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lesread 's review for:
Speak: The Graphic Novel
by Laurie Halse Anderson
This story has created a deeply emotional response in me, but the graphic novel falls a bit short. Anderson has a powerful voice, one that I still felt almost as deeply as I did reading the book the first time.
I just recommend reading the original, and using this as a chance to relive the story.
Here are my issues:
As someone who enjoys this medium to express emotions, thoughts, and concepts visually- Speak fell a bit short in this rendition. There were some pages where I saw it, the images clicked into places and the glass shards pierced my heart, and then it would turn into a discombobulated spread on the very next page.
The concept of a graphic novel is even if each different page or panel has a different story or message, they still have to all flow. You have to understand how the eye takes in everything at once, and then homes into focus.
There’s a connection, and if there isn’t one, it should be because the artist is using a serious change in style/rhythm to signify something that’s happening.
In Speak: The Graphic Novel, sometimes it was there and sometimes it wasn’t. It lacked visuals that should’ve spoken for Melinda’s silence, too many panels were explanational blurbs. I think this is probably because the original novel has created such an impact, it was hard for the author to give up the story’s words.
I appreciated a chance to revisit the story, it still hits hard and I think should be read by a wider, even younger, audience. But read the original book first!
I just recommend reading the original, and using this as a chance to relive the story.
Here are my issues:
As someone who enjoys this medium to express emotions, thoughts, and concepts visually- Speak fell a bit short in this rendition. There were some pages where I saw it, the images clicked into places and the glass shards pierced my heart, and then it would turn into a discombobulated spread on the very next page.
The concept of a graphic novel is even if each different page or panel has a different story or message, they still have to all flow. You have to understand how the eye takes in everything at once, and then homes into focus.
There’s a connection, and if there isn’t one, it should be because the artist is using a serious change in style/rhythm to signify something that’s happening.
In Speak: The Graphic Novel, sometimes it was there and sometimes it wasn’t. It lacked visuals that should’ve spoken for Melinda’s silence, too many panels were explanational blurbs. I think this is probably because the original novel has created such an impact, it was hard for the author to give up the story’s words.
I appreciated a chance to revisit the story, it still hits hard and I think should be read by a wider, even younger, audience. But read the original book first!