In 2000, Speak was adapted for audio by Listening Library in an unabridged reading by Mandy Siefried. Maria Mercedes Correa translated Speak into the Spanish edition Habla!, which was published in 2000.

Critics often compare the protagonist of John Marsden's So Much to Tell You (1990) with Melinda. Both girls have been silenced by tragedy, but Marsden's character is completely mute. In Michael Cadnum's Rundown (1999), the main character Jennifer falsely reports a rape attempt in a futile effort to gain her parents' attention. They are as disconnected from her emotional needs as Melinda's parents are. Jennifer withdraws much like Melinda. Many of Cadnum's young adult novels feature teenagers confronted with material abundance and cultural extremes and who exhibit psychological distress in reaction to their environments, families, and peers. His characters have access to alcohol, drugs, and money, and their lives often become out-ofcontrol due to their impulsiveness and poor...