(Trigger Warning: rape)
Speak was one of the most formative books that I read at school. It relayed the horrifying crimes that rapists incur toward their victims — both mental and physical — and the resulting spells of trauma that survivors have to overcome in order to heal. Author Laurie Halse Anderson hadn’t publicized her own story when I read the book in freshman year, but she revealed a year later that she had also been raped when she was young, thus basing her own experiences for "Speak".
Published in 2019, Shout is Anderson’s “a memoir in poetry.” My spotty recollection of Speak’s plot outside of the central storyline and general inexperience in the realm of poetry became irrelevant as I read Shout; the latter was just as powerful as the first, and I was once again immersed into a dark world that women have to reconcile with. A world where one finds themselves slotting keys between their fingers in the night, or obeying absolute cardinal rules like never running alone then either.
But Shout was innumerably powerful in the way that Anderson chronicled her life, weaving together extensive imagery with clever wordplay, metaphors, and allegories so complex that I had to read a stanza multiple times in order to fully comprehend. I think that my youth and generation gap from Anderson’s own youth prevents me from fully understanding a lot of the references and allusions in the lines; I want to return to Shout a few years into the future and see how much more I can glean from the text.
One of my takeaways is that this book is a testament to how much society has progressed from the past, but there is a need for continuous surveillance and accountability. There will always be more unfair and cruel barriers to break down, and the strides made toward progress may be rescinded if nobody is on guard. There are so many other formidable messages imparted as well, and I truly believe that Shout is a worthy read for anybody.
Review Written by Haelee, 12th Grade