Long before Twilight and her indie projects, Kristen Stewart portrayed the quiet protagonist from Laurie Halse Anderson's powerful young adult novel Speak. The story revolves around a teenage girl named Melinda who struggles to speak and make friends after being sexually assaulted at a party. This early performance from Stewart garnered favourable critical reviews and paved the path for her involvements in other coming-of-age movies such as Adventureland.