Speak Your Mind

by Allyson Kennedy

Middle school is bad enough. It's worse when you're the shy kid.Victoria Harding has been called many names during her time at Grahamwood Junior Loner. Stalker. Teacher’s Pet. Kids have even joked that she’s formed an evil plot against the school, because you can never trust the quiet ones.

But Victoria is armed with nothing but her vivid imagination, content within laying low in her own little world, where she’s able to battle against the school’s dragons and trolls with her quick wit and confidence. If only that could become her reality.

Victoria finds peace in silence, but her social anxiety is deafening. When her new neighbor, Aiden, comes knocking on her door, all Victoria wants to do is stay within the comfortable confines of her castle, alone with her daydreams and mystery books. But Aiden has another plan, and does the one thing few have ever done for listen.

Perfect for fans of Flipped and Restart, Speak Your Mind is an upper middle grade novel for shy tween readers who just want to be heard.

Genres: Contemporary, Middle Grade, Christian, Christian Fiction

290 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 24, 2018

About the author

Allyson Kennedy writes contemporary Christian young adult books that honor God without sugarcoating the realities of the world. She is the author of The Ballad of Emery Brooks trilogy and other YA standalones, as well as Writing By Faith, a nonfiction book for Christian authors. She calls eastern North Carolina home and is well-versed in the art of southern sass, which she enjoys weaving into her stories.

Connect with Allyson and learn more about her books at https://authoringarrowheads.com/

Books Available At: https://books2read.com/allysonkennedy

Reviews

[Allyson]

11-1-2023 Update: Speak Your Mind is currently on sale for $0.99 on all my eBook retailers, all November long, to celebrate the book's 5th birthday! Grab your copy here: https://books2read.com/speakyourmind



Perfect for middle schoolers and older teens alike, Speak Your Mind accurately portrays the life of a scared-silent teen girl finding where she belongs in the world.

Available in paperback or ebook at:
https://books2read.com/speakyourmind

This is a standalone novel with characters who live in the fictional town of Grahamwood in eastern North Carolina.

[Jes Drew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Speak Your Mind by Allyson Kennedy was a charming middle grade novel that is a breath of fresh air compared to most depictions of kids going through public school in literature these days. I really related to 'Shrug' as she struggled with her shyness and lack of friends. But she also bears a great secret and is dealing with harassment from a teacher and bullying- and yet the story is never depressing. It was quite wonderful to see the ways so many of the characters changed through the course of the story, and the story was a comfort as I went through some difficult days at work.

I loved Aiden; he was just the kind of friend I wish I had in junior high, with his steadfastness and loyalty. And Zeebot was just so original, I loved him too. Also, the romance is really well done for the age (if I had had the privilege of reading it in middle school, I think I would've had a serious crush on the hero).

One of the best lines (besides all the other ones from Zeebot): "“Excuse me, sir. Zeebot would like to inquire if you
would be interested in completing the experiment for class on
Area 51?”

This definitely makes it to my top five favorite contemporary middle grade novels.

I received a complimentary copy from the author, and the opinions are my own.

[Angie Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a bit of a hard review to write. The writing was excellent, the characters were great, the message was really good, but I was really uncomfortable with one specific aspect of the content, especially for a middle-grade audience. More on that in a second.

Starting with what I liked--I really loved the characters, particularly Aiden and his friendship with Victoria. (Though Zeebot did grow on me after a while. :D) I had absolutely no problem picturing them as seventh-graders, and I completely identified with Victoria's shyness and awkwardness, although I did find it a bit concerning that it took labeling it "social anxiety" to help other people understand her and for her to relax over what's not an uncommon issue.

I was a bit concerned at the beginning when Victoria's coping strategy seemed to be mentally sniping back at the people who were causing her pain and embarrassment, but I was glad that that wasn't where the message of the story went. I loved the way she was able to open up and be honest with Aiden and the way that learning to "speak her mind" meant standing up for the truth, not just mouthing off at her tormentors. That said, a few of the jokes and comments, while realistic for middle-schoolers, were a little crude for my tastes, and the continual fighting between Victoria's siblings bothered me.

Also, while the emotions of crushes, etc. in middle school felt very spot-on, and I appreciated Victoria's decision at the end, all the focus on who liked who was a bit more than I was comfortable with for thirteen-year-olds. (Yes, I get it; it's realistic, and I probably would have let it go if it hadn't included one young couple dancing and kissing in a room by themselves. That I was not comfortable with at all.)

