• Age: 12 to 18
• Grade: 7 to 12

The bestselling, award-winning modern classic Speak is now a stunning graphic novel—adapted by Laurie Halse Anderson herself and brought to life visually by Eisner Award winner E.M. Carroll.
"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 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. Now nobody will talk to her, let alone listen to her. As time passes, Melinda becomes increasingly isolated and practically stops talking altogether. Only her art class offers any solace, and it is through her work on an art project that she is finally able to face what really happened at that terrible party: she was raped by an upperclassman, a guy who still attends Merryweather and is still a threat to her. Her healing process has just begun when she has another violent encounter with him. But this time Melinda fights back—and refuses to be silent.
The groundbreaking National Book Award Finalist and Michael L. Printz Honor Book about consent, healing, and finding your voice comes alive for new audiences and fans of the original novel in Speak: The Graphic Novel.

Laurie Halse Anderson's profile page

Emily Carroll was born in London, Ontario, in June of 1983. In addition to the many short online comics found at her website, her work has been featured in numerous print anthologies. She currently lives with her wife Kate and their large orange cat in Stratford, Ontario.

Emily Carroll's profile page

• Nominated, Eisner Award Nominee
• Nominated, Edgar Allan Poe Award Nominee

A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
A Booklist Youth Editors' Choice
A YALSA Great Graphic Novel Reading List Selection
A YALSA Teens' Top Ten List Selection
An Amelia Bloomer Best Feminist Book for Young Readers
An Amelia Bloomer Top Ten Book
A Quill & Quire Best Kids' Book of the Year
A Little Maverick Graphic Novel Reading List Selection
The EBSCO See-It Award Winner
An ILA Young Adult Reading List Selection
A Kids' Comics Award Nominee
Eliot Rosewater Indiana High School Book Award Winner
★ "Carroll, well-known for [their] horror comics, does an excellent job of bringing the vignettes of Anderson’s novel to the graphic format. With spellbinding artwork, this exceptional adaptation masterfully does justice to its source material while adding new depth and nuance." —Booklist, starred review
★ "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. 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. The characters are distinct and the action flows naturally; it is amazing how closely this version evokes the style and feeling of the original." —School Library Journal, starred review
★ "Anderson’s timeless and important tale of high -school sexual assault and its aftermath undergoes a masterful graphic novel transformation. Carroll’s stark black-and-white illustrations are exquisitely rendered, capturing the mood through a perfectly calibrated lens. With the rise of women finding their voices and speaking out about sexual assault in the media, this reworking of the enduring 1999 classic should be on everyone’s radar . . . Powerful, necessary, and essential." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
★ "In this new graphic novel adaptation of Anderson’s Speak (rev. 9/99)—a powerful narrative of a freshman’s year of self-preservation after a brutal sexual assault—artist Carroll starkly renders protagonist Melinda’s pain and healing in black and white, expertly deploying visual perspective and tension to sharpen the emotional impact . . . Art becomes a means of expression for her, making the graphic novel format especially resonant with the original theme . . . will give even longtime devotees a new way to experience Melinda’s story." —The Horn Book, starred review
★ "Strong lines, overlapping panels and clever use of blank space show Carroll's skill in creating Melinda's stifling, near-silent world. Speak: The Graphic Novel is hypnotizing and heart-breaking, with the kind of empowering finish that unshackles protagonist and readers alike." —Shelf Awareness, starred review
“Carroll knows how to capture uncomfortable emotions—guilt, regret, possessiveness, envy—and transform them into hair-raising narratives.” —New York Times Book Review
“[E.M. Carroll] should be recognized as one of the best graphic storytellers out there.” —Kate Beaton, author of Hark! A Vagrant
“What a talent. What a voice.” —Mark Siegel, author of Sailor Twain, or The Mermaid in the Hudson
Praise for the novel Speak:
A New York Times Bestseller
A National Book Award Finalist For Young People’s Literature
A Michael L. Printz Honor Book
A Publisher Weekly Bestseller
An Edgar Allan Poe Award Finalist
A Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist
BCCB Blue Ribbon Award Winner
A TIME Magazine Best YA Book Of All Time
A Cosmopolitan Magazine Best Ya Books Everyone Should Read, Regardless Of Age
An ALA Top Ten Best Book For Young Adults
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
California Young Reader Medal
Golden Kite Award Winner
A Booklist Editors' Choice for Youth
ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adults
PA Carolyn W. Field Award Winner
Kentucky Bluegrass Award
★ “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.” —The Horn Book, Starred Review
“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, Pointer Review
“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
“A story told with acute insight, acid wit, and affecting prose.” —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