speak: the graphic novel

From Amazon:

The critically acclaimed, award-winning, modern classic Speak is now a stunning graphic novel.

“Speak up for yourself―we want to know what you have to say.” From the first moment of her freshman year at Merryweather High, Melinda knows this is a big fat lie, part of the nonsense of high school. She is friendless―an outcast―because she busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops, so now nobody will talk to her, let alone listen to her. Through her work on an art project, she is finally able to face what really happened that night: She was raped by an upperclassman, a guy who still attends Merryweather and is still a threat to her. With powerful illustrations by Emily Carroll, Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak: The Graphic Novel comes alive for new audiences and fans of the classic novel.

Baer’s Commentary:

Laurie Halse Anderson and Emily Carroll give readers a new perspective on the life of Melinda in their new graphic novel version of Anderson’s award-winning novel Speak. As someone who has very strong visualization skills, I was curious to see how the vision of the authors would hold up against my own imaginings. I was also rather apprehensive, as the original text is one of my favorite books. I am pleased to say that I was pleasantly surprised at how well the novel translates into a graphic form. The use of stark black and white imagery lends itself well to representing the unbending views Melinda’s fellow students have of her after she calls the police during the end-of-summer party. The severity of the illustrations coupled with the ability to see the stress and terror Melinda experiences throughout the novel help build the tension, giving even more insight into her motivations. I am very excited to be able to offer this version of the novel in my classroom, especially to my developing readers, as I think the message is extremely important for all students in the upper grades. I highly recommend this book to fans of the original Speak, as well as those experiencing Melinda’s story for the first time.