Speak - by Laurie Halse Anderson

About the Book

Book Synopsis

The critically acclaimed, award-winning, modern classic Speak is now a stunning graphic novel.

"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--an 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. Through her work on an art project, she is finally able to face what really happened that night: She was raped by an upperclassman, a guy who still attends Merryweather and is still a threat to her. With powerful illustrations by Emily Carroll, Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak: The Graphic Novel comes alive for new audiences and fans of the classic novel.

This title has Common Core connections.

Review Quotes

Praise for SPEAK: THE GRAPHIC NOVEL:

*A School Library Journal Best Book of 2018*
*2018 Booklist Youth Editors' Choice*
*A YALSA Great Graphic Novel Reading List Selection*
*A YALSA Teens' Top Ten List Selection*
*A 2019 Amelia Bloomer Best Feminist Book for Young Readers*
*A 2019 Amelia Bloomer Top Ten Book*
*A Quill & Quire Best Kids' Book of 2018*
*A 2019 Little Maverick Graphic Novel Reading List Selection*
*The EBSCO See-It Award Winner!*
*An ILA Young Adult Reading List Selection*
*A Kids' Comics Award Nominee*
*Eliot Rosewater Indiana High School Book Award Winner*

"Carroll, well-known for her horror comics, does an excellent job of bringing the vignettes of Anderson's novel to the graphic format. With spellbinding artwork, this exceptional adaptation masterfully does justice to its source material while adding new depth and nuance." --Booklist starred review

"This potent retelling of the modern classic Speak blends words and images to create magic: a new representation of a teen whose voice is ripped from her, the battles she must wage to find it again, and the triumph of finally being able to speak out. Carroll's grayscale artwork perfectly depicts the starkness of Melinda's depression through strong ink lines and striking panels that rely on pencil and charcoal textural effects for the backgrounds. The characters are distinct and the action flows naturally; it is amazing how closely this version evokes the style and feeling of the original." --School Library Journal starred review

"Anderson's timeless and important tale of high -school sexual assault and its aftermath undergoes a masterful graphic novel transformation.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...Powerful, necessary, and essential."--Kirkus starred review

"In this new graphic novel adaptation of Anderson's Speak (rev. 9/99)--a powerful narrative of a freshman's year of self-preservation after a brutal sexual assault--artist Carroll starkly renders protagonist Melinda's pain and healing in black and white, expertly deploying visual perspective and tension to sharpen the emotional impact...Art becomes a means of expression for her, making the graphic novel format especially resonant with the original theme... will give even longtime devotees a new way to experience Melinda's story. --Horn Book starred review

"Strong lines, overlapping panels and clever use of blank space show Carroll's skill in creating Melinda's stifling, near-silent world. Speak: The Graphic Novel is hypnotizing and heart-breaking, with the kind of empowering finish that unshackles protagonist and readers alike." --Shelf Awareness starred review

Praise for the novel SPEAK:

In a stunning first novel, Anderson uses keen observations and vivid imagery to pull readers into the head of an isolated teenager. . . . 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

The plot is gripping and the characters are powerfully drawn . . . a novel that will be hard for readers to forget. --Kirkus Reviews, Pointer Review

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 sarcastic wit, honesty, and courage make her a memorable character whose ultimate triumph will inspire and empower readers. --Booklist

-New York Times Bestseller
-Publishers Weekly Bestseller
-Michal L. Printz Honor Book
-National Book Award Finalist
-Edgar Allan Poe Award Finalist
-Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist
-ALA Top Ten Best Book for Young Adults
-ALA Quick Pick
-Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
-Booklist Top Ten First Novel
-BCCB Blue Ribbon Book
-School Library Journal Best Book of the Year

About The Author

Laurie Halse Anderson is the New York Times-bestselling author who writes for all ages. Known for tackling tough subjects with humor and sensitivity, her work has sold nearly five million copies. Two of her books, Speak and Chains, were National Book Award finalists. Chains also made the Carnegie Medal shortlist in the United Kingdom. Her YA novel, The Impossible Knife of Memory, was longlisted for the National Book Award.

Laurie was the proud recipient of the 2015 Intellectual Freedom Award given by the National Council of Teachers of English, and the 2011 Free Speech Defender Award given by the National Coalition Against Censorship and presented to her by her hero, Judy Blume. She has also received the 2009 Margaret A. Edwards Award given by YALSA division of the American Library Association, the ALAN Award given by the National Council of Teachers of English, the St. Katharine Drexel Award from the Catholic Librarian Association, and the Outstanding Alumni Award, given by the American Association of Community Colleges. She was also nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award in 2017, which is one of her proudest accomplishments because it is presented to children's book creators from around the world in honor of the work and life of Sweden's magnificent Astrid Lindgren.

Emily Carroll, an Eisner Award winning illustrator and author of Through the Woods, is also the creator of many popular Web comics. She lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.