MINI-REVIEW: Speechless by Hannah Harrington

Name: Speechless

Author: Hannah Harrington

Publisher: Mira Ink

Date published: February 2013

Pages: 263, Paperback ARC

Source: For review (from publisher)

Rating: 4.5 teacups

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.

[summary taken from Goodreads]

My Thoughts

It didn't take me long to request a copy of Speechless.  The fact that it was authored by Hannah Harrington, the oh-so-amazing-creator of Saving June, was enough to make me want to read it straight away.

When I first met Chelsea Knot, I knew she wasn't someone I'd want to be friends with in real life. She was gossipy and shallow and I wondered how I would ever come to warm to her.  However, by the end of the book, I really empathised her and felt truly protective of her.  Character development is such a key element in Speechless and is what made the book such a touching read for me.

The secondary characters also deserve a mention for adding their own quirkiness and warmth.  Asha was such a wonderful friend, soft-spoken and kind-hearted, and Sam was definitely a swoon-worthy love interest.  All of them were such unique figures with huge individuality.

Hannah Harrington has definitely not lost her touch for addressing deeper issues with such sensitivity and Speechless proved to be another heartbreaking, thought-provoking read with an important message which rings true for all its readers.  My words cannot do this book justice, so I'd like to finish with a quote from one of the characters that nicely sums everything up:

“Hate is... It's too easy. Love. Love takes courage.”

 4.5 Teacups for Speechless!

*Many thanks to Mira Ink for the review copy and apologies for the late review*

Happy reading,

Beverley

REVIEW: Speechless by Hannah Harrington

Name: Speechless

Author: Hannah Harrington

Publisher: Harlequin TEEN

Release Date: August 28th, 2012 (US)

Pages: 288, Paperback

Source: For review via Netgalley

Rating: 4.5 Teacups

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.

[summary taken from Goodreads]

Jen's Review

You know a book is good when there are Reader's Guide Questions for Discussion in the back of the book.

Just kidding. But seriously, Speechless was breathtakingly beautiful and definitely a special contemporary that I won't be forgetting anytime soon. If you enjoyed Hannah's debut novel, Saving June, you will for sure like Speechless as much or even more. For me, Hannah's sophomore novel rendered ME speechless and craving for more. Much more.

From the beginning, Speechless captured me from the start. Although Chelsea's character was extremely shallow at first, I could tell right away that the vow of silence was going to change her. So, I went along with it, and before I knew it, her character and inner personality was changing. I couldn't help but admire her progress after awhile and after that, I thoroughly loved Chelsea. But Chelsea isn't the only character I enjoyed. I loved Sam, Asha, and the whole crew at Rosie's just as if they were MY family. Asha is so quirky and NICE, I wish there was an Asha in my life. And Sam, oh Sam. He is not necessarily swoon-worthy, but so dorky and adorable it hurts.

Along with the totally endearing characters, there is the imperative lessons that every reader can learn from Speechless. I always love a good contemporary where they deal with issues that teenagers (or, people in general) need to be more aware of. In Speechless, there is mental and physical harassment, sexual orientation harassment, and more. I really appreciated the way Hannah created the characters who had to deal with the situation. And most importantly, for Chelsea, for constructing a character who can stand and speak up for others, and herself.

And of course, I HAVE to talk about Hannah Harrington's writing. It is so unique and raw. It was stunning in Saving June, but Hannah KILLS it with Speechless. Seriously y'all. It's amazing. Not only was it awe-inspiring, it's also more sarcastic and funny. I have more than 15 parts highlighted in my Kindle. No joke. SO MANY AWESOME QUOTES.

So just in case you guys haven't noticed, I LOVED this book. If you're looking for a serious contemporary that deals with serious issues, but has that light-hearted romance, Speechless is the one for you. Heck, read it, even if you're not looking for anything specific like that. Just go read it. This is another great masterpiece from Hannah Harrington! 

4.5 stars for Speechless!

                 *Thanks to Harlequin TEEN for providing me an eARC to review*