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Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Finding Your Voice: A Powerful Tale of Speaking Up

Title: Speak

Author: Laurie Halse Anderson

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult

First Publication: 1999

Language:  English

Major Characters: Ivy Hall, Heather, Nichole Smythe Burnell, Melinda Sordino, Andy Evans, David Petrakis, Mr. Freeman, Rachel Bruin

Setting Place: Syracuse, New York (United States)

Theme: Communication versus Silence, Appearance versus Reality, Family and Friendship, Isolation, Loneliness, and Depression, Memory and Trauma

Narrator:  First Person

Book Summary: Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

From the first moment of her freshman year at Merryweather High, Melinda knows this is a big fat lie, part of the nonsense of high school. She is friendless, outcast, because she busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops, so now nobody will talk to her, let alone listen to her. As time passes, she 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, refuses to be silent, and thereby achieves a measure of vindication.

Book Review: Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson is a character driven novel about a girl named Melinda who has just started high school. She is withdrawn, feels like an outcast, and has troubling talking as a result of being raped at a party over the summer. The story is a coming of age for Melinda as she learns how speaking up can be a good thing.

At the start of her Freshman year, Melinda finds herself a social pariah, having been dumped by all of her friends after attending a summer bash gone wrong, resulting in Melinda calling the cops and earning herself a leper status. While the events that occurred at the party remain a mystery until nearly the end of the story, Melinda’s torment, shame and silence are evident from page one.

As a reader, it is not hard to guess what happened that night, but everyone in Melinda’s life are completely oblivious as to what plagues her day in and day out. What follows is a truly heart wrenching story about a broken girl  trying puzzle out the pieces of herself.

When people don’t express themselves, they die one piece at a time.

What makes Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson great is the time when it was published. This book was published in 1999, almost 20 years ago. Twenty years ago, the YA genre didn’t exist. When Laurie Halse Anderson tried to get this published, a publisher emailed her back and said “it’s good, but teens don’t like reading”. The YA genre didn’t really become what it is today until after Twilight was published.

The first person narrative is fluid and natural. The paragraphs are short. To a large extent, this feels like a journal written by the narrator Melinda. To pull the reader closer to the action, the book is written in the present tense, so we’re encountering everything directly alongside Melinda. Melinda is struggling with her voice and with trying to figure out how to communicate her troubles and with whom.

You have to know what you stand for, not just what you stand against.

As the reader, we are the only one she truly communicates with. But even with us, she holds back. She keeps us at arms length so we don’t penetrate her wall and expose her pain and vulnerability. The voice is uniquely teenage and is a good portrayal of the thoughts of a teenage girl ostracized by her friends as she begins her Freshman year.

Art without emotion its like chocolate cake without sugar. It makes you gag.

I watched the movie right after I finished, and it’s a very faithful adaptation of the book that successfully captures the tone of the novel. If you enjoyed the book at all I would highly recommend giving movie a watch. Kristen Stewart actually played Melinda. She was fourteen years old when the movie was shot, and she did such a beautiful job of conveying Melinda’s emotions while having minimal dialogue.

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Common sense media reviewers.

Controversial book about rape is powerful and painful.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

This National Book Award finalist will grip teen r

Melinda's pain and ultimate hope for healing is de

The main character, Melinda, cuts class, steals pa

Melinda is raped. She recalls her rape, and is thr

The narrator refers to cheerleaders sleeping with

Moderate swearing typical of high-schoolers.

Thirteen-year-old Melinda and her friends drink at

Parents need to know that this National Book Award finalist is about a girl traumatized by a rape (and is then isolated from her peers). Wounded, silent Melinda ditches class, steals passes from teachers, and deliberately cuts herself. Accurate descriptions of the minutiae of high school will appeal to any teen who…

Educational Value

This National Book Award finalist will grip teen readers -- and can open up a number of discussions, from dealing with clique politics to surviving rape. Parents and teachers may want to check out a guide for delving more deeply into the plot .

Positive Messages

Melinda's pain and ultimate hope for healing is described honestly and compassionately.

Positive Role Models

The main character, Melinda, cuts class, steals passes from teachers, and deliberately cuts herself. But the author offers real solutions to Melinda's pain: Melinda's connection to a mentor, her artistic creations, and even her plans for a flower garden all feed her inner strength. When she's finally able to speak, readers will rejoice in her triumph.

Violence & Scariness

Melinda is raped. She recalls her rape, and is threatened by her rapist. She defends herself against an attacker by scaring him with a shard of glass.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

The narrator refers to cheerleaders sleeping with football players, and to high school girls having abortions.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Thirteen-year-old Melinda and her friends drink at a party.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this National Book Award finalist is about a girl traumatized by a rape (and is then isolated from her peers). Wounded, silent Melinda ditches class, steals passes from teachers, and deliberately cuts herself. Accurate descriptions of the minutiae of high school will appeal to any teen who has felt like an outsider, and when Melinda is finally able to speak, readers will rejoice in her triumphs. This is a gritty, powerful book that teachers and parents could use to launch a number of discussions. Readers must meld short descriptive passages to form the narrative.

Where to Read

Community reviews.

• Parents say (18)
• Kids say (132)

Based on 18 parent reviews

From an ELA teacher -- one of the best young adult books.

Word choices, what's the story.

High school should be the best time of Melinda's life. Instead, freshman year is a nightmare as Melinda finds herself rejected by her friends, cut off from her parents, and unable to reveal a terrible secret. In fact, she isn't speaking at all. Melinda's slow healing process is a realistic and compelling one, and readers will cheer for her when she finally does use her voice.

Is It Any Good?

