Speak - Laurie Halse Anderson

Speak

By Laurie Halse Anderson

  • Release Date: 2011-05-10
  • Genre: Coming of Age Fiction for Young Adults
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 1,316 Ratings

Description

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

Reviews

  • Outstanding phenomenal Story

    5
    By Kit__268
    I didn’t know what to expect when beginning to read this novel for myself. I mainly started to read it for closure, having been assaulted myself around Melinda the main character’s age. And then again a couple months ago. It brought me joy to follow her through her journey, and gave me hope that I’ll be ok eventually. Even though things are bad right now it will get better.
  • forever my favorite ❤️

    5
    By angljeur
    will never get over this book , i love it so much . i first read it in middle school , my teacher was a huge bookworm and had a huge shelf that ran along one of the walls of the classroom and i had read almost every book in there to the point where she started bringing me books from her personal library at her home and recommending others to get at the local library (she convinced me to get a library card!) and this and “skinny” were one of them and i fell in love. its such a good read, makes me sad when i have to put the book down!! i’ve read it more than plenty of times and it never gets boring and never will and i will definitely read it 100 times more! i just recently found out a movie was made from this book and almost cried!! thank you for this book :)
  • Amazing

    5
    By 𝒦𝒶𝓎𝓁ℯ𝒾ℊ𝒽♥︎♥︎
    I love this book and I relate bc I had a boyfriend and I was raped in the back of his car and he was doing this for 3 years and I finally got away from him and I found this book.
  • It triggers me and heals me

    5
    By Fariy Farts <3
    I LOVEEE AND HATE THIS BOOK. I love this book because it makes me feel like i’m not alone and that i wasn’t the only one thinking this way when it happened to me. i hate it because the ending is too short and i feel like a little more could have been added to extend the ending, but besides that 10/10!!!
  • Most impactful book of my youth

    5
    By SaLynnMill
    This book saved me in so many ways.
  • love it

    5
    By neeeeeeeeeeeessssssssssssssss
    real and i could not put it down
  • Best book ever

    5
    By edmentum hater
    I love this and the way it was written so much I literally don’t see anything wrong with it probably my most favorite book ever
  • very touching

    5
    By Cara Snyderr
    I hope someday someone will see this. I was in 7th grade being raped everyday by my boyfriend for 4 months. it was the hardest thing to deal with. my teachers and police knew and everything. one day my teacher came up to me and handed me this book and for that he will always be my favorite teacher of all time. i thank him so very much for giving me this amazing book that is so touching and very relatable. Thank you Mr. Kane.
  • Not that great

    1
    By lmfoo
    Meh
  • Loved it!

    5
    By Gabriella7654
    This book was amazing and touching to the heart.