Speak is a 1999 young adult novel written by Laurie Halse Anderson.
Speak tells the story of a high school freshman Melinda Sordino and her journey to social acceptance and self-discovery.
This novel has captured the imaginations of teenagers and adults across the country and delivers a blow to the hypocritical world of high school.
Let’s go through some of the great quotes from Speak novel.
Table of Contents
Speak Quotes by Laurie Halse Anderson
“You have to know what you stand for, not just what you stand against.” ~ Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak).
“Rumors are spread by jealous people.” ~ Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak).
“He says a million things without saying a word. I have never heard a more eloquent silence.” ~ Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak).
“Do they choose to be so dense? Were they born that way? I have no friends. I have nothing. I say nothing. I am nothing.” ~ Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak).
“I wonder how long it would take for anyone to notice if I just stopped talking.” ~ Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak).
“I watch some kids ask the cafeteria ladies to sign their books. What do they write: “Hope your chicken patties never bleed?” Or, maybe, “May your Jell-O always wiggle?” ~ Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak).
“Sometimes I think high school is one long hazing activity: if you are tough enough to survive this, they’ll let you become and adult. I hope it’s worth it.” ~ Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak).
“I am not going to think about it. It was ugly, but it’s over, and I’m not going to think about it.” ~ Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak).
“I make it through the first two weeks of school without a nuclear meltdown.” ~ Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak).
“I pushed my ragged mouth against the mirror. A thousand crushed bleeding lips pushed back at me…” ~ Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak).
Other Book Quotes: Wild at Heart – Discovering the Secret of a Man’s Soul Quotes and The Deal Quotes by Elle Kennedy.
Best Speak Quotes by Laurie Halse Anderson
“The same boys who got detention in elementary school for beating the crap out of people are now rewarded for it. They call it football.” ~ Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak).
“Art without emotion its like chocolate cake without sugar. It makes you gag.” ~ Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak).
“Make it bend — trees are flexible, so they don’t snap. Scar it, give it a twisted branch — perfect trees don’t exist. Nothing is perfect. Flaws are interesting. Be the tree.” ~ Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak).
“Censorship is the child of fear and the father of ignorance.” ~ Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak).
“It’s easier not to say anything. Shut your trap, button your lip, can it. All that crap you hear on TV about communication and expressing feelings is a lie. Nobody really wants to hear what you have to say.” ~ Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak).
“I have survived. I am here. Confused, screwed up, but here. So, how can I find my way? Is there a chain saw of the soul, an ax I can take to my memories or fears?” ~ Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak).
“The one good thing about being kind of shy is that nobody bugs you when you want to be left alone.” ~ Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak).
“I flip ahead in the textbook. There’s an interesting chapter about acid rain. Nothing about sex. We aren’t scheduled to learn about that until eleventh grade.” ~ Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak).
“It doesn’t hurt. Nothing hurts except the small smiles and blushes that flash across the room like tiny sparrows.” ~ Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak).
Famous Speak Quotes by Laurie Halse Anderson
“Homework is not an option. My bed is sending out serious nap rays. I can’t help myself. The fluffy pillows and warm comforter are more powerful than I am. I have no choice but to snuggle under the covers.” ~ Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak).
“There is nothing wrong with me. These are really sick people, sick that you can see.” ~ Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak).
“My first class is biology. I can’t find it and get my first demerit for wandering the hall. It is 8:50 in the morning. Only 699 days and 7 class periods until graduation.” ~ Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak).
“If I ever form a clan, we’ll be the anti-cheerleaders and walk under the bleacher forming mild acts of mayhem.” ~ Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak).
“Nothing is perfect. Flaws are interesting. Be the tree.” ~ Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak).
“They say they have noticed me drawing. I almost tell them right then and there. They noticed.” ~ Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak).
“I just thought of a great theory that explains everything. When I went to that party, I was abducted by aliens. They have created a fake Earth and fake high school to study me and my reactions. This certainly explains cafeteria food.” ~ Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak).
“I cry to let everything out” ~ Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak).
Quotes from Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
“I pull my lower lip all the way in between my teeth. If I try hard enough, maybe I can gobble my whole self this way…. I didn’t try hard enough to swallow myself.” ~ Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak).
“I just want to sleep. A coma would be nice. Or amnesia. Anything, just to get rid of this, these thoughts, whispers in my mind. Did he rape my head, too?” ~ Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak).
“When people don’t express themselves, they die one piece at a time.” ~ Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak).
“Too much sun after a Syracuse winter does strange things to your head, makes you feel strong, even if you aren’t.” ~ Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak).
“Can the plural possessive express the feelings in your heart? If you don’t learn art now, you will never learn to breathe!” ~ Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak).
“It is my first morning of high school. I have seven new notebooks, a skirt I hate, and a stomachache.” ~ Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak).
“I am getting better at smiling when people expect it.” ~ Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak).
Popular Speak Quotes by Laurie Halse Anderson
“I look at my homely sketch. It doesn’t need anything. Even through the river in my eyes I can see that. It isn’t perfect and that makes it just right.” ~ Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak).
“It’s easier to floss with barbed wire than admit you like someone in middle school.” ~ Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak).
“This is wonderful, wonderful! Be the bird. You are the bird. Sacrifice yourself to abandoned family values….” ~ Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak).
“My face becomes a Picasso sketch, my body slicing into pieces.” ~ Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak).
“I can’t do everything for you. You must walk alone to find your soul.” ~ Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak).
“I have ten bucks in my pocket – what to spend it on? French fries – ten dollars’ worth of french fries, ultimate fantasy.” ~ Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak).
“Gym should be illegal. It’s humiliating.” ~ Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak).
“Sometimes I think high school is one long hazy activity: if you are tough enough to survive this, they’ll let you become an adult. I hope it’s worth it.” ~ Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak).
“I want to make a memorial for our turkey. Never has a bird been so tortured to provide such a lousy dinner.” ~ Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak).
“I like cheeseburgers too much to be a model.” ~ Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak).
“The bruises are vivid, but they will fade.” ~ Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak).
“Don’t expect to make a difference unless you speak up for yourself.” ~ Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak).
THE FIRST TEN LIES THEY TELL YOU IN HIGH SCHOOL
- We are here to help you.
- You will have time to get to your class before the bell rings.
- The dress code will be enforced.
- No smoking is allowed on school grounds.
- Our football team will win the championship this year.
- We expect more of you here.
- Guidance counselors are always available to listen.
- Your schedule was created with you in mind.
- Your locker combination is private.
- These will be the years you look back on fondly.
TEN MORE LIES THEY TELL YOU IN HIGH SCHOOL
- You will use algebra in your adult lives.
- Driving to school is a privilege that can be taken away.
- Students must stay on campus during lunch.
- The new text books will arrive any day now.
- Colleges care more about you than your SAT scores.
- We are enforcing the dress code.
- We will figure out how to turn off the heat soon.
- Our bus drivers are highly trained professionals.
- There is nothing wrong with summer school.
- We want to hear what you have to say. ~ Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak).
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