This is one of the most devastatingly true and painful portrayals of high school to come along in a long time. The cliques, from the Jocks to the Big Hair Chix to the Marthas (devotees of a certain Ms. Stewart), are pigeonholed to perfection. Outsider Melinda seems somehow familiar, too. Her witty, ironic commentaries can't cover up her pain at being excluded.

Kids who are genuine outsiders stand to gain a lot from this compassionate novel. The author offers real solutions to Melinda's pain: Melinda's connection to a mentor, her artistic creations, and even her plans for a flower garden all feed her inner strength. When she's finally able to speak, readers will rejoice in her triumphs.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about how Speak has received lots of praise and is taught in classrooms, from eighth grade on up. But its controversial subject matter has also made it a target of censors. Do you think it's too intense for teens? Should any book ever be banned or require parental permission?

Book Details

• Author : Laurie Halse Anderson
• Genre : Coming of Age
• Book type : Fiction
• Publisher : Puffin
• Publication date : January 1, 1999
• Publisher's recommended age(s) : 12 - 12
• Number of pages : 198
• Last updated : April 12, 2019

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Our editors recommend.

Speak: The Graphic Novel

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Books to help teens understand the importance of consent, coming-of-age books.

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Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

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Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson is multiple award-winning books, but it is also listed by the American Library Association as one of the top 100 books challenged between 2000-2009 . Every year several books are challenged and banned across the nation by individuals and organizations who believe the content of the books is inappropriate. In this review you will learn more about the book Speak , the challenges it has received, and what Laurie Halse Anderson and others have to say about the issue of censorship.

Melinda Sardino is a fifteen-year-old sophomore whose life is dramatically and permanently changed the night she attends an end of summer party. At the party, Melinda is raped and calls the police , but doesn’t get the opportunity to report the crime. Her friends, thinking she called to bust the party, shun her and she becomes an outcast.

Once vibrant, popular, and a good student, Melinda has become withdrawn and depressed. She avoids having to talk and doesn’t take care of her physical or mental health. All her grades start to slide, except her Art grade, and she begins to define herself by small acts of rebellion such as refusing to give an oral report and skipping school. Meanwhile, Melinda’s rapist, an older student, subtly taunts her at every opportunity.

Melinda doesn’t reveal the details of her experience until one of her former friends begins to date the same boy who raped Melinda. In an attempt to warn her friend, Melinda writes an anonymous letter and then confronts the girl and explains what really happened at the party. Initially, the former friend refuses to believe Melinda and accuses her of jealousy, but later breaks up with the boy. Melinda is confronted by her rapist who accuses her of destroying his reputation. He attempts to assault Melinda again, but this time she finds the power to speak and screams loudly enough to be heard by other students who are nearby. 

The Controversy and the Censorship

Since its publication release in 1999 Speak has been challenged on its content about rape, sexual assault, and suicidal thoughts. In September of 2010 one Missouri professor wanted the book banned from the Republic School District because he considered the two rape scenes “soft pornography.” His attack on the book elicited a media storm of responses including a statement from the author herself in which she defended her book.

The American Library Association listed Speak as number 60 in the top one hundred books to be banned or challenged between 2000 and 2009. Anderson knew when she wrote this story that it would be a controversial topic, but she is shocked whenever she reads about a challenge to her book. She writes that Speak is about the "emotional trauma suffered by a teen after a sexual assault" and is not soft pornography.

In addition to Anderson's defense of her book, her publishing company, Penguin Young Readers Group, placed a full-page ad in the New York Times to support the author and her book. Penguin spokeswoman Shanta Newlin stated, "That such a decorated book could be challenged is disturbing."

Laurie Halse Anderson and Censorship

Anderson reveals in many interviews that the idea for Speak came to her in a nightmare. In her nightmare, a girl is sobbing, but Anderson did not know the reason until she started to write. As she wrote the voice of Melinda took shape and began to speak. Anderson felt compelled to tell Melinda's story.

With the success of her book (a National Award finalist and a Printz Honor Award) came the backlash of controversy and censorship. Anderson was stunned but found herself in a new position to speak out against censorship. States Anderson, “Censoring books that deal with difficult, adolescent issues does not protect anybody. It leaves kids in the darkness and makes them vulnerable. Censorship is the child of fear and the father of ignorance. Our children cannot afford to have the truth of the world withheld from them.”

Anderson devotes a portion of her website to censorship issues and specifically addresses the challenges to her book Speak. She argues in defense of educating others about sexual assault and lists frightening statistics about young women who have been raped.

Anderson is actively involved in national groups that battle censorship and book banning such as the ABFFE (American Booksellers for Free Expression), the National Coalition Against Censorship, and the Freedom to Read Foundation.

Speak : Book summary and reviews of Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

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by Laurie Halse Anderson

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Published Oct 1999 240 pages Genre: Literary Fiction Publication Information

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About this book

Book summary.

Laurie Halse Anderson’s award-winning, highly acclaimed, and controversial novel about a teenager who chooses not to speak rather than to give voice to what really happened to her. "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 that this is a big fat lie, part of the nonsense of high school. She is friendless, outcast, because she busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops, so now nobody will talk to her, let alone listen to her. As time passes, she 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, refuses to be silent, and thereby achieves a measure of vindication. In this powerful novel, an utterly believeable heroine with a bitterly ironic voice delivers a blow to the hypocritical world of high school. She speaks for many a disenfranchised teenager while demonstrating the importance of speaking up for oneself.

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Media Reviews

Reader reviews.

