Speak gets an update and it’s perfect for introducing this iconic book to a new generation of readers.

Speak (1999; 197 pages) by Laurie Halse Anderson was published almost 20 years ago: a dark, intense story about a high school freshman with a dangerous secret she feels she can’t tell anyone. It was a National Book Award finalist and won a Printz Honor from the American Library Association. This month, the book was adapted into a graphic novel with art by Emily Carroll and I’m here to tell you that it is phenomenal.

Speak: The Graphic Novel (2018; 371 pages) tells the story of Melinda, a high school freshman ostracized by her peers because she called the police at a party over the summer and everyone got busted. Now her best friend is not talking to her, she has no one to sit with at lunch, and no one has even paused to ask if there might have been a reason for her call. Oh, there was a reason. A reason that Melinda can’t tell anyone. So she stops speaking.

The art from Emily Carroll is a perfect match for the dark, brooding tone of this book. The story’s been updated a bit, including cell phones and internet which weren’t as prevalent when this book was originally published in the ’90s, but not so much that it feels altered. I think this adaptation is the perfect way to refresh the story for a new generation of readers. Since art is how Mel begins to reach out and communicate, it’s very fitting to include art to tell this story.

Check out this book if you like:

— Abby Johnson, Collection Development Leader