Starred review from November 5, 2018
In this powerful memoir told in free verse, Anderson delves into her past and that of her parents, sharing experiences at the root of novels such as Speak (her rape at the age of 13) and The Impossible Knife of Memory (her father’s PTSD after World War II). In language alternately raw and lyrical, she traces the years from her childhood to the start of her writing career, describing how the memory of her rape finally spurred her to write the truth and to become an activist against censorship and rape culture, which are both addressed in the book along with confusing social messages surrounding sexuality (“the rules they fed you/ were the wrong rules”). Exploring the impact of silence on truth (“I learned then that words/ had such power/ some must never be spoken”), she also portrays her parents’ marriage, her shifting relationships with them, and her closeness with her father after her mother’s death. In one especially contemplative poem entitled “how the story found me,” Anderson turns on its head the common refrain “follow your dreams,” recommending that readers “follow your nightmares instead/ cuz when you figure out what’s eating you alive/ you can slay it.” Her potent words and willingness to shout her message are proof of the soundness of that advice. Ages 12–up. Agent: Amy Berkower, Writers House.
Starred review from January 15, 2019
"This is the story of a girl who lost her voice and wrote herself a new one."The award-winning author, who is also a rape survivor, opens up in this powerful free-verse memoir, holding nothing back. Part 1 begins with her father's lifelong struggle as a World War II veteran, her childhood and rape at 13 by a boy she liked, the resulting downward spiral, her recovery during a year as an exchange student in Denmark, and the dream that gave her Melinda, Speak's (1999) protagonist. Part 2 takes readers through her journey as a published author and National Book Award finalist. She recalls some of the many stories she's heard during school visits from boys and girls who survived rape and sexual abuse and calls out censorship that has prevented some speaking engagements. In Part 3, she wraps up with poems about her family roots. The verse flows like powerful music, and Anderson's narrative voice is steady and direct: "We should teach our girls / that snapping is OK, / instead of waiting / for someone else to break them." The poems range in length from a pair of two-line stanzas to several pages. Readers new to Anderson will find this accessible. It's a strong example of how lived experience shapes art and an important book for the #MeToo movement.Necessary for every home, school, and public library. (resources) (Verse memoir. 13-adult)
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Starred review from March 1, 2019
Gr 8 Up-Novelist Anderson has terrified adults and earned nods of recognition from teenagers with her unflinching portrayals of sexual assault, eating disorders, and self-harm. With this searing memoir in verse, she revisits the trauma that sliced through her and her family: the father shattered by memories of serving in World War II, the mother worn down by picking up the pieces, and the rape that buried teenage Laurie in a deep depression and laid the roots for her novel Speak. Anderson's wordplay is sophisticated, disturbing imagery underscoring her pain-a girl without eyelids, a girl submerged in cement. She's as witheringly sarcastic as her protagonists, yet she possesses hard-won wisdom and a mixture of honesty and tenderness. It's as though Speak's Melinda made it through the fire, emerging as a warrior bent on combating rape culture. Though the rape devastated Anderson, she stresses that a lifetime of seemingly small injustices (entitled boys, flirtatious professors) also eroded her self-worth. Her rage on behalf of all those who have been wounded is palpable, yet she envisions a different world, where consent and respect are the norm. VERDICT More than a gifted writer, Anderson is an advocate for anyone who feels alienated. Her sensitive, incisive book is essential for all young people.-Mahnaz Dar, School Library Journal
Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Starred review from January 1, 2019
Grades 9-12 *Starred Review* Almost two decades after the publication of her Printz Honor Book and National Book Award finalist debut Speak (1999), Anderson offers up a memoir in verse that covers her difficult early childhood, her own rape at the age of 13, her trauma and slow recovery through her high-school days, and the experiences surrounding her publication of Speak. With a veteran father whose PTSD steered the family directionally, and a mother who didn't deal with things head-on, Anderson began life with "the inherited, / trauma-fed ability / to stay silent in every situation." In blunt and biting verse that builds consistently in strength and assurance, she relates her story and her growing awareness that "shame / turned / inside out / is rage." In the final section, Anderson's focused, first-person narrative becomes more of a chorus as she recounts the stories that readers, female and male, adults but especially teenagers, have shared with her about their own experiences with sexual assault and harassment. The classroom benefit of this book is undeniable?it's a primer on writing and on living, and both Speak and Anderson's effect on teens has never waned. But more than that, it is a captivating, powerful read about clawing your way out of trauma, reclaiming your body, and undoing lifetimes of lessons in order to use your voice as the weapon it is. Fervent and deafening. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Anderson's won just about every award there is, and this deeply personal account, a return to her roots, will have wide appeal.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)
July 1, 2019
Anderson's three-part autobiographical collection of dynamic, mostly free-verse poems serves as a potent postlude for Speak. The first third takes us from Anderson's difficult childhood to Speak's publication. Next is a series of impassioned poems about sexual assault, censorship, consent, etc. She concludes with a quiet set of reflective family poems. By turns angry, commanding, raw, and wistful, this is a praise song to survivors and a blistering rebuke to predators. Reading list.
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