"The plot is gripping and the characters are powerfully drawn, but it is its raw and unvarnished look at the dynamics of the high school experience that makes this a novel that will be hard for readers to forget." - Kirkus Reviews "An uncannily funny book even as it plumbs the darkness, Speak will hold readers from first word to last. " - Horn Book "Anderson infuses the narrative with a wit that sustains the heroine through her pain and holds readers' empathy." - Publisher's Weekly "A story told with acute insight, acid wit, and affecting prose. " - Library Journal

Author Information

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Laurie Halse Anderson Author Biography

Laurie Halse Anderson is the New York Times -bestselling author who writes for kids of all ages. Known for tackling tough subjects with humor and sensitivity, her work has earned numerous international, national, and state awards. She has been nominated three times for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. Two of her books, Speak and Chains , were National Book Award finalists, and Chains was also short-listed for the Carnegie medal.

Link to Laurie Halse Anderson's Website

Name Pronunciation Laurie Halse Anderson: Halse rhymes with waltz

Other books by Laurie Halse Anderson at BookBrowse

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Laurie Halse Anderson on her groundbreaking book Speak being reissued as a graphic novel

The book's taboo-shattering discussion of sexual assault continues to resonate nearly 20 years later

David Canfield is a Staff Editor. He oversees the magazine's books section, and writes film features and awards analysis.

In 1999, Laurie Halse Anderson published her novel Speak , a groundbreaking exploration of sexual assault and its aftermath. From stable book sales to its presence in high school curriculums, its endurance is a testament to the power of the novel, as well as an unsettling reminder of how little things have changed since its initial release.

Yet over the past few months, the conversation on sexual misconduct has accelerated at a rapid pace, as allegations against major public figures such as Harvey Weinstein and Russell Simmons have forced a collective reckoning with the sexism, misogyny, and gendered power imbalances that have long pervaded American life.

It’s timely, then that Speak is re-entering the conversation in a major way. Anderson has teamed with comics artist Emily Carroll ( Through the Woods ) to reproduce the book as a graphic novel, available for purchase Feb. 6. (Pre-order it here .) The new format illuminates the original text’s discussions of trauma, violence, and recovery in beautifully surprising ways, while still not shying away from the harshness of it.

Anderson spoke with EW about Speak ’s enduring legacy, her collaboration with Carroll, and what she’s taken away from speaking with kids about these subjects for more than a decade. Read on below.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: How did the idea to re-release Speak as a graphic novel come together? LAURIE HALSE ANDERSON: When the paperback rights to Speak reverted to Macmillan in 2011, I met with the good people there to chat about two projects that were close to my heart: partnering with RAINN to support sexual violence survivors, and creating a graphic novel version of the book. The Macmillan team was very supportive and made both dreams come to life!

How did Emily Carroll get involved? How did you two collaborate? Emily was at the top of my wishlist of artists. Her technical skills are superb, and her ability to create tension is masterful. I am very grateful that she was able to make the time for the project. I wrote the script for the graphic novel in 2015, and Emily got to work. Our collaboration was coordination with our editor and art director. I finally got to meet Emily a few months ago — it was like meeting an old friend, in a strange way.

The new cover is gorgeous. There was never any thought of replicating the original cover. The graphic novel stands on its own feet as a piece of art, therefore it deserved its own cover. It took my breath away.

What does the graphic novel format bring out in the story, thematically, that couldn’t be done in a standard novel? It gives the readers more perspective on intensity of the emotion that Melinda is dealing with. The fear, the sorrow, the rage, and the triumph are visceral. The addition of the art turns a haunting melody into a resonating chord.

The book has run into censorship for its more explicit content. How was that considered in the graphic adaptation? It wasn’t. Rape is a crime. This book shows the attack, its devastating consequences, and the strength of the survivor as she reclaims her voice and her strength. To soften any of that would have been disrespectful to everyone who has had to endure it.

Speak has resonated deeply and remains as relevant as ever — why do you think it’s lasted in a way so few books have? Because millions of survivors of sexual violence are still trying to be heard.

What are your thoughts on conversations around sexual misconduct and assault finally reaching the culture so sharply, after so long? I try not to focus on my rage that it has taken so long to get to this place. The point is that we are finally here, that the doors are beginning to open for meaningful discussion and change. We must keep the pressure on. We must make sure that this is a truly intersectional movement, that women of color and transgender people and male survivors are all heard and supported too.

Over decades of talking to teenagers about this book and the issues it raises, what have you learned? What have you come away with? The full answer to that question requires another book! But the shorthand version is this: Until parents get over their discomfort at talking to their children about consent and sexuality — a lot — we will continue to reap generations of people scarred by sexual violence and silence. It’s on us.

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Review: Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

"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 fat lie, part of the nonsense of high school. She is friendless, outcast, because she busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops, so now nobody will talk to her, let alone listen to her. As time passes, she 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, refuses to be silent, and thereby achieves a measure of vindication. In Laurie Halse Anderson's powerful novel, an utterly believable heroine with a bitterly ironic voice delivers a blow to the hypocritical world of high school. She speaks for many a disenfranchised teenager while demonstrating the importance of speaking up for oneself. Speak was a 1999 National Book Award Finalist for Young People's Literature. (Cover and synopsis from Goodreads.)

FTC Disclaimer: I borrowed a copy of this book from my local library. I was in no way compensated for this review.

A Confession…

So, I watched the movie adaptation of Speak first. I know, I know, that’s kind of blasphemy. I do usually try to read books before seeing their adaptations, but I honestly don’t even know why I watched the movie adaptation. I’m pretty sure it was like a Showtime movie and I just watched it because it was on. I didn’t know anything about the book back then. But I do have to say that I think Kristen Stewart did a fantastic job in the movie. I haven’t watched it again, but I do remember thinking she was really good in it. (And no, I’m not a KStew fangirl. But I don’t really have hate for her, either.)