But the biggest issue I had with the book was one major plot point that I didn't see coming and which I generally stay away from as an adult and definitely wouldn't have read as a middle-grader. I know when I was in middle school I didn't need to read about kids discovering an affair between one of their fathers and a teacher, let alone the teacher harassing one of the kids who caught them. In fairness, I did like the way things were restored in the end, but I'm really not comfortable with putting a subject like that in front of a child this age. Maybe for a child who had already been exposed to the topic, it would be different, but I'm still very hesitant. If not for that issue and the targeted age range, I would rate this probably a full star higher, but as it is, I'm just not comfortable with it. For an older audience who enjoys middle-grade fiction and doesn't mind the issue above, though, I think it has some great lessons--not to mention some really fun moments. :)

Content--mentions of an affair (see above); some crude jokes/comments; mild language, including one use of "sucks" (corrected); mentions of cursing; name-calling and bullying; harassment by a teacher including a bit of physical abuse; a kiss; a boy claims to have been abducted by aliens (this is treated as silly); mentions of trolls, dragons, etc. in a girl's fantasies

[R.J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Junior High can be a confusing and aggravating time for many girls and boys alike, but just how much can change when God is in the absolute center of your life?

I absolutely ADORED this book! I did have the wonderful privilege of editing Speak Your Mind, however that did nothing to sway my opinion of it; it's just a stinking good story!

Victoria, Aiden, and their friends are so cute! They battle with real life, middle school problems but their bigger than life personalities, and their faith in God, helps them to stand out and be more than they, or others, ever expected.

The story does deal with issues such as bullying, some marriage/family issues, and a verbally and *mildly* physically abusive teacher. The author illustrates the unquestionable importance of the kids going to their parents when issues at school arise, and that even though it seems easier to keep things like that a secret, it can really hurt so many aspects of one's life.

Overall, I was very pleased to read such an uplifting middle grade novel and I easily give it 5 out of 5 stars.

I received this book from the author for the purpose of editing and reviewing. All comments and opinions are entirely my own and I was not paid to write a positive review.

This is a LiteratureApproved.com Review

[Kaytlin Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eeeee! I loved this book! I a great feel-good read, and I so enjoyed it!!!

Characters:
Victoria was a dear!! I loved her so much and just! Eeek! Loved this story about this shy little gal!
Aiden was awesome! He reminded me so much of my brother, actually, he and his older brother Brandon remind me of my brothers, my younger older brother is definitely more outgoing than our older brother and they tease each other and honestly, I'd think Allyson had met them and based Aiden and Brandon off them if I didn't know better...lol...
Zeebot was hilarious and I loved him! I just wanted to hug him up and take him home!!!

Themes:
That you don't have to be scared of what others think, because they aren't God. God can help you overcome anything and sometimes standing up for yourself can be the hardest but best step you ever take! I loved this story! Especially the positive message of standing up for yourself and believing that you are someone worth being around!

Language:
N/A

Romance:
Mentions of crushes, and people dating, one kiss, mentions of an affair but nothing detailed at all. Just mentions that the two people were on the couch together and that they kissed.

Overall:
This was soooooooo good! Man, I enjoyed this read so much and just! Yes! It says I read it in a week, but it was really two days. Two Sundays because during the week I was reading ARCs on my phone, on Sunday I do a device reset and read paper books, so yeah...I really enjoyed this one!!! All of Allyson's books are fantabulous though!!!! And I love that they are set in my home state!!! Go NC!!!

[Kate Willis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve been wanting to try something by this author since forever, and the topic of this book has had intrigued me since she mentioned it, so I’m really happy to have finally read it. ;)

Things I Disliked
-Bobby. This is so goofy of me, but every description of what he was doing with his SPAM just grossed me out. XD I’m too visual.
-I had a hard time remembering that the characters were thirteen. They felt like it sometimes, but a lot of the time I found them to act/think more like fifteen- or seventeen-year-olds. I run into this a lot with books, though, so it wasn’t a huge deal. ;)
-The encouragement to speak up is fantastic, but I would have loved a teensy more nuance on how to do that with kindness in the mix. *shrugs*
-Romance between thirteen-year-olds is not something I prefer.
-I wished Aiden had a little more dimension/goals/struggles.

