Laurie Halse Anderson 

One of the best young adult novelists America has ever known. She's one of the only authors I know of who depicts the ideal teenager as not a quiet, popular, polite, content straight-A soccer-player with gorgeous blonde hair and boobs the size of boulders, but as a young adult who does what makes them feel good and takes the time to consider their feelings and mental health, proceeding to share their thoughts with others. Her most popular novel, Speak (which was turned into a movie and a graphic novel) talks about overcoming trauma and expressing emotions, as well as an overall message of the importance of communication. Her other books for young adults include Wintergirls, Prom, The Impossible Knife of Memory, Twisted (told by a male protagonist), and Catalyst.

Unfortunately, some of her books, such as Speak, have been banned from middle and high school libraries due to Halse Anderson's tendency to discuss serious issues, like sexual assault and self-harm, which has been bashed by the dangerously high quantity of fucking idiots crusting on the earth. Yes, the world is a scary place, but ignorance will not diminish them, and will only make it worse (imagine you're in a pitch-black room with many other people, but you don't know that- you think the world has blown up and you're all alone). And not only do her books discuss these issues, but they feel like a sympathetic poem rather than a scolding lecture.

I am currently reading Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson. I'm not sure what it's getting more out of me- laughs or tears. But it sure takes my breath away.

Laurie Halse Anderson by SweetieJew September 30, 2017