Back to the Book…

But anyway, I’m glad that I finally got around to reading the book. I read it for my book club, and we all seemed to agree that it was a good and important book. I feel like it should be taught in high school. It does have some triggering content (rape and sexual assault) in the book, so it would be hard for some people to read it, and I don’t think those people should be forced to. But I think that teen boys should read it, as well as teen girls. And not just for the rape aspect either, but for the empathy that a reader might gain in reading what Melinda goes through when she’s shunned by her entire school. I also really liked the writing and the sarcasm throughout the book.

Great Quotes…

I wrote down some lines that I really liked from the book, and here are a couple of my favorites:

“If I ever form my own clan, we’ll be the Anti-Cheerleaders. We will not sit in the bleachers. We will wander underneath them and commit mild acts of mayhem.”

“Sometimes I think high school is one long hazing activity. If you are tough enough to survive this, they’ll let you become an adult. I hope it’s worth it.”

Overall…

I really enjoyed Speak , and I think most of the others in my book club enjoyed it, too. I think it’s a YA classic at this point, and that any fan of YA should read it. And I really think it’s an important book for teens to read.

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Andrea is a mom, writer, and spoilerphobe. She works in a library and mostly loves YA SciFi and YA Fantasy.

Kate @ Midnight Book Girl

I read Speak shortly after I started book blogging for Banned Book Week, and really thought it was a powerful book. I still haven’t seen the movie- but I would totally watch it if it came on (not a huge KStew fan, but certain roles she just fits so well, and I can see her as silent Melinda).

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THE GRAPHIC NOVEL

by Laurie Halse Anderson ; illustrated by Emily Carroll ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 6, 2018

Powerful, necessary, and essential.

Anderson’s timeless and important tale of high-school sexual assault and its aftermath undergoes a masterful graphic novel transformation.

Melinda, a nascent freshman, is raped at a party shortly before the beginning of school. In an attempt to report the crime, Melinda calls 911, and the party is shut down. When the semester begins, Melinda has become a pariah who spends her days silent. In addition to internalizing the emotional aspects of the assault, Melinda is relentlessly bullied by her peers and often runs into her attacker—a popular senior—who delights in terrorizing her. Although Anderson’s novel came out nearly 20 years ago, this raw adaptation feels current, even with contemporary teenage technological minutiae conspicuously absent. Melinda relies upon art to work as a vulnerary; this visual adaptation takes readers outside Melinda’s head and sits them alongside her, seeing what she sees and feeling the importance and power of her desire to create art and express herself. Carroll’s stark black-and-white illustrations are exquisitely rendered, capturing the mood through a perfectly calibrated lens. With the rise of women finding their voices and speaking out about sexual assault in the media, this reworking of the enduring 1999 classic should be on everyone’s radar.

Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2018

ISBN: 978-0-374-30028-9

Page Count: 387

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Review Posted Online: Feb. 4, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2018

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SOCIAL THEMES | GENERAL GRAPHIC NOVELS & COMICS

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by Laurie Halse Anderson ; illustrated by Leila Del Duca

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SEEN & HEARD

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by Laura Nowlin ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 6, 2024

A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind.

In this companion novel to 2013’s If He Had Been With Me , three characters tell their sides of the story.

Finn’s narrative starts three days before his death. He explores the progress of his unrequited love for best friend Autumn up until the day he finally expresses his feelings. Finn’s story ends with his tragic death, which leaves his close friends devastated, unmoored, and uncertain how to go on. Jack’s section follows, offering a heartbreaking look at what it’s like to live with grief. Jack works to overcome the anger he feels toward Sylvie, the girlfriend Finn was breaking up with when he died, and Autumn, the girl he was preparing to build his life around (but whom Jack believed wasn’t good enough for Finn). But when Jack sees how Autumn’s grief matches his own, it changes their understanding of one another. Autumn’s chapters trace her life without Finn as readers follow her struggles with mental health and balancing love and loss. Those who have read the earlier book will better connect with and feel for these characters, particularly since they’ll have a more well-rounded impression of Finn. The pain and anger is well written, and the novel highlights the most troublesome aspects of young adulthood: overconfidence sprinkled with heavy insecurities, fear-fueled decisions, bad communication, and brash judgments. Characters are cued white.

Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024

ISBN: 9781728276229

Page Count: 416

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SOCIAL THEMES | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT FICTION | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT ROMANCE

More by Laura Nowlin

by Laura Nowlin

IF HE HAD BEEN WITH ME

by Laura Nowlin ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2013

There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.

The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.

Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.

Pub Date: April 1, 2013

ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5

Page Count: 336

Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013

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Book Review: Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Hello there, bookworms! Today, I’m about to take you on a journey into the world of a book that has touched hearts, opened eyes, and sparked conversations. The book I’m talking about is “Speak” by Laurie Halse Anderson. N

ow, this isn’t just any book—it’s a book that deals with tough issues in a way that’s both raw and relatable. I remember stumbling upon it in the corner of a cozy bookstore during a rainy afternoon. The intriguing cover and the title itself lured me in. I had no idea then how much of an impact it would make.

Book Summary of Speak

“Speak” is a poignant tale of a high school freshman named Melinda Sordino who, after experiencing a traumatic event, struggles with communication and self-expression. Our story begins after Melinda’s life-altering experience at a summer party, where she ends up calling the police. This event ostracizes her from her peers, but what they don’t know is the reason behind her call.

Melinda’s year unfolds in a series of academic seasons, from “First Marking Period” to “Fourth Marking Period.” Her journey is a complex one, riddled with internal battles, silent cries for help, and the ever-approaching confrontation of her trauma. The central theme revolves around finding one’s voice and the courage to speak up. This is aptly symbolized through Melinda’s art project, a tree that gradually transforms from dead to alive, mirroring her own journey.

Despite the gravity of its topic, “Speak” is interspersed with a wry, dark humor that reflects Melinda’s unique perspective and resilience. The narrative is raw and unflinching, offering a poignant exploration of a young girl’s battle with trauma, isolation, and the journey to reclaim her voice.

