However, the book has faced censorship for its mature content. Since its publication, the novel has won several awards and has been translated into sixteen languages.

The novel was based on Anderson's personal experience of having been raped as a teenager and the trauma she faced. Additionally, Anderson employs intertextual symbolism in the narrative, incorporating fairy tale imagery, such as Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, and author Maya Angelou, to further represent Melinda's trauma. Melinda's story is written in a diary format, consisting of a nonlinear plot and jumpy narrative that mimics the trauma she experienced. Speak is considered a problem novel, or trauma novel. This expression slowly helps Melinda acknowledge what happened, face her problems, and recreate her identity. Unable to verbalize what happened, Melinda nearly stops speaking altogether, expressing her voice through the art she produces for Mr. Melinda is then ostracized by her peers because she will not say why she called the police. After Melinda is raped at an end of summer party, she calls the police, who break up the party. Nor can she provide individuals with one-on-one writing or publishing advice.Speak, published in 1999, is a young adult novel by Laurie Halse Anderson that tells the story of high school freshman Melinda Sordino. For similar reasons, she cannot read any submissions of ideas for sequels to her own books. Please note: because of legal and personal considerations, Laurie cannot read any unsolicited material for those seeking to be published or evaluated: no manuscripts, ideas for books, finished books, etc. Please visit the Author Village and fill out the request form! Please note: Laurie is currently unavailable for Skype visits through 2020. To request an appearance for a school or for children’s literature-focused events: Please contact Christie Hinrichs at or call (541) 797-2217.

To request an appearance at a university or corporate event, or at conferences that are not centered around children’s literature:

Please contact Kaitlin Kneafsey at kkneafsey at penguinrandomhouse dot com. – Penguin Random House ( SHOUT, The Impossible Knife of Memory, Wintergirls, Catalyst, Prom, Twisted) For interview requests or bookstore events regarding SHOUT: – Simon & Schuster (The Seeds of America trilogy and Fever, 1793) Laurie would love to hear from you! For COVID-19 related reading permission requests, please see the following guidelines from Laurie’s publishers:

Shout by laurie anderson