SHOUT by Laurie Halse Anderson is an unflinching and astoundingly effective novel that inspires many, particularly young teenagers as they are the ones experiencing such events incorporated in the story. The novel is about sexual assault. This story is very emotional as the author shares her interactions with survivors of sexual assault. A lot of the victims’ lives changed, and trust is now rare to find in anyone to them. This novel is a mix of vulnerability with determination, strength, courage, resilience and so much more. Although I have never been a victim of sexual assault, Laurie broke my heart, grew empathy in me and really allowed me to receive numerous passages to highlight and be inspired by. Such a powerful autobiographical read that gains understanding about such a significant and hugely impactful topic. This autobiography gives advice to parents to communicate to their children the experiences of assault and how they can help, consent, and general things to look out for. Especially in today’s society, I feel that this issue is something people need to educate themselves on, as it discusses rape, harassment, drug and alcohol abuse, mention of suicides and more. This is a very heavy read, but it is definitely important and worth taking the time to read. 5/5 stars
@Bookland of the Hamilton Public Library's Teen Review Board

Another powerful book by Laurie Halse Anderson. It is written in verse, similar to Ellen Hopkins. This memoir describes Anderson's teen and young adult years, and her rape at a young age which transformed her. After reading other comments, I am wishing I had listened to the audio, as it is read by the author.

This should be required reading for basically everyone. Essential reading to understand the toxicity of rape culture. A stunning recollection of her own experiences combined with a memoir of many of the interactions she has had with over a decade's worth of teens who confess their truths to her because of the power of her teen classic novel "Speak."

Very accessible poetry memoir that covers trauma, consent, and healing. I'd recommend the audio version because I think hearing the poems in the author's voice is powerful.

I absolutely adored this book! I did not want to put this book down! If I didn't have to eat, sleep, or work I would have finished this book in a day! Once I started reading this book, it was like the only thing I could think about, I just wanted to know what happened next. This book is an autobiography of Laurie Halse Anderson's life. We all most likely know her from her YA Fiction novels Speak, and Wintergirls. She has written a lot of YA books, I just think those are her two most known novels. In this autobiography Laurie Halse Anderson writes about her own experience with rape, so there is a major Trigger Warning for Sexual Assault and Rape in this novel. I really liked this book, because the novel starts off with Laurie being a child. In each poem Laurie grows older and older and we are taken through the most memorable moments of her life. She talks about the Domestic Violence between her mother and father. She talks about her parent's alcoholic tendencies and her own drug dependency, etc. This book was really heart breaking in many ways, and also very healing in so many other ways. This book is really inspiring. Laurie Halse Anderson could have easily wasted her life... because she was in so much pain, but as the book progresses you slowly watch her heal and mend and start to LIVE again. There were some really powerful poems in here about CONSENT that just blew me away! This book was just so inspiring, I hope more people read it. A quick and easy 5 star read for sure.

Laurie Halse Anderson has been a powerhouse in the realm of Young Adult Fiction, so it was interesting to learn a little bit more about her through this poetry memoir. I like the format in verse because I think it will make the book seem less daunting to reluctant readers. I was able to breeze through it in a couple hours, and despite it’s brevity, there is still a lot to unpack.

I think this is an important book because it reveals the gap in education regarding consent, and really just sex in general. Because sex is still such a taboo topic, society is failing to educate youth about their own bodies and the importance of respecting others.

One of the most tragic aspects of sexual abuse/assault is that the victims often do not fully understand what has happened/is happening to them. They push down their shame and internalize their trauma, which often manifests itself in destructive ways. Because of this, it is so important that we talk through these issues with our youth, and let them know that it is ok to speak out if someone is doing something that doesn’t feel right.

I personally think this should be required reading in middle schools, because it is important to start this conversation early. It is not graphic, but it absolutely gets it’s point across, which I think makes it appropriate for both middle school and high school students.

Laurie Halse Anderson invites readers not to speak but to shout in her new poetry memoir, a long awaited follow-up to her bestselling YA novel, "Speak," which centers around a survivor of sexual assault. In "Shout," Anderson shares memories from her young adulthood — when she herself was raped — and how she found the strength to keep going. Between autobiographical poems lie fierce rants about rape culture and censorship, as well as love letters and encouragement to survivors of sexual assault. Shout is a fist raised to the sky, arriving on the heels of #MeToo, and urging readers to never be silenced. A must-read.

This was a moving and very powerful read. I liked that this was written in verse; it felt like it enabled me to get to know the author better. Although I read this quickly, I would not say this is an easy read. I think that reading the story of survivors is vital to us as a society, in order to better understand how such crimes are committed, and perhaps more importantly, to empower and support survivors. I highly recommend this for teens and adults.

A brilliant piece and follow up to Laurie's 'Speak.' Such an important, powerful read.

Laurie Halse Anderson's memoir in verse was every bit as powerful as I expected, and she deftly weaves discussion of consent and sexual harassment throughout her narrative. Her reflections on what readers have told her since the publication of SPEAK show that the book is, unfortunately, still a timely read today.