Book Review of Speak

“Speak” is a remarkable book, and it’s not just because it’s beautifully written, but also because of its relevancy and the universality of its theme. The book is a masterful exploration of a teenager’s struggle to regain her voice and identity after a traumatic incident.

Laurie Halse Anderson’s writing is both powerful and poetic. She portrays Melinda’s pain, isolation, and eventual healing with great sensitivity, making the reader empathize with the character. The narrative structure, divided into marking periods, effectively represents Melinda’s journey. What really stands out is the powerful symbol of the tree in Melinda’s art project, which mirrors her own growth and healing.

Despite the serious subject matter, the novel is not devoid of humor. Melinda’s sarcastic and observant narrative voice provides a sense of levity amidst the heavy themes. This balance makes “Speak” a compelling read that leaves a lasting impression.

Speak Rating

My rating for “Speak”: 8.5 out of 10. This book is a profound exploration of trauma and recovery, and its relevance in today’s society is undeniable. However, the heavy subject matter may not appeal to all readers.

Amazon Rating : 4.6 out of 5.

Goodreads Rating : 4.04 out of 5.

About the Author: Laurie Halse Anderson

Laurie Halse Anderson is a New York Times bestselling author who writes for kids of all ages. Known for tackling tough subjects with humor and sensitivity, her work has earned numerous national and state awards. Her books have been recognized as part of the American Library Association’s Best Fiction for Young Adults, and she has been nominated twice for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, among many other accolades.

Born in Potsdam, New York, Anderson gained a love for reading and adventure at an early age. Born on October 23, 1961, in Potsdam, New York, she spent her childhood engrossed in science fiction and fantasy. Her early interest in writing began to blossom in the second grade, but even then, she never saw herself becoming a writer .

During her senior year of high school, Anderson lived as an exchange student on a pig farm in Denmark. This experience, followed by a stint working at a clothing store back home, earning minimum wage, motivated her to attend college. She kicked off her career as a freelance journalist at The Philadelphia Inquirer before delving into the world of children’s and young adult novels.

Despite early rejections, Anderson persisted, releasing her first children’s novel, “Ndito Runs,” in 1996.

Anderson’s best-known work, “Speak,” was published in 1999. This New York Times bestseller was later adapted into a film in 2004. The novel, which has been translated into 16 languages, won Anderson honors for its portrayal of a thirteen-year-old girl who becomes mute after a sexual assault. In 2018, Anderson revealed that “Speak” was based on her own experience, as she went through her own traumatic experience at the same age. Anderson continues to use her voice and her pen to shed light on topics often shied away from, making her a beacon in young adult literature.

Where to Read Speak

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15 years of SPEAK: An Interview with Laurie Halse Anderson

Kelly Jensen

Kelly is a former librarian and a long-time blogger at STACKED. She's the editor/author of (DON'T) CALL ME CRAZY: 33 VOICES START THE CONVERSATION ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH and the editor/author of HERE WE ARE: FEMINISM FOR THE REAL WORLD. Her next book, BODY TALK, will publish in Fall 2020. Follow her on Instagram @heykellyjensen .

View All posts by Kelly Jensen

It’s fifteen years since Laurie Halse Anderson’s young adult novel  Speak   was first published.  Speak  is an enduring novel that has a significant place in YA fiction’s history, and Anderson herself has been a champion of YA lit, as well as a champion of those who advocate on behalf of YA readers.

In honor of this anniversary, and in conjunction with April being Sexual Assault Awareness Month, Anderson has teamed up with the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN) in the #Speak4RAINN15 campaign to raise $30,000 that supports victims of sexual violence.

In light of this campaign, as well as the book’s anniversary, I was eager to ask Anderson a few questions about the book’s legacy, including its regular appearances on “most challenged” book lists; about how she’s seen YA fiction mold and grow over the last decade and a half; and I was eager to pick her brain about gender and gender disparity within the book world and beyond.

Speak turns 15 years old this year. Can you talk a bit about the life of this book? 

The book was turned down by the first publisher I sent it to. When it was published, my then-editor warned me against getting my hopes up because she felt the book had little chance at being a Big Success. The book took off because booksellers, librarians and teachers got behind it strongly. Teens handed it to each other and said, “You have to read this.”

The movie version that came out in 2004 (starring Kristen Stewart) brought a lot of new readers to the book and then English teachers started to put it in curriculum. They saw first-hand that if you give students a book that they can connect with, they are more open to learning about things like symbolism and metaphor.

I think we’re approaching 2 million copies sold and the last time I checked it had been translated into 27 languages. Right now artist Emily Carroll is working on the graphic novel version of the book, which I hope will be published in 2016. Nearly every day I hear from readers for whom the book is a touchstone that helped them find the courage to speak up about their sexual assault and begin their journey from victim to survivor.

When I was growing up, “rape” was a word that was whispered, if it was spoken at all. Around the time that Speak was published, America started to talk about rape and began to move away (slowly) from the destructive notion of victim-blaming. The Internet can be a real cesspool of sexual abuse and hatred, but it has also allowed victims of sexual assault to find help and healing. Their ability to speak up is leading to a revolutionary shift in attitudes about sexual assault. We still have a long way to go, but I am very optimistic.

It’s hard to wrap my head around all of this. I’m intensely grateful that the story poured through me and that – thanks to the hard work of lots of people and the stars lining up at the right time – it continues to be a source of strength and hope.

Everything has changed! The field has dramatically expanded, both in scope and in depth. When authors like Joyce Carol Oates started writing YA, I knew we had entered new territory.  When adults started reading YA for fun, I knew we were looking at a brave new world.

Speak is a title that’s regularly challenged in schools across the country. What goes on in your mind when you hear about these attempts at censorship?

