speak laurie halse anderson graphic novel

Carroll, well-known for her horror comics, does an excellent job of bringing the vignettes of Anderson’s novel to the graphic format. Not only is Melinda trying to forget her rape-a challenge when her rapist freely wanders the halls of their school-she’s flailing in her classes and an outcast among her peers, until an art class assignment and some slow-building friendships give her the courage to speak up. “Anderson’s searing debut novel, Speak (1999), about Melinda, a high school freshman dealing with the traumatic aftermath of rape, is filled with deep feeling, empowering triumph, and moments of startling horror. Admirers of Carroll’s Through the Woods will also appreciate this timeless tale.” –Kelley Gile, Cheshire Public Library, CT School Library Journal Starred Review VERDICT This gripping, powerful work will introduce Speak to a brand-new audience and enthrall longtime fans. The dialogue is pulled directly from the novel and enhances the progression of the story and of Melinda’s emotions. The characters are distinct and the action flows naturally it is amazing how closely this version evokes the style and feeling of the original. Carroll’s grayscale artwork perfectly depicts the starkness of Melinda’s depression through strong ink lines and striking panels that rely on pencil and charcoal textural effects for the backgrounds. This potent retelling of the modern classic Speak blends words and images to create magic: a new representation of a teen whose voice is ripped from her, the battles she must wage to find it again, and the triumph of finally being able to speak out.

One of the few people to reach her is her art teacher, who helps her express with art what she has so deeply and painfully buried. Rarely speaking, ditching classes, and ignoring school assignments, she spirals downward into apathy and depression. Unable to tell anyone what actually happened at the party, Melinda withdraws more and more into herself. She involved the police in an end-of-summer party, and now everyone shuns her. “Melinda is already a pariah on her first day as a freshman at Merryweather High.

Illustrator Emily Carroll Praise for Speak: The Graphic Novel

Speak laurie halse anderson graphic novel