Things I Liked
-The indie excellence!! Seriously, the writing style was fantastic. ;)
-I felt sooo seen by this book. Victoria’s outlook on life and her experiences were quite relatable. I have less physical symptoms related to social anxiety and conflict avoidance, so mine is probably less extreme, but there were a few times when something was explained that I just went YES.
-Semi-involved and really supportive parents! WOOHOO. Also, I loved Victoria’s little brother. Most of the time, that is. XD
-Victoria’s lunch table. Weirdos unite (and grow a little to be less weird but still weird). ;)
-How her crush (totally forgot his name) was handled. His character was complicated, and I think he’ll turn out to be a good egg eventually. ;)
-How easily Aiden spoke up, especially about the things of God. Him sharing his mother’s and brother’s experiences to encourage her was really thoughtful.
-Walkie-talkies. <3
-The after-school club. I loved how much Victoria thrived in the “safe” environment to express herself, and I can highly relate. ;)
-(This is gonna sound weird, read to the end.) The school situation. It was horrible, but in how well it was written it opened up my eyes to how messed up things can really be. So while I hated the situation, I loved how well it was written. If that makes any sense. XD
-The speak-your-mind element of the story. *claps*

Just a note, there was some childish language, some bad attitudes, and bullying. There was also a kiss between teenagers and mentions of adults having an affair.

Best quotes: "Since most kids quit band class after their first year, the remaining few are quite strange."

"I never learned how to play it right last year, so it’s best to go on unheard."

"'Sup, man?' Max asks, following with that handshake the entire male population seems to be pre-programmed to know from birth."

Altogether, this was a great read. I’ll be looking out for future books from this author. ;)

[Penny Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh ma word! Five stars! :D
I had the privilege of reading this for my friend and fellow author Allyson. And I absolutely loved it! Where do I even begin?
First of, I really need to talk about the style. Lots of Indie authors have a less developed, more immature style of writing and editing. But Allyson Kennedy is absolutely stunning! Her editing is perfect, and her style is like a traditional professional author. Other indie authors should look to Allyson Kennedy for pointers on how to write and edit!
The characters............HELP I LOVED THEM SO MUCH!!!! The MC, Victoria, was absolutely excellent. It's really hard to craft a good female protagonist, but Allyson shines. Aiden is perfectly amazing, but he was also flawed and real. My favorite character had to be Zeeb........he's the kind of guy you can't wait to show up again. But really, every single character was an absolute joy to read about.
The story........like WHOA I WAS NOT EXPECTING THAT. Like, I didn't expect for it to get that tangled or amazing or just WOWWWWWW. Great job, Allyson!!! :D
The humor........PERFECT! Everyone's sense of humor contributed to the book, but Zeeb was absolutely just hilarious.
Also, like the setting? Being a North Carolinian, this was such a joy to read! Loved it!!!! :D
The messages. Wow. Just wow. Allyson paints a perfect picture of social anxiety and the true Answer for it. Five stars.
There's not really anything I didn't like about this book......expect some of the young characters got slightly too touchy feely for me. But I'm super strict about that, so that's just me!
I really truly loved this book.........five stars, absolutely!!!! :D

[Jenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

<3 <3 <3
Review to come on my blog (jennaterese.com) in January...

[Rhys-Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best modern books I've read in a while. When I started it, I thought it would be a simple, formulaic novel--I read many of the sort in my younger years--in which a generic misfit middle schooler comes to find herself and her place in life through meeting one or more generic (usually male) friends and retaliating against a group of generic "mean girls". While such elements were present, I found Speak Your Mind to be a work of far more depth and meaning, with relatable characters, an enjoyable plot, and Christian content.

[Judith McNees · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did not read this book myself, but I got it for my daughters. The first one, who is 13, just finished it, and I asked her to rate and review it for me. She said she loved it and would probably read it again. The end was interesting.

[Squire Whitney: Hufflepuff Book Reviwer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am blown away by how much Alyson Kennedy has grown as an author! While I certainly enjoyed her debut novel, Can’t Beat the Heart of a Carolina Girl, I felt like Kennedy’s newness as a writer showed. It makes for quite an enjoyable read, to be sure—but I could often tell that it was written by a young indie-author early in her career. Speak Your Mind, on the other hand, really feels to me like a professionally published novel; it strikes me as something that I could easily imagine as a best-seller on the middle-grade shelf at Barnes & Nobel!

