So often, these experiences are swept under the rug or considered less important due to the perceived power dynamics between men and women and society’s ingrained gender stereotypes.

My final comment on this book was that I really loved the fact that Anderson included the stories of male victims of sexual assault in her writing. Despite some of the bad things a family can do, it’s so hard to not love them because they are your family. I really liked this lesson that Anderson included. Her parents willingly ignored her assault and refused to talk about periods with her, and despite this rampant negligence, there was still some degree of unconditional love.

Her relationships with her parents were so complicated because of the choices her parents made, and I felt like I could really relate to that. I also really loved the way she explained the complications of family. She really managed to take something excruciating horrific and turn it into her power with her beautiful words. This was really where I felt major poetry vibes coming through. There were so many metaphors for her survival, her rapist, her trauma, and just her assault in general. In addition to this, I loved all of the beautiful language and metaphors that Anderson sprinkled throughout the story. I also feel like this book would be a tough sell to a younger, weaker reader. It was great for developing my own reading skills, but bad for my enjoyment and full comprehension if I didn’t feel like analyzing in the moment. It did force me to think more critically, though… which is kind of good. I truly don’t get free verse and how it can be considered poetry… but whatever. This allowed the reading of her intensely personal memoir to feel comfortable, not like I was invading on something that wasn’t meant for me, but like I was being invited in.Īs expected going into this novel, I really struggled with the free verse style of writing. It felt like I was having a conversation with an old friend about their life. I really connected with Laurie throughout the entire novel. In this memoir, Laurie opens up the story of her life and shares several life-changing experiences, including her rape, her mentally ill family members, and her experiences surrounding the publication of the world-famous novel, Speak. However, what most people don’t know is that that book was, largely, based on her own personal experiences.

Summary: Chances are, if you’ve heard of Laurie Halse Anderson, it’s because of the book Speak.

Shout by laurie anderson