Speak: 10th Anniversary Edition [Paperback]

Laurie Halse Anderson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 19, 2009

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 marks ten years in print with this special anniversary edition. Bonus material created for this edition includes a new introduction and afterword from the author, resources, and discussion guide. Will also include a preview of Anderson's newest book, Wintergirls. The quintessential edition for all fans of this powerfully moving book.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Laurie Halse Anderson lives in upstate New York.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Speak; 10 Anv edition (March 19, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0142414735
• ISBN-13: 978-0142414736
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (82 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,855 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Laurie Halse (rhymes with "waltz") Anderson pretended she was a polar bear when she walked to school through the snow of Syracuse, New York. As a little girl, she would pound away at her father's old typewriter for hours, writing newspaper columns, stories, and letters. She loved watching her father write poetry and reading the funnies on the floor of his office. Laurie fell in love with words when her second-grade teacher taught her how to write haiku. Her favorite book is the dictionary, which is a good thing because she is a terrible speller. She tried to read every book in her school library, a heavenly place. She loves librarians! One of her favorite books was Heidi. This led to curiosity about foreign cultures. As a senior in high school, she was an American Field Service exchange student to Denmark, where she lived on a pig farm. She skipped both her prom and graduation ceremonies and had a great time there. She can still speak Danish.

Laurie Halse Anderson never intended to be an author. At Georgetown University, she majored in foreign languages and linguistics. She hit the real world with no idea of what kind of work she wanted to do. She tried everything, including cleaning banks, milking cows and working as a stockbroker. She hated all of it. Working as a reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer was a slight improvement, but she eventually quit to write books. After eight long, rejection-filled years, she has finally qualified as an overnight success.

Laurie's books for children and teenagers have attracted a lot of attention. Her first novel, Speak, was a National Book Award Finalist, a Michael L. Printz Honor book, a New York Times bestseller, and an American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults. Publisher's Weekly, called Speak "a stunning first novel," in which Ms. Anderson "uses keen observations and vivid imagery to pull readers into the head of an isolated teenager." Speak has been translated into sixteen foreign languages, including Chinese and Catalan. In 2005, the movie version was released. In addition to novels, Laurie writes chapter books for elementary age children and picture books for the pre-school set. She received the Margaret A. Edwards Award, given by the American Library Association for significant and lasting achievement in young adult literature, in 2009.

Laurie lives in Northern New York with her husband, Scot, and their dog, Kezzie. Scot designed and built a writing cottage for Laurie, where she writes daily. Along with writing, she enjoys gardening, running and hanging with her family.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Review from the unexpected..., July 30, 2009

By 

Sule M. Holder "Herodotus" (Cleveland, OH) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Speak: 10th Anniversary Edition (Paperback)

As a black male in my late 20's, I didnt think I would get as interested as I did in the novel. I'm a Librarian and I always see the book being checked-out or returend to the branch so I picked it up...WHOA!!!

From the beginning I was intrigued by the main character, Melinda. She has a voice that is forgotten in the literary world. It remineded me of "Catcher in the Rye". The settings and chracters take you back to a time when High School was all that mattered.

I recommend the novel strongly. It's a quick/easy read and by the end of the novel, your cheering for Melinda.

PS. I gave the book for my wife to read and she got the "secret" right away...is this a woman's intuition???

23 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Book Review: Speak, August 27, 2009

By 

A Novel Menagerie (Huntington Beach) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Speak: 10th Anniversary Edition (Paperback)

The Story

Speak is an absorbing story of a 9th Grade girl, Melinda. She has entered high school and very rarely speaks to anyone... not her peers, teachers, and least of all her parents. Something deep inside Melinda is haunting her and keeping her voice trapped within. Transforming from a normal, happy middle-school girl to a lone, outsider with very little friends and failing grades, her teachers and family do not know what to do to help her. This is because she won't tell them what has caused her to climb within her walls and hide there.

The Review

Some of my book club gals were discussing this book in June. I keep hearing that this is a book that I should read because I of my middle-school aged daughters. I also understood that, although this was written 10 years ago, there has been a recent resurgence of the book and renewed popularity. As I only heard great things, I purchased it.

Written in the first-person viewpoint, the reader sees and hears the story through the eyes and ears of a deeply troubled young lady. Although the reader is in her mind, she won't even speak the truth of what happened to her in there. Therefore, not only does it take the other characters of the story considerable time to understand what's happened to Melinda, but the reader as well. As to avoid spoiling the book for new readers, I will share that the subject matter is heavy. However, it is a topic of discussion that parents should undertake with their teenage daughters, especially upon entering high school.

I felt particularly sad for Melinda because she felt that she could not turn to her parents to deal with her issues. She falls into such a great depression and isolation that I feared the worst for her while reading this story. Laurie Halse Anderson does a commendable job in writing in the voices of the youth. The story that she creates is realistic and relatable right from the beginning of the book.

Unfortunately, to keep the spoiler apart from this review, the only other points that I can expand upon are my observations of the cruelty of children/teens to one another. How they have the power to so deeply injure a fragile and developing psyche is a marvel to me. I mean, I do recall feeling angst and strong emotions when I was in high school... but, it's a much different story reading it as a mother.

The Rating

I'm on the fence about sharing this book with the twins for maybe another year or so. I think they are just still a tad-to-young for it. However, I will be sharing this book with them in the future. This book is also one that I will most likely mention to other moms of tweens that I know.

One thing that I wasn't aware of is that there is a movie version of this book. I'm interested in renting it. I think it's the same actress as the one in Twilight. I wonder if the movie is anywhere near as good as the book?

My rating, genre:Fiction-Young Adult, is a 9 out of 10!

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Speak Up, September 4, 2010

By 

Galleysmith "Michelle" (Metro DC) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Speak: 10th Anniversary Edition (Paperback)

It's so difficult to do a review justice where most everything alludes to or gives away an essential part of the story that each reader should experience for themselves. All I can say is that this book is a *must* read.

Anderson has crafted such a difficult journey for Melinda, actually such difficult journeys, that it's almost impossible to be unfeeling towards her. Despite the fact that the reader isn't fully aware of all of the circumstances behind Melinda's sudden outcast status, we are able to draw the conclusion that whatever it was that happened was something extremely traumatic. It would have to be to remove her will to communicate.

Virtually friendless, doing poorly in school and at a point where her relationship with her parents begins to progress to all out failure Melinda embraces one part of her life -- art. It is through the power of artistic immersion and expression that she begins to come to terms with the events of her life. Slowly but surely we are brought to the ultimate place of recognition where the answers are shown to the major questions in this story.

Anderson has written an extremely thoughtful story portraying a great deal of emotion. Anxiety, depression, and fear all claw at Melinda at various times throughout. However, through it all she shows a quiet perseverance. He inner monolog is both insightful and entertaining -- Melinda has a quick wit and sarcastic humor. Her inner thoughts are, at times, just the break we need from the heavier more depressing issues she's facing.

Despite being unable to reveal any real insight into major points of the story one thing I can give you is encouragement. I think Speak is a fabulous read that lovers of fiction (despite genre preference) should grab hold of. There is great beauty in Melinda's strength and a great many lessons to be learned for us all.