It makes my blood boil.

I worry about the teachers and librarians who are at danger of losing their jobs and I worry about the students being denied access to a good book that has saved lives. I’m baffled by people my age (and younger!) who are so terrified at their inability to talk about rape, a crime that affects 1 in six women and 1 in 33 men, that they would rather ban the book than tell their kids the truth and prepare them for the harsh realities of the world.

Book banners make me fight harder.

Is there a connection with Speak, the imprint of Penguin, and your own book Speak ? If so, how did that come to be?

The background includes a bit of publishing history. Farrar, Straus & Giroux published Speak in hardcover in 1999. At the time, FS&G was not in the business of publishing paperbacks; they contracted out to other publishers for that. Penguin won the auction to become the paperback publisher of Speak and negotiated a 10-year license. It’s important to remember that at this point, Speak had been nominated for the National Book Award, but no one had a clue about the book’s future popularity.

Penguin threw a lot of energy and love at Speak and when the time came a few years later to name a new teen imprint, they called it Speak, which was a huge honor. Then the book sort of went supernova. When the 10-year paperback license ended, Penguin negotiated hard, but Macmillan (which had acquired FS&G in the meantime) turned down all of their offers. (When I sold Speak to FS&G I did not yet have an agent, so when it came to this contract, I was not a part of the decision-making process.)

So now Speak is a Macmillan book, the rest of my “resilience lit” is at Penguin, and Simon & Schuster publishes my historical fiction (which is a whole other story.)

Speak reaches a tremendous number of readers each year. What do you think gives the book staying power?

I think it’s because everyone has had a bad thing happen to them and has struggled to figure out how to speak up. Everyone has felt alone and not-heard.

Over the last year, you’ve begun to call what you write “Resilience Lit.” Can you talk a bit about what that label means and what it might mean to readers?

The term comes from a high school teacher, whose name I, unfortunately, forgot to make note of. She took a photo of her whiteboard after a classroom discussion of Speak . It was covered with plot details, symbolism, and character notes, and in the top left corner, the teacher had written “resilience literature.” That was such a better description of what I write than “contemporary realistic YA” that I started using it immediately. Resilience is the quality that I hope all teenagers can develop so that they are ready when the world comes at them. Literature is a fantastic way to learn about the kinds of hardships you may have to deal with; watching characters grow and change is a great way to strengthen yourself for your own challenges.

You recently did a Reddit AMA , and one of the questions that came up was about the “John Greenification” of YA fiction . It’s impossible not to think about, especially since you’re a female author who has been writing and selling young adult books, including realistic titles, for 15 years. There are other female authors writing contemporary books who have been publishing as long as you have, and selling the huge numbers of backlist you have — Sarah Dessen and Meg Cabot, to name a couple. Why do you think that traditional media pursues the “John Green has influenced the YA world” when there are and have been equally powerful other writers, both male and female?

Because traditional media is largely edited and vetted by a much older, male-dominated generation that can’t or won’t recognize that women writers are just as powerful and important as men. Or that writers of all ethnic backgrounds, of every type of gender identity and sexual orientation, are as powerful and important.

However traditional media is crumbling, in part because there is such a large disconnect between it and most people under age 40. We all have the capability to promote the books and authors we care about. That is amazing and so exciting!! I enjoy shaking my fists at traditional media as much as the next person, but I know that I can achieve more change by taking advantage of the opportunities that New Media offer.

Do you think the contributions of female authors and female-centric novels in YA are downplayed or undermined?

Within the worlds of book selling, librarianship and education I see less evidence of this kind of undermining. I think the leadership of traditional media is where the problem lies.

Given the power and influence Green has had not only on the New York Times list, but also in mainstream outlets like Vanity Fair ( which noted he is beginning a revolution in bringing realistic teens to the big screen with his book-to-film adaptations), it’s clear he’s a household name not just to teenagers, but to their parents and other adults as well. What do you think it would take for a hypothetical “Jean Green” to do the same thing? Could it happen?

It will take a while, but it will happen.

I stand in this interesting place on the timeline of equality for women. My grandmother often told the story of the first time her mother voted, in 1920, and what a huge influence that had on her. I remember reading the newspaper want ads in third grade and asking my mom why there were Jobs For Women separate from Jobs For Men. My mom said “It’s not right, but that’s the way it is.” I was in that generation of girls who benefited tremendously from Title IX and other changes wrought by earlier generations of feminists. I was one of the only girls who worked on a dairy farm in my county and was the only woman in the stock brokerage I worked at after college.

Americans who are younger than 35 have taken the torch from my generation and continue to run towards equality for everyone. I’m thrilled to see how many guys are working towards this, as well as women, and how we are finally beginning to talk about true equality that encompasses gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnic background and faith community.

It’s still not right, but we are changing it.

Dinky Hocker Shoots Smack  by M.E. Kerr, The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier, Hush by Jacqueline Woodson, Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block, Annie on My Mind  by Nancy Garden.

Who are some of your current favorite young adult authors?

These authors are amazing and their work deserves a lot more attention: Kekla Magoon, Coe Booth, Alex Sánchez, Jason Reynolds, Mitali Perkins, Nikki Grimes, Malinda Lo, Cynthia Leitich Smith, Jaime Adoff, Octavia Butler, Eric Gansworth, Jacqueline Woodson, Sumbul Ali-Karamali, Rita Williams Garcia and Meg Medina.

For my final question, I want to know how we — as adults, as readers, as advocates for young adult fiction — can help amplify the voices of females, especially teen girls like Melinda in Speak who don’t find themselves being heard?   

Seek out books that touch your heart and make sure that you are casting your reading net widely. Look for books being brought out by smaller publishers. Follow blogs that make a point of review books about all kinds of characters and by all kinds of authors. Participate in discussions like the Vida Count and [Maureen Johnson’s]  Cover Flip .