Speak Your Mind centers on its main character, Victoria Harding, as she struggles through middle school with paralyzing social anxiety. When a boy named Aiden moves next-door, who is confident almost to a fault, he becomes fast friends with Victoria and starts encouraging her to speak her mind—to take charge of her life, rather than let people walk all over her and belittle her. Victoria’s arc, I feel, is exceptionally well-written and heartfelt. I so enjoy seeing her grow in confidence and assertiveness, as these are areas that I could fare to grow in, as well. I feel that a lot of young people could be deeply inspired by this arc. Perhaps the themes sometimes seemed a bit too overt and explicit for my taste (hence the overt title)—but, then again, this is a middle-grade novel.

One of my main critiques for Can’t Beat the Heart of a Carolina Girl had been that the romance developed far too quickly. So I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Speak Your Mind contains one of the slowest-growing romances that I have ever encountered in any stand-alone novel. The characters in this book are not trying to rush things—which I found fitting, given that they are middle schoolers. What’s more, though, the love story is genuinely charming. I liked the love interest in this book way, way more than Carter from Can’t Beat the Heart of a Carolina Girl.

In fact, almost all the characters are solid. Zeeb is an absolute crack-up; he is a comic relief character that I will never forget! Aiden shines as a delightful bundle of surprisingly snarky sunshine. Victoria makes for a relatable and solidly fleshed-out protagonist with a fantastic, uplifting arc. In Max and Brandon, we get brief but engaging character-sketches that leaves the reader craving more. I was particularly intrigued by Max’s home-life, but was admittedly a bit disappointed that his arc doesn’t come into better fruition. Markovich shines as top-notch villain as far as works of realism go—both for her unapologetically menacing presence and for her complexity. Bobby does not appear too often in the novel—but, whenever he did, I nearly died laughing. I mean, hiding spam in a saxophone!? How does Kennedy even come up with this stuff? The way that the author also plays with stereotypes through a fat, donut-eating PE teacher is likewise amusing. And, lastly, one of my favorite characters from Carolina Girl has a few amusing, subtle, and well-timed cameos. Out of all Kennedy’s works, I feel that Speak Your Mind contains the most consistently well-crafted cast of characters.

That said, all of my critiques for the work still concern characterization. First off, I was disappointed in Max’s character. My favorite aspect of Can’t Beat the Heart of a Carolina Girl had been Brett’s arc—so I was hoping for something similar from Max. Or at least some sort of resolution. Unfortunately, though, Max’s arc struck me as a loose, unresolved thread in an otherwise seamless story. Secondly, I feel that Shaniah and Meridith are portrayed in a manner that feels a bit too contrived and exaggerated of popular girls. Hailey worked well in Carolina Girl, despite being a caricature, because the work was not supposed to be as mature as this one. Lastly, I struggle to take Zeebot seriously. Don’t get me wrong; he shines as a mere comic relief figure—but, every once in a while, Kennedy tries to us to remind us of his humanity, and it simply did not work for me. (Minor spoiler alert! Skip down to the next paragraph if you want to avoid an extremely minor spoiler). Not to mention the fact that I had a hard time imagining that any middle school girl who was not certifiably insane would be attracted to a guy that constantly claimed to be an alien; it was cool that she asked him to the dance, but Jessica choosing to show interest in him afterward was a bit...disconcerting, as far as her sanity goes—especially for a mature work like this one.

All critiques aside, Speak Your Mind is a gem. While it does not quite reach the heights of Kennedy’s third novel The Crush, Speak Your Mind nonetheless shines as one of those rare MG/YA books that helps its readers become better people. Which is something that the world certainly needs a great deal more of.

