Shout
Author: Laurie Halse Anderson
Genre: Young Adult Poetry 
Publisher: Viking Books
Published: March 12, 2019
Pages: 296
My Rating: ★★★★
A searing poetic memoir and call to action from the bestselling and award-winning author of Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson! Bestselling author Laurie Halse Anderson is known for the unflinching way she writes about, and advocates for, survivors of sexual assault. Now, inspired by her fans and enraged by how little in our culture has changed since her groundbreaking novel Speak was first published twenty years ago, she has written a poetry memoir that is as vulnerable as it is rallying, as timely as it is timeless. In free verse, Anderson shares reflections, rants, and calls to action woven between deeply personal stories from her life that she's never written about before. Searing and soul-searching, this important memoir is a denouncement of our society's failures and a love letter to all the people with the courage to say #metoo and #timesup, whether aloud, online, or only in their own hearts. Shout speaks truth to power in a loud, clear voice-- and once you hear it, it is impossible to ignore.
A memoir written in poetry documenting the struggles young girls face with being sexually assaulted. 
I am always hesitant about poetry. It has never really been my thing. However, this memoir was absolutely beautiful in every way! I had high hopes with this book because I loved the book Speak. Luckily, this book did not disappoint. Anderson has a beautiful way of writing triggering and hard topics. As a female, her writing made me feel empowered and ready to conquer the world. Trauma does not define you. 

This is a rare gem where an author speaks her truth about being assaulted and how it affected her life. Anderson is one brave lady! I admire Anderson and her writing. I loved seeing what inspired her to write the book, Speak. This is an important book that I feel all should read at least once in their life. Everyone should be able to have a voice. Anderson's ability to speak up about triggers and experiences are mind-blowing. One inspirational read right here. I will be thinking about this book for generations to come. Schools need to be reading books like this one. Younger and younger children are being affected by abuse and we need to be talking about it. Not just ignoring the problem at hand. 

I will continue to read Laurie Halse Anderson's books because I absolutely adore her writing style. Now that I know her story, I like her even more. The more and more I read, I fell more in love with the book. The only reason why this is a four-star read for me instead of a five is that it took a little bit for me to get into but after I did MAN!!! That was one good book. Books regarding sexual assault can be very daunting for me to read but this was handled with such grace. Shout exceeded my expectations in many different ways. Shout creates hope and shows that you can heal from trauma. The written word is such a powerful thing and Anderson uses it to her best ability.
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Laurie Halse Anderson is the New York Times-bestselling author who writes for kids of all ages. Known for tackling tough subjects with humor and sensitivity, her work has earned numerous ALA and state awards. Two of her books, Speak and Chains, were National Book Award finalists. Mother of four and wife of one, Laurie lives outside Philadelphia. You can follow her adventures on Twitter, http://twitter.com/halseanderson Check out Laurie's website, http://madwomanintheforest.com/