Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson audiobook

Speak

By Laurie Halse Anderson
Read by Mandy Siegfried

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• 5.80 Hours • • 1
Format : Digital Download (In Stock)
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    ISBN: 9780739355961

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.

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Summary

Summary

A 2000 Michael L. Printz Award Honor Book

A 1999 National Book Award Finalist

A 1999 Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist for Young Adult Fiction

A 2000 Edgar Allan Poe Award Nominee for Best Young Adult Novel

A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year

A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year

A Booklist Top 10 First Novel

Winner of Printz Honors, 2000

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.

Editorial Reviews

Editorial Reviews

“In a stunning first novel, Anderson uses keen observations and vivid imagery to pull readers into the head of an isolated teenager…Yet Anderson infuses the narrative with a wit that sustains the heroine through her pain and holds readers’ empathy…But the book’s overall gritty realism and Melinda’s hard-won metamorphosis will leave readers touched and inspired.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“An uncannily funny book even as it plumbs the darkness, Speak will hold readers from first word to last.” —Horn Book (starred review)
“Anderson’s words often seem gleaned directly from a confused teenager’s soul.” —AudioFile
“Melinda’s pain is palpable, and readers will totally empathize with her. This is a compelling book, with sharp, crisp writing that draws readers in, engulfing them in the story.” —School Library Journal
“Melinda’s voice is distinct, unusual, and very real as she recounts her past and present experiences in bitterly ironic, occasionally even amusing vignettes…Melinda’s sarcastic wit, honesty, and courage make her a memorable character whose ultimate triumph will inspire and empower readers.” —Booklist
“A story told with acute insight, acid wit, and affecting prose.” —Library Journal
“A frightening and sobering look at the cruelty and viciousness that pervade much of contemporary high school life, as real as today’s headlines…The plot is gripping and the characters are powerfully drawn…A novel that will be hard for readers to forget.” —Kirkus Reviews

Reviews

Reviews

by Holly 9/13/2017
Overall Performance
Narration
Story

Touchingly real

I read this book when I was in college, after taking a class on young adult novels. While this book was written for young adults, I think older audiences can appreciate it as well. Melinda’s voice is so real that you can’t help but get sucked in, and narrator Mandy Siegfried portrays her perfectly: the sadness, the loneliness, the humor, the sarcastic wit…all of it. The pain and turmoil are deeply felt but not overdone. The writing is natural, easy, carrying you along on Melinda’s journey as she struggles with the truth of what happened at an end of the summer party prior to the story’s start.

I would highly recommend this book to all teens, and I believe even many adults would enjoy this story. Melinda is a memorable character, and her story will stay with you long after the book is through.

Author

Author Bio: Laurie Halse Anderson

Author Bio: Laurie Halse Anderson

Laurie Halse Anderson, New York Times bestselling author, writes for kids of all ages. Known for tackling tough subjects with humor and sensitivity, her work has earned numerous American Library Association and state awards. Two of her books, Speak and Chains, were National Book Award finalists. Chains also made the Carnegie Medal shortlist in the United Kingdom. She lives in northern New York, where she likes to watch the snow fall as she writes. She and her husband, Scot, plus their menagerie of critters, enjoy country living and time in the woods. When not writing or hanging out with her family, you can find her training for marathons or trying to coax tomatoes out of the rocky soil in her backyard.

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Details

Details

Available Formats : Digital Download
Category: Fiction
Runtime: 5.80
Audience: Young Adult (12–17)
Language: English

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