The groundbreaking National Book Award Finalist and Michael L. Printz Honor Book with more than 3.5 million copies sold, Speak is a bestselling modern classic about consent, healing, and finding your voice.

"Speak up for yourself—we want to know what you have to say." From the first moment of her freshman year at Merryweather High, Melinda knows this is a big lie, part of the nonsense of high school. She is friendless, an outcast, because she busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops. Now nobody will talk to her, let alone listen to her. As time passes, Melinda becomes increasingly isolated and practically stops talking altogether. Only her art class offers any solace, and it is through her work on an art project that she is finally able to face what really happened at that terrible party: she was raped by an upperclassman, a guy who still attends Merryweather and is still a threat to her. Her healing process has just begun when she has another violent encounter with him. But this time Melinda fights back—and refuses to be silent.

From Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award laureate Laurie Halse Anderson comes the extraordinary landmark novel that has spoken to millions of readers. Powerful and utterly unforgettable, Speak has been translated into 35 languages, was the basis for the major motion picture starring Kristen Stewart, and is now a stunning graphic novel adapted by Laurie Halse Anderson herself, with artwork from Eisner-Award winner E.M. Carroll.

Awards and Accolades for Speak:
A New York Times Bestseller
A National Book Award Finalist for Young People’s Literature
A Michael L. Printz Honor Book
An Edgar Allan Poe Award Finalist
A Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist
A TIME Magazine Best YA Book of All Time
A Cosmopolitan Magazine Best YA Books Everyone Should Read, Regardless of Age

BUY THE BOOK

Published May 10, 2011

224 pages

Average rating: 7.97

260 RATINGS

|

Community Reviews

@rebeccawillread
Jan 22, 2025
10/10 stars
Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak transported me back to high school with its immersive writing and deeply emotional narrative. Melinda’s struggle to process what happened to her is profoundly relatable for anyone who has experienced trauma. Anderson gives a powerful voice to young women and girls with similar experiences, capturing their pain, resilience, and courage. It’s a story that lingers, reminding readers of the importance of listening, supporting, and speaking out.
Danielsgirl
Jul 28, 2022
8/10 stars
Great book as a teen!
abookwanderer
Oct 09, 2025
8/10 stars
Heart-wrenching and intense, this novel deals with a heavy subject, but has many laugh-out-loud moments too.
CheriF
Sep 25, 2025
8/10 stars
This was a tough read and I never would have heard of it had it not been an assignment for my kid. There's nothing particularly graphic in the book but being a witness to Mel's feelings of despair and solitude were painful.
literarily_occupied
Aug 12, 2025
10/10 stars
I read this book in just a few hours; completely invested in the story from page one. I am a 36 year old woman who found myself relating to so much of what Matilda was going through and thought several times how I wished I would have had something like this to relate to and draw strength from during some very difficult times of my youth.

See why thousands of readers are using Bookclubs to stay connected.