Speak

20th Anniversary Edition

By: Laurie Halse Anderson

Narrated by: Mandy Siegfried, Ashley C. Ford, Jason Reynolds, Laurie Halse Anderson

Length: 5 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

From her first moment at Merryweather High, Melinda Sordino knows she's an outcast. She busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops - a major infraction in high-school society - so her old friends won't talk to her, and people she doesn't know glare at her. She retreats into her head, where the lies and hypocrisies of high school stand in stark relief to her own silence, making her all the more mute.

But it's not so comfortable in her head, either - there's something banging around in there that she doesn't want to think about. Try as she might to avoid it, it won't go away, until there is a painful confrontation. Once that happens, she can't be silent - she must speak the truth.

In this powerful audiobook, an utterly believable, bitterly ironic heroine speaks for many a disenfranchised teenager while learning that, although it's hard to speak up for yourself, keeping your mouth shut is worse.

©1999 Laurie Halse Anderson (P)2000 Random House, Inc. Listening Library, an imprint of the Random House Audio Publishing Group

Great for the Classroom

Would you try another book from Laurie Halse Anderson and/or Mandy Siegfried?

Students are currently reading 2 Laurie Halse Anderson books in ELA. Mandy Siegrried does a great job, but I do find her pacing slower than the story and listen to it at 1.25x instead of the recorded slower pace.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Mr. Freeman is a strong character, being there for Melinda as she opens up. He gives her opportunities to express herself.

What does Mandy Siegfried bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Mandy Siegfried has a squeaky voice which fits great for many of the characters. She also has pretty good range for the interior monologue.

Could you see Speak being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Speak has already been made into a feature length film. Abigail Breslin would play a good Matilda, Alison Gold should play Heather; . Asa Butterfield as David; Bella Thorne as any of the Marthas'; Birdy as Nicole; Ariel Winter as Ivy; Martin Garrix as IT (Andy Evens)

speak

love this book!!!! it is very easy to understand and talk about descriptive! love the authors choice of words

Speak - Anderson

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I would recommend this story to a friend because I think the message is important.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

I felt gratified.

Which character – as performed by Mandy Siegfried – was your favorite?

Mr. Freeman

Do you think Speak needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No, this is not a book that I would want to hear more of.

Good story

I really liked the store I know what's it feels like to go thru what she did not in the same way but in my own story. I just feel like the book was missing something like it just left me with question mark. But over all great book and the
reader did a good job

good book

it was good not my normal style but good, I would have liked a different book better

Recommend with Slight Reservations

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Yes. The stereotypes are yawn-producing. Cheerleaders=pretty & shallow; Jocks=stupid and etc. I'd like to see authors have the depth and creativity to defy stereotypes. After hearing the tired cliches, it takes me a minute to return to the story.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

The difficult subject matter contained just enough detail without being too graphic or gratuitous. Effective use of metaphors with garden and tree project. It's a good story to read w/your teenage daughter and have discussions about the scary topics of rape and depression.

Have you listened to any of Mandy Siegfried’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, have not.

Was Speak worth the listening time?

Yes. It was a solid read for a YA novel. I would recommend with only slight reservations. I enjoyed the narrator's performance.

✫✫ 4 Stars ✫✫

This was my second time listening to this book but it was so long ago that I only remembered that it pulled me in and spit me out in one day. This time wasn't much different. I enjoyed the writing style and how most of the book takes place in Melinda's head. You knew from the beginning that she had issues but not what the issues were. Being in the mind of a troubled 9th grader is a tough pill to swallow but in the end she made me proud. This book touches on serious issues that teenagers deal with everyday including bullying, sexual assault and feeling completely alone so if you have triggers this might not be the book for you.

The narration was perfect in my opinion, very well cast.

Difficult Topic-Good Story

This book made me think deeply about difficult situations teenagers face. It dealt with serious subjects. Some of the language is adult, yet it may open some dialogue between parents and teenagers about difficulties some face.

Wonderful story of pain and healing

I would recommend this story to teens and adults. It is excellent, vivid and real.

Powerful Book

i really loved this book. I became interested in reading this after i saw the move. I started and couldn't stop reading it. i read it so many times tjat i lost count. i would recommend this book to anyone