Speak: The Graphic Novel

Author(s): Laurie Halse Anderson

Young Adult Graphic Novels

Resonant and fiercely authentic. This timely, critically acclaimed and award-winning modern classic is now a powerful graphic novel. 'I said no.' Melinda is an outcast at Merryweather High. Something happened over the summer - something bad - and now nobody will talk to her, let alone listen. So what's the point in speaking at all? Through her work on an art project, Melinda is finally able to face what really happened that night. But before she can make peace with the ghosts of the past, she has to confront the reality of the present - and stop someone who still wishes to do her harm. Only words can save her. She can't stay silent. Not any more. 'With the rise of women finding their voices and speaking out about sexual assault in the media, this should be on everyone's radar... Powerful, necessary, and essential.' Kirkus

Jem's Review:


Melinda is an outcast. She doesn’t have any real friends, her grades are slipping, her parents are constantly fighting. Nobody will talk to her after an incident over the summer, so what’s the point in speaking?

But she is being eaten up by the memory of what happened. Through her art class, Melinda starts to process what has happened to her, to find her voice, and to speak up to stop the person who took everything from her before he can hurt anyone else.

Based on Laurie Halse Anderson’s 1999 novel of the same name, this graphic novel edition of Speak is raw, sometimes hard to read, and deeply poignant. Between Anderson’s words, and Emily Carroll’s stunning sequential art, they have created a moving story of depression, growth, and healing. Emily Carroll’s art is beautiful, full of emotion and artfully captures the feelings of anxiety and fear that Melinda is experiencing. The story deals with the trauma of rape, and being socially ostracised because of a misunderstanding. Content warnings are needed as it doesn’t shy away from the harsh reality of assault and mental health, but this is a story, ultimately, of hope and healing and one that will resonate deeply with readers.

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Product Information

Laurie Halse Anderson is a New York Times-bestselling author, known for tackling tough subjects with humor and sensitivity. Her work has earned numerous awards and accolades.


Laurie was the proud recipient of the 2009 Margaret A. Edwards Award given by YALSA division of the American Library Association for her 'significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature'.


Mother of four and wife of one, Laurie lives in Northern New York, where she likes to watch the snow fall as she writes. She and her husband, Scot, plus dogs Kezzie and Thor, and assorted chickens and other critters enjoy country living and time in the woods. When not writing or hanging out with her family, you can find Laurie training for marathons or trying to coax tomatoes out of the rocky soil in her backyard. You can follow her adventures on Twitter, http://twitter.com/halseanderson, and on her blog, http://madwomanintheforest.com/blog/.


Emily Carroll is a Canadian comics author from Ontario. Carroll began her career making short webcomics, and gained recognition with the horror comic His Face All Red. Carroll is the author of Through the WoodsAnn by the Bed and Beneath the Dead Oak Tree. She has won several prestigious awards for her work, including the Eisner and Ignatz.

General Fields

  • : 9781444953732
  • : Hachette Children's Group
  • : Orion Children's Books (an Imprint of The Orion Publishing Group Ltd )
  • : 0.45
  • : August 2019
  • : ---length:- '23.4'width:- '15.3'units:- Centimeters
  • : books

Special Fields

  • : Laurie Halse Anderson
  • : Paperback
  • : 1908
  • : Emily Carroll
  • : English
  • : 741.5
  • : 384
  • : YFW