Tough Stuff: Laurie Halse Anderson

Back when I was in middle school I remember hearing about a book that was being passed around about a very taboo subject. When you are in middle school taboo can mean just about anything but in this case, it was about something heartbreaking and true.

Speak

Due to traumatic events that are not revealed until later, Melinda Sordino doesn't really talk. She is now in high school and things are not looking up. In fact she hates it. It seems that nothing and no one REALLY cares about anything. Though she doesn't really talk to others she does a LOT of internal monologuing.

As you read it and hear "Melinda"'s voice ring out in all of her clever observations you find yourself wishing she had written for your school newspaper.

Melinda does enjoy one class in high school. Art. She is a tremendous artist and this year she has been assigned... trees. She will not only paint them, but sculpt them, collage them, and anything more it takes to become fully entrenched in the beauty of a tree. As you can imagine Melinda is initially not very happy about this... but things change. She comes to realize more about herself as her art progresses and the strength it takes to be brave and most importantly "Speak" about what has caused her to become silent.

This book his funny and heartbreaking and BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN! Laurie Halse Anderson has a fantastic YA voice in her writing!

Wintergirls

Lia's estranged best friend Cassie is dead. Though she doesn't know the specifics she knows that the girl she hadn't spoken to in months called her 33 times the night she died alone in a hotel room.

Their estrangement came after Lia and Cassie began a deadly contest... "I swear to be the skinniest girl in school" one would say, "Skinnier than you" said the other. This pact will change them both forever and its a book you cannot put down.

Since writing Speak, Anderson has done other work, however, it wasn't until I heard about Wintergirls was I excited to read any of her other work. As I said before Anderson has a heart for young people and the voice of a young person. She writes this book in diary format and when you see a young girl dialoguing every calorie (even just in her mind/journal) it reminds you of the dangers you only have seen before on Lifetime.

Laurie Halse Anderson is ENTIRELY worth reading and her books address issues that make you think and introduce conversations that are tough but necessary.

That's all for now!

Signing off,

Reader Girl