[M. Boyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me start this book review by saying I was very impressed with this Middle Grade/YA novel! The author took on some weighty topics with poise and compassion and left me with a meaningful takeaway. This was not a book to read once and forget. I think this book would be a great pick for youth groups wanting to have a book club, because there was so much depth packed into Allyson Kennedy’s Speak Your Mind.
Now onto the details: The protagonist, Victoria, is a thirteen-year-old struggling to survive middle-school. Victoria is the girl who is stuck in everybody’s minds as forever being a shy loner (and let’s be frank – a total weirdo). She doesn’t talk to people at school, and furthermore, she almost can’t talk to people. Shy is how everyone immediately pegs Victoria, especially since her BFF moved away last year.
Though Victoria’s perceptions of middle school are overall negative, this is what made me worry about her as a character, and therefore made me want to keep reading. Speak Your Mind follows Victoria as she journeys from a painfully-shy teenager to having enough confidence to be honest. This becomes increasingly crucial for Victoria when not only other students verbally bully her, but even Ms. Markovich, who at first seems like an impossible-to-please-but-not-particularly-dangerous teacher, preys upon Victoria. As the plot thickens, Ms. Markovich is a very real threat to Victoria, and it will take all the faith in God that Victoria has to speak up and be heard.
I was impressed by how the author handled the sensitive issue of being shy and when shyness may actually be social anxiety disorder. Kennedy did an excellent job bringing out Victoria’s concerns of already feeling like a weirdo, and how that escalated when she was told she had a disorder. Aiden, who eventually becomes her best friend, reminds her that God made her fearfully and wonderfully (not weird), and that He will help her overcome her anxiety so that she can enjoy life and worry less.
I loved the emphasis on family in this book. Victoria’s family eats, talks, and prays together, and each member is involved with the family. By placing a few scenes within youth group or church, Kennedy was able to seamlessly weave in meaningful messages that show how the Bible is applicable in teens’ lives today. Additionally, Kennedy’s animated language and characters (from the stereotypical snotty ‘mean girl’ to the odd ball who thinks he might be an alien) bring feeling and life to the story.
A final impression the book had with me was its strong character arc. I loved watching Victoria blossom from a downtrodden loner into a content, assertive teenager with friends (real friends, by the way).
I would recommend this story for preteen and teenage girls. Students who are not personally in a downtrodden, shy situation will learn about having compassion on people who lack confidence (thank you, Aiden!). Those who do battle social anxiety will gain a new level of confidence from Victoria’s character.
There was a teeny bit of romance in the book, and even though that makes me nervous for young audiences already battling hormone surges, I also realize that it's realistic and I appreciate that Kennedy kept it clean. Also, there was mention of an extramarital affair between two adults in the book (which was clearly condemned), but again, living in this world that we do, most teens are aware that we may encounter situations like this, and I liked how Kennedy tackled the tricky topic.
I received a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Kasey Giard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m kind of a sucker for the sweet, quiet girls who like rules– probably because I can really identify with that kind of person. Sometimes rules just make us feel safe.

Victoria is a layered character with a lot to offer. She’s got hurts and passions and so much inside her all bottled up. I liked that the events in the story gave her opportunities to push past her comfort zone and speak up, and that doing so created some really positive changes in her life.

But it sure wasn’t easy. And we sure didn’t have the whole story at the beginning! I think the way information is revealed– the pacing of it– was great in SPEAK YOUR MIND. It felt like all the pieces came together so that Victoria’s feelings and struggles made even more sense when everything came to light.

I have mixed feelings about the way that school administrators responded to the situation, though. It just seemed a little strange and maybe too gossipy? I also wondered why her parents didn’t ask for her to have a schedule change to address the conflict Victoria was having.

On the whole, though, I felt like SPEAK YOUR MIND was a fun read with sweet characters and positive lessons about confidence and speaking up.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Courtney Whitaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Speak Your Mind is a fun and touching story about a 7th grade girl, Victoria, who struggles with crippling shyness - which, she later realizes is social anxiety. Throughout this book, she deals with things that many people experience in middle school: being bullied, a mean teacher, and her best friend moving away. However, she slowly begins to come out of her shell through a friendship with the new boy at school, Aiden - who helps her learn to find her confidence in God and speak her mind.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable book and I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves underdog stories, coming of age stories, and stories with positive messages. I love how Allyson included faith-based elements and how natural Victoria’s relationship with God felt. I also loved how she wasn’t afraid to address tough issues - including a clash with a teacher who harbored anger toward Victoria for personal reasons. Lastly, I very much enjoyed seeing Victoria and Aiden’s friendship develop and the quirkiness of Zeebot. He made me laugh throughout the story and made me root for him to have his own happy ending. This book brought me back to my middle school years and reminded me of some of my old favorite “tween movies.”

I would definitely recommend checking it out!

[Alison Nolen · Rating 5 out of 5]

9/10
This character Victoria reminded me a lot of people I know & was relatable as well trying to find her voice. Seeing her slowly come out of her shell to discover her support group was very rewarding as she faced her bullies with them.
When I first encountered Zeebot, I thought “well, that’s pretty out there” (no pun intended), but he quickly grew to be my favorite. Haha
If you’ve had to deal with excessive bullying of any kind, then this is definitely a triumphant story.
There are some more adult issues depicted in this book but still affect teens from time to time when families are broken. I think it’s handled in a decent way that isn’t too in-depth.
Hearing that a sequel/spin-off is in the works has made me excited to see where it takes us.