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

Wished there was a tracklist

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

The book is great, I downloaded this audiobook for my class. My 8th graders are reading this book and I wanted them to also listen to it.

I just wish there was a tracklist to make it easier for me to know where the chapters start.

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

Being a teenager is not easy…

Oftentimes, we think back and say, how is it so hard to be a teenager? Well, that’s a good question. While reading this book I can now understand how being a teen can be hard. This was one of the banned books; again, came back on my radar because it landed on Velshi’s banned booklist this past Saturday. I had been meaning to read this but it got pushed so far down my TBR that it was forgotten. Anyway, now that we understand how I got here let me elaborate on why being a teen is hard.
As an adult, we make the choice to shelter our children from those things that could be potentially bad when in all actuality you are setting your kids up for failure. Talking to them about sex, abuse, assault and what could happen and how to report such instances can save a lot of heartache. Now I don’t wanna give the book away but I think there were lots of red flags that were missed with the parents in this book. It was as if the child was an afterthought. Even when certain signs appeared nothing was done.
I’m just gonna end this saying, “it’s okay to talk to your kids about adult things.” It’s gonna come up, I feel that it’s better for the conversation to start in your household rather than it show up by happenstance and they (girl or boy) not know or understand what’s taking place and what to do next. It’s very important and often a detriment to the livelihood and mental state of teens. Parents, don’t be too quick to ban books, make them a conversation…it’s something that can be taken advantage of and not silenced/hidden.

Realistic portrayal of teenage years

Excellent story. Gripping words. Listened to book in one day! Listen with your teenagers and discuss.

Me too, before there was me too.

A powerful novel that exposes the culture many go through when it comes to rape and it's aftermath. I'd highly recommend it. Loved how Melinda eventually spoke up about what happened, and fought back, exposing Andy for the beast he is.

A great story for teenage girls to read

What did you love best about Speak?

How it tapped into the reality of teenage life and reality of their emotions and how they cope.

What other book might you compare Speak to and why?

I haven't found one like it yet.

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

Melinda

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I didn't have an extreme reaction to it, I just was able to relate to the teenage emotions. It made me remember the hurt and pain that can come from teenage years and how it could seem so impossible at that time.