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

Heartfelt and eye opening.

loved this! Great for anyone who ever felt muffled in an over stimulated aggressive society. We all have a voice. How we choose to use it is imperative.

Incredibly written and difficult story

I would suggest all young teens and pre-teens read this book with a group. It is incredibly well-written. I can picture the main character and all the events she describes. Sadly, the topic is one to which many children have been subjected.

The realistic nature of the book may be difficult for some people to read. They may have experienced similar episodes. However, if it can help victims to speak or potential suspects to recognize the wrongness of their actions, then this book will have made a difference.

A lot of people think like this.

Saw the movie of this my Freshman year, book is just as good. If you ever meet someone who has similar traits, be there for them. They need that more then anything.

Great Story

Any additional comments?

This was a great story and the narrator was excellent. My daughter and I listened to it together and it opened up some important conversations. A mother daughter must.

Powerful

No means no means no means no. Women are not furniture. Consent is perhaps the most important thing we can teach our children. This is an YA book with so much meaning and definitely should be on the required reading list for all young people. I read this in one day. #metoo

Beautiful and real

This story was so real and so pertinent to very serious issues that teenagers deal with, both rape and depression. The journey that both the teacher and Melinda take through the book SPEAK volumes about working through serious problems and can be applied to so many different struggles that, especially teens, are dealing with in today’s climate.

I would love to see this book get on the state reading list for schools. It is timeless. It is positive. It is truth.

HS Special Education teacher and rape survivor

Listen to the silence...

Powerful beyond my words. I don't want to speak. I want you to read! What is left unsaid and the reactions are so powerful. A voice is given and should be heard. When that voice has become silent, something is wrong... LISTEN TO THAT SILENCE!

💖One of the most powerful parts of the book is not from the story, nor is it from the author or in her interview. It is the afterward that brought my heart to a stop. If only every man, woman, & child could hear, breath, & live what this man's mother taught him about women! 💖

Recommended 👍
📚 📚📚📚📚

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.