Call out the owners and decision-makers of traditional media when you see them choosing to review titles by one kind of author or featuring only one kind of narrator. Share their contact information with your friends and increase the visibility of your protest. Use New Media outlets to discuss and promote the books you are passionate about.

To remain silent is be complicit. We must all speak up and be the change we want to see.

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Buy the Book

International editions.

Speak: Original Edition

Melinda Sordino busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops. Now her old friends won’t talk to her, and people she doesn’t even know hate her from a distance. The safest place to be is alone, inside her own head. But even that’s not safe. Because there’s something she’s trying not to think about, something about the night of the party that, if she let it in, would blow her carefully constructed disguise to smithereens. And then she would have to speak the truth. This extraordinary first novel has captured the imaginations of teenagers and adults across the country.

Other Editions:

20th Anniversary Edition (January 15, 2019) The Graphic Novel Cuéntalo (Graphic Novel, Spanish)

For more international additions, see the left-hand sidebar below!

Challenges and support for this book

Including assault survivor help

A poem by Laurie

Will there be a Speak sequel?

Praise for Speak: Original Edition

“In a stunning first novel, Anderson uses keen observations and vivid imagery to pull readers into the head of an isolated teenager. . . . Yet Anderson infuses the narrative with a wit that sustains the heroine through her pain and holds readers’ empathy. . . . But the book’s overall gritty realism and Melinda’s hard-won metamorphosis will leave readers touched and inspired.” — Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

“An uncannily funny book even as it plumbs the darkness, Speak will hold readers from first word to last.” — The Horn Book, Starred Review

“A frightening and sobering look at the cruelty and viciousness that pervade much of contemporary high school life, as real as today’s headlines. . . . The plot is gripping and the characters are powerfully drawn . . . a novel that will be hard for readers to forget.” — Kirkus Reviews, Pointer Review

“Melinda’s pain is palpable, and readers will totally empathize with her. This is a compelling book, with sharp, crisp writing that draws readers in, engulfing them in the story.” — School Library Journal

“A story told with acute insight, acid wit, and affecting prose.” — Library Journal

“Melinda’s voice is distinct, unusual, and very real as she recounts her past and present experiences in bitterly ironic, occasionally even amusing vignettes. . . . Melinda’s sarcastic wit, honesty, and courage make her a memorable character whose ultimate triumph will inspire and empower readers.” — Booklist

Frequently Asked Questions

Nobody made much of a big deal about it when it came out, other than it was a National Book Award finalist. No publicity, no advertising, no book tour.

The first group of teachers and librarians who read it started to share it with teen readers and were stunned by the feedback they got. Kids who hated reading finished it in one night and asked for another book like it. Incredible powerful conversations grew out of the book and within a few years it started to be placed in curriculum.

The censorship controversies that arose really helped frame the national discussion; what do we want our kids to be reading and why? I’m incredibly proud to have written a story that has played a part in giving our kids an entire world of literature that they love.

(from Laurie’s Goodreads Q&A )

Me. About 10% of the story is based on what I went through after my sexual assault, which happened the summer before 9th grade. (Very different circumstances than Melinda’s rape.)

I started with the depression I struggled with because I didn’t tell anyone either. Then Melinda showed up in my imagination and made the story her own.

Take your time and practice good self-care. Make sure you are putting healthy things in your life, like exercise and time with friends. Books that explore difficult topics take a lot of energy.

I would ask them why they are afraid to talk to their kids about sexual violence.

Every two minutes, someone in America is sexually assaulted. About 17% of American women and 3% American men have been sexually assaulted. 7% of girls in grades 5-8 and 12% of girls in grades 9-12 said they had been sexually abused. And juvenile victims know their assailant in 93% of cases.

Parents must face up to their responsibilities to prepare their children about the dangers of the world. They must get over their own squeamishness about discussing human sexuality in order to do so. If more boys were taught by their parents what sexual consent is, and that it is required – ALWAYS – we’d have less sexual violence.

If girls and women felt safer to speak up after a sexual assault, and the judicial system was prepared to consistently prosecute and punish rapists, then we’d begin to see those horrible numbers go down. (Lots more very good Statistics can be found here: https://www.rainn.org/statistics )

Some parents cringe at the idea of talking to their kids about these things. I have no patience for that. Who they want to be educating (and miseducating their kids about these things? Music videos? Internet porn? Locker room BS?

It’s hard to be a parent. It’s a whole lot harder to be the parent of a kid who has been sexually assaulted, or who is in jail after being found guilty of sexual assault. SPEAK opens the doors to some of the most important conversations a family will ever have.

Unlike a lot of adults, I vividly remember what it was like to be a teenager. I think that is my superpower.

I think it should be eliminated. Rape is rape; doesn’t matter the context.

If a bad guy steals your wallet at the end of a date, do we call it a “date mugging?” Do we allow “date murders” to be treated differently than murders that don’t happen after a date?

Of course not.

Yes. I never developed a clinical eating disorder, but for decades I had a very confused image of myself, and I put way too much emphasis on how I looked. I remember the self-hatred and the terrible thoughts. Writing Wintergirls was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, but it was one of the healthiest, too. I have finally made peace with my body, and that has allowed the real me—my spirit, my intellect, and my heart—to soar.

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What's .css-1msjh1x{font-style:italic;} speak about.

