Review : Speechless by Hannah Harrington
Author : Hannah Harrington
Publisher : Harlequin Teen
Publication Date : August 28th 2012
Goodreads - The Book Depository
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's has taken a vow of silence--to learn to keep her mouth shut, and to stop hurting everyone else. And if she thinks keeping secrets if hard, not speaking up when she's ignored, ridiculed and even attacked is worse.
But there's strength in silence, and in 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.
Personal Thoughts
Saving June by the wonderful Hannah Harrington was one of my favorite contemporary books. I loved it so much that I couldn't stop raving on and on about the author's beautiful writing style with my friends. Being a huge Hannah Harrington fan, I was ecstatic to learn that she had a new book coming out. There was no hesitation on my part when I requested this title off NetGalley. The book might have a very simplistic cover, but it's the kind of cover that speaks volumes. Behind the plain white cover of Speechless, lies a beautiful story of a girl growing up.
Chelsea Knot can't keep her mouth shut no matter how hard she tries. Secrets are never safe with her. But the last secret that she shares ends up in a disastrous and almost deadly fashion. Not only does she lose her popularity at school, but she also nearly gets an innocent boy killed. Realizing the extent to which her gossiping manners has gone to, Chelsea decides to take a vow that will help her learn to keep quiet ; a vow of silence.
Selfish. Spoiled. Shallow. Those were my very first impressions of our main character, Chelsea. She was the sort of character that they usually show on TV series like Gossip Girl, who basically survive on gossip and rumor-mills. Needless to say, it was hatred at first sight for Chelsea and me. But, she completely took a 180 degrees turn and became a character that I truly loved by the end of the story. I absolutely loved that Chelsea was a character who grew throughout the book and became a better person, learning so much about herself and the people around her. There's nothing more I like in books than a character who undergoes tremendous maturity growth over the course of the story. I also appreciated the fact that she instantly realized how destructive her gossiping ways had been when Noah ended up in the hospital. She wasn't the kind of character who tried to find excuses for what had happened. She knew that she was to blame and she admitted it. Her honesty was definitely my favorite aspect of her. The fact that she took a silence vow itself showed how smart she was. At first, I wasn't sure how her vow would have an impact on her, so I was pleasantly surprised to see how she began to see the people around her for who they truly were, not the facade that they expressed. Chelsea could be a difficult character to appreciate at first, but she grew on me in a very astonishing way. Hannah Harrington is a genius at portraying characters who are realistic and genuine. I loved the secondary characters in Speechless. From Asha, Chelsea's new bubbly and delightful friend to Sam, Noah's big-hearted best friend, they all were absolutely entertaining.
On the surface, Speechless might appear as a typical high school story about a girl who loses her popularity. But underneath the surface, lurks a profound message, that I hope all readers will find out. It's a book that deals with a lot of common problems these days ; gay bashing, bullying, forgiveness etc ... I thought that Hannah Harrington dealt with each and everyone of those issues in a sensible manner. The romance in Speechless was yet another part that I loved in the book. The relationship between Chelsea and Sam was a slowly growing one. It built at satisfying pace and eventually exploded into something beautiful. The two characters got to really know each other via words. They fell for each other not because of looks, but for their inner beauties. The romance was sweet, swoon-worthy, but most of all realistic. There is no doubt that Hannah Harrington is an incredible writer. Her writing style is simple and beautiful, but also very deep. She has a knack for creating characters that you grow to love, crafting heart-melting romances and for spreading important messages via her stories.
Speechless was an emotional and poignant book which tackled problems that teenagers face at school. The beautifully molded characters, the sweet romance, the thought-provoking and insightful plot line will have you turning the pages of this lovely book at high speed. Fans of contemporaries with a powerful underlying advice will adore this book!
Rating
Cover : 4/5
Plot : 4/5
Characters : 4/5
Writing : 4/5
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