Title: Speechless
Author: Hannah
Harrington
Publisher: HarlequinTeen
Publication Date: 8.28.2012
Pages: 336
Genre: Contemporary
Series: No
(companion to Saving June)
Source: ARC
from BEA
Rating: A+
Summary (from Goodreads):
Everyone
knows that Chelsea Knot can't keep a secret
Until now. Because the last secret she shared turned her into a social outcast—and nearly got someone killed.
Now Chelsea has taken a vow of silence—to learn to keep her mouth shut, and to stop hurting anyone else. And if she thinks keeping secrets is hard, not speaking up when she's ignored, ridiculed and even attacked is worse.
But there's strength in silence, and in the new friends who are, shockingly, coming her way—people she never noticed before; a boy she might even fall for. If only her new friends can forgive what she's done. If only she can forgive herself.
Until now. Because the last secret she shared turned her into a social outcast—and nearly got someone killed.
Now Chelsea has taken a vow of silence—to learn to keep her mouth shut, and to stop hurting anyone else. And if she thinks keeping secrets is hard, not speaking up when she's ignored, ridiculed and even attacked is worse.
But there's strength in silence, and in the new friends who are, shockingly, coming her way—people she never noticed before; a boy she might even fall for. If only her new friends can forgive what she's done. If only she can forgive herself.
Review:
Rarely has a book affected me as much as Speechless by
Hannah Harrington. This book is heart breaking, poignant, and culturally
relevant; it took aim at my heart and the arrow sailed straight through. I
cried, I cheered, and at the end I had that deep satisfaction of reading a
great novel.
When Chelsea tells the secret of a fellow classmate at a
party, things quickly take a turn for the worse. In the aftermath, she reads an
article where someone takes a vow of silence and decides to adopt this approach
for herself. It was fascinating to read people’s reactions to her vow—everything
from contempt to befuddlement. Her teachers especially seemed the most
perplexed, and one class mate sexually harasses her.
This is really a novel about a girl becoming a young
woman and understanding that words hurt and have consequences. Watching Chelsea’s
evolution as a character was such an absolute joy. I don’t think I’ve ever seen
a character transformation so complete and so genuine. Harrington has a
gripping way of writing that drew me in from page 1.
When I started reading Speechless, I didn’t expect to
find a book that would move me so much. It’s a fast read, which will hopefully
appeal to a younger audience that can’t always appreciate the value of a 400
page novel. There are many lessons to be learned here from bullying to
gossiping to taking responsibility for your actions. This is a novel I would
enthusiastically pass on to teenagers and adults.
Buy: Amazon | The Book Depository
Speechless sound like a a great read, specially for teenagers. I rarely read contempory novels but I will defnitaly make a exeption for this one. Thanks for your great review.
ReplyDeleteGlad you loved it! I wasn't the hugest fan of Saving June, so I wasn't sure if I wanted to pick this one up or not. It seems like a lot of people are really loving this one too. It's pretty special when you find a book that moves you like that, especially when you're not expecting it.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great read. I'm definitely going to check this one out.
ReplyDelete