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Speak
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 Emily 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
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Community Reviews
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.
Hard to believe I’ve never read this book before, but it was on my Goodreads list of books to read that I’m slowly working through. Was this made into a movie or is the quiet kid hanging out in an abandoned janitors closet a common trope? The adults in this book infuriated me - somebody needed to just sit her down and be nice to her and figure out what was wrong.
I read this book in middle school during a very rough time in my life and I appreciated feeling seen. Classic read.
Recently, I picked up Wintergirls, also by Laurie Halse Anderson, kind of on a whim. I loved it, loved it, loved it. The narrative moved me, the plot dealt with a difficult subject in what I thought was a delicate and understanding way, and it brought everything to a positive conclusion (important for a novel on that subject). So, I decided to pick up some more books by Anderson.
This book wasn't as good for me as Wintergirls, but it was still good. The plot centers around Melinda, who enters high school the social outcast, and spends her days critiquing the difficulties and hypocrisies of high school. For example, on like page one, she lists the top ten lies of high school, one of them being "we will listen to what you have to say". All too often, I feel like this is more the reality than the exception, and that the pictures Anderson paints of burnt-out teachers, students sleeping in the back, abuses of power, people not listening or paying attention, or, worse, paying too much attention. I liked Melinda because it was clear she knew things were wrong with her, but she didn't just slide into the god-awful pit of teenage angst. She would occasionally keep trying -- lift her head, give it a shot, try and please herself and others. I felt like that was more realistic than some of these books (and people I know) where the main characters whine ceaselessly but can't lift a finger for themselves or anyone else but also don't have enough gumption for anything else. There's no turning point in those books, and I understand that some people's lives are like that, but then I think they need to read about someone who can lift themselves out. Maybe it will give them some inspiration to change their lives.
The other nice thing is that horrible things happened to Melinda to make her the way she is, but she finds a voice, she finds herself, she steps up, and she deals with it. For other people who have had similar experiences happen to them, this could potentially be helpful for them to find their voice. There also is no judgment at the end of the book. Nothing really happens to the perpetrator, but nobody blames her, nobody accuses her of lying, of playing the victim card, or protecting the perpetrator. It feels like a bit of a fantasy this year (it's been a tough year for stuff like this) but good to hear nonetheless.
Ultimately, this is one of those books that could probably be incredibly helpful for a lot of people, and probably many more young people should read it.
This book wasn't as good for me as Wintergirls, but it was still good. The plot centers around Melinda, who enters high school the social outcast, and spends her days critiquing the difficulties and hypocrisies of high school. For example, on like page one, she lists the top ten lies of high school, one of them being "we will listen to what you have to say". All too often, I feel like this is more the reality than the exception, and that the pictures Anderson paints of burnt-out teachers, students sleeping in the back, abuses of power, people not listening or paying attention, or, worse, paying too much attention. I liked Melinda because it was clear she knew things were wrong with her, but she didn't just slide into the god-awful pit of teenage angst. She would occasionally keep trying -- lift her head, give it a shot, try and please herself and others. I felt like that was more realistic than some of these books (and people I know) where the main characters whine ceaselessly but can't lift a finger for themselves or anyone else but also don't have enough gumption for anything else. There's no turning point in those books, and I understand that some people's lives are like that, but then I think they need to read about someone who can lift themselves out. Maybe it will give them some inspiration to change their lives.
The other nice thing is that horrible things happened to Melinda to make her the way she is, but she finds a voice, she finds herself, she steps up, and she deals with it. For other people who have had similar experiences happen to them, this could potentially be helpful for them to find their voice. There also is no judgment at the end of the book. Nothing really happens to the perpetrator, but nobody blames her, nobody accuses her of lying, of playing the victim card, or protecting the perpetrator. It feels like a bit of a fantasy this year (it's been a tough year for stuff like this) but good to hear nonetheless.
Ultimately, this is one of those books that could probably be incredibly helpful for a lot of people, and probably many more young people should read it.
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