken over. The French did not believe in bleeding their patients, and Mattie recovers from the fever. Grandpa was not sick with the fever, but what seemed to be some sort of heart condition. They travel back to the city, and find everything abandoned, and the coffee shop vandalized. Mattie's grandfather dies, and then Mattie is left alone. There is no food to found in the Philadelphia, and Mattie ends up wandering the city. She stumbles upon an abandoned little girl whose mother has died, and then finds Eliza. Eliza takes her in, and Mattie helps Eliza with her charity work. Mattie ends up keeping the little girl, Nell, because there is no place for her to go. Eliza's nephews, and Nell become sick with the fever, and almost die. Eliza and Mattie almost die trying to save them too. In the end, the cold air blows into the city, causing the first freeze. The winter air is the only way to get rid of Yellow fever. The children survive, and Mattie finds out that her mother is alive. She comes home very weak from the Ludingtons, and they are reunited. They re-open the coffee shop, with Eliza as a partner.

I love to read historical books, but I didn't think I would enjoy this book. I was wrong. I feel like that Mattie is a strong young adult. She goes from being the typical teenager to being an adult in a matter of months. She experiences enough loss for a lifetime, and still manages to get through it. I think this is a perfect book for a girl who has lost someone close to her. I really connected with the character because I lost my twin brother 6 years ago to illness. He was only 25. I would definitely recommend this book to people.

Speak By Laurie Halse Anderson

Speak is about a girl named Melinda Sordino, who begins her high school career by calling the cops at a party. All of her friends desert her, and she is left with no one. Her parents are not involved in her life, and she is left to cope on her own. No one bothers to ask why she called the cops. She befriends a new girl named Heather, who tries to get Melinda to come out of her shell. Melinda finds a abandoned closet, where she goes throughout the book to cope with her life. She also throws herself into art, with her crazy teacher. The art ends up being her outlet, because she is not talking about what happened at the party. Heather eventually abadones her too, and you begin to figure out what happened at the party. One of her ex-friends begin to date a senior, and Melinda feels that she must finally "speak" about what happened. She was raped by Andy Evans at a party when she was drunk. She tries to warn her friend, but Rachel will not believe her. Melinda finally realizes that staying silent, and hiding is not doing her any good, and goes to clean out her closet. She is attacked again by Andy, but fights back this time, and finally yells, "NO"! She regains some of her friendships in the end, and gains a new respect for a teacher.

I feel like the book discussed a situation that is more common than we think. The author really captured the emotion, and thoughts of a high school girl who was raped. I had a very close relationship with my mother, but most houses are just like Melindas. Parents are both working, and the teenager is left to cope on their own. Or, the teenager doesn't feel like they can talk with their parents. I didn't fully understand the title until the end. I thought it meant that she was refusing to talk about the situation, and so no one knew what happened. I realized at the end, it meant that she wanted to speak up that night, and didn't. I read this book in two sittings. I couldn't put it down.