“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 fat lie, part of the nonsense of high school. She is friendless, outcast, because she busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops, so now nobody will talk to her, let alone listen to her. As time passes, she 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, refuses to be silent, and thereby achieves a measure of vindication. A timeless novel about consent and finding the courage to speak up for yourself, the twentieth anniversary edition of the classic novel that has spoken to so many young adults now includes a new introduction by acclaimed writer, host, speaker, and cultural commentator Ashley C. Ford as well as an afterword by New York Times-bestselling author of All American Boys and Long Way Down, Jason Reynolds. This edition will also feature an updated Q&A, resource list, and essay and poem from Laurie Halse Anderson.Praise for Speak “In a stunning first novel, Anderson uses keen observations and vivid imagery to pull readers into the head of an isolated teenager. . . . Will leave readers touched and inspired.”–Publishers Weekly, starred review”An uncannily funny book even as it plumbs the darkness, Speak will hold readers from first word to last.”–The Horn Book, starred reviewPraise for Speak: The Graphic Novel: “[Emily Carroll] should be recognized as one of the best graphic storytellers out there.”–Kate Beaton, author of Hark! A Vagrant”What a talent. What a voice.”–Mark Siegel, author of Sailor Twain, or The Mermaid in the Hudson”Carroll knows how to capture uncomfortable emotions–guilt, regret, possessiveness, envy–and transform them into hair-raising narratives.”–New York Times Book Review Accolades for Speak New York Times BestsellerPublishers Weekly BestsellerMichael L. Printz Honor BookNational Book Award FinalistEdgar Allan Poe Award FinalistLos Angeles Times Book Prize FinalistALA Top Ten Best Book for Young AdultsALA Quick PickPublishers Weekly Best Book of the YearBooklist Top Ten First NovelBCCB Blue Ribbon BookSchool Library Journal Best Book of the Year

What Kind of Book is Speak

Primarily about, book lists that include speak.

The Creative Behind the Book

Laurie Halse Anderson is a New York Times bestselling author known for tackling tough subjects with humor and sensitivity. Her work has earned numerous ALA and state awards. Two of her books, Chains and Speak, were National Book Award finalists. Chains also received the 2009 Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction, and Laurie was chosen for the 2009 Margaret A. Edwards Award. Mother of four and wife of one, Laurie lives in Pennsylvania, where she likes to watch the snow fall as she writes. You can follow her adventures on Twitter @HalseAnderson, or visit her at MadWomanintheForest.com.

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In a Memoir, Laurie Halse Anderson Gets Personal About Rape

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By Courtney Summers

• March 1, 2019

It’s been 20 years since the publication of Laurie Halse Anderson’s debut novel, “Speak,” about a high school freshman reckoning with the trauma of her rape. Anderson credits “Speak,” which became widely recognized as a Y.A. landmark, with helping her find her voice. Now, she wields the full force of it in SHOUT (Viking, 291 pp., $17.99; ages 13 and up) , a memoir told through a series of short poems. Anderson not only reflects on her own rape at the age of 13, she also examines an adolescence and adulthood marked by her veteran father’s PTSD and her mother’s powerlessness over the situation, resulting in her parents’ shared struggle with alcohol. (“I thought I was the only kid with a house on fire, but I wasn’t.”)

“Shout” effectively paints the complexities of coming of age in a household mired in inherited silence and shame. The consequences are viscerally punctuated by a three-part poem about Anderson’s rape, its immediate aftermath and its long-lasting emotional repercussions. (“I did not know / that the haunting / had just begun.”) When it becomes clear Anderson cannot cope with her trauma while under her parents’ roof, she spends 13 months in Denmark as a foreign exchange student. The experience provides a critical step forward in her recovery. Coming back to America and starting college at Georgetown offers another; it’s there that her shame, pain and rage slowly begin to crystallize.

After a fish-out-of-water college experience that included dealing with predatory professors, Anderson married, had children and became a reporter, while also working on fiction. As a reporter, she witnessed the brutal character assassination of a rape victim in court (which she recounts in a poem called “ if it please the court”) and then, one night, awoke to the sound of a girl crying. It was a book idea born of a nightmare (“the crying girl was lost in my head”). The crying girl was Melinda and the book, of course, was “Speak .”

“Shout” is Anderson’s reckoning; it follows a hurting cry to the universe that turns into a hard-won path to healing and ultimately unfolds into a powerful call to action. As Anderson captures the whirlwind success of “Speak,” she begins to unpack the intensity of the response she has faced, as both girls and boys approach her to tell about assaults they have survived. Poems like “collective” remind us that we all have a responsibility to keep the conversation about rape culture going. Given that Anderson is tracing several decades of her life, some of the cultural similarities between the first and second parts of “Shout” are unsettling — we’re not as far removed from the stigma around sexual violence as we believe. In one poem, “emergency, in three acts ,” Anderson is thwarted by a principal who sets off a fire alarm to cut her school talk short. In “librarian on the cusp of courage ” she encounters a librarian who can’t risk her job by ordering “Speak .”

The strengths of “Shout” lie in these foundational experiences that shaped Anderson’s career. The book falters when it strays from the title’s directive, particularly in portions of the first and third parts that meander slightly. Anderson excels when she narrows her focus, aiming her lens directly at the reader to speak about rape culture. Those who recognize their complicity in or perpetuation of it will, and should, feel uncomfortable. Those who are victims and survivors of it will be empowered by its anger and find comfort in its hope. Anderson encourages readers to fight for themselves without understating the difficulties of recovery, and even in her memoir’s darkest moments, she’s conscious of the saving graces that kept her head above the water. Among them, of course: the refuge of words (“the only thing that helped me breathe / was opening a book”).

With “Speak , ” Anderson opened the door for more novels exploring the deeply felt and deeply personal aftermath of sexual violence. “Shout” serves as both a testament to the life-altering, lifesaving impact of these types of stories — and as an urgent and brutal reminder of their ongoing necessity.

Courtney Summers is the author of Y.A. novels including “All the Rage,” “Cracked Up to Be” and, most recently, “Sadie.”

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