Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson Speaks in a Writing Style All Her Own

Oftentimes I ignore the cliche “never judge a book by it’s cover” and pass by any novel that has a dull, dreary looking cover. Once passing this first judgement, I then flip through and judge the book by the voice the author assumes, how interesting I find their writing style. After being drawn in by the Printz Honor Book emblem and the haunting eyes central to the cover of Laurie Halse Anderson‘s novel, Speak, I was sold by the interesting use of tone and voice the author created; which vividly portrayed a young. emotionally damaged girl. Beyond that, not only had the book been a Printz Honor Book in 2000, but it had also been a 1999 National Book Award Finalist and and Edgar Allan Poe Award Finalist. I had to read it (and well, the $1.49 it cost at Value Village definitely contributed).

The novel carries the reader’s curiosity throughout by keeping “the truth” about what happened to the narrator, Melinda Sordino, at a party concealed until close to the end of the novel. All the audience sees is a 13 year old misfit, friendless and haunted, all the effect but not the cause. The audience reads on, what made her this way, especially at such a young age?

Although the subject material and plot is fairly depressing Anderson injects humorous references about society and high-school life throughout her novel, which is sure to bring a smile to one’s face. However, at some points the over-dramatization of high-school life bordered on menacing, again I found that the savagery of peers, teachers, and the overall unpleasantness of high-school was over-amplified, making the experience unrelatable.

This book was not a challenging read, I finished it in one day. The vocabulary is such that any young adult could easily understand it.

Overall I’d recommend this book, the writing style is unique and precise, while the story is interesting yet predictable, definitely a worthy one time read, but not a shelf favourite.