Speechless

First of all let me say one thing- I liked Saving June but, this novel... Speechless was so much better. I don’t usually read abuse books. It doesn’t matter if it’s about physical or verbal abuse. I am not comfortable with this subject because almost in all cases the victim can’t do a damn thing about it and just takes it all. Kids used to tease me about the way I dress and look, they still do, even today while I was walking past some idiots they made a comment about my hair. I take this stuff pretty well. I usually do some more weird stuff just to make them stare more because that is who I am. And I am not changing for anyone!

High-school is even more fragile period for kids than middle school was because that is when you are starting to discover yourself. Well, I can’t say that happened to everyone, but it did to me. I stopped hanging around my old friends because they didn’t understand why I was acting differently all of the sudden. But kids soon forget you and you find other friends who appreciate you for with all of your flaws and virtues.

I am not perfect. I’ve done some awful things to people but like Chelsea said- you need to cut yourself some slack and before asking for forgiveness you should forgive yourself first. You need to stop hating your freckles, crooked teeth, small breasts or whatever troubles you and just embrace it because that is all you, and you are unique!

Wow, after reading this review I see it’s in fact NOT a review but just me rambling. So sorry for that. This book is definitely worth the time and I would recommend it to everyone.

Awesome book.

In love with Sam!

reminds me of "Thirteen Reasons Why"

When I first heard of Speechless I was excited just by the fact that it was written by the amazing, Hannah Harrington. I then read the blurb and was further intrigued and after devouring Speechless, I am happy to say that it doesn’t disappoint.

I loved Saving June, but I must admit that it did take me a while to warm up to it. However, this wasn’t the case at all with Speechless. As soon as I started reading, I was thrown straight into the story. From beginning to end, Speechless had me in a page flipping frenzy; I couldn’t read fast enough.

Chelsea is your stereotypical popular girl, who loves the limelight – but then one night she goes too far. I won’t go into details but because of Chelsea’s love for gossip, secrets and being the centre of attention, all of a sudden, she’s been ditched by the popular crowd and even ridiculed by her “so called” friends. In the beginning, I didn’t like Chelsea but as the story progresses, and she starts to become a better person, the girl she once was, I began to really care for her. The secondary characters are what really make the story and whilst they are all amazing I especially loved Sam, Asha, and even though they weren't mentioned nearly as much as I would have liked, Noah and Andy.

Hannah has done it yet again! Gut wrenching, honest and real with the perfect amount of romance, Speechless left me feeling content and full of hope.

P.S - I think it’s really important that before you read Speechless, you remind yourself that this isn’t Saving June, it’s a completely different story but still an amazing one. It’s easy to compare and expect similar things from a certain book after being blown away from an author’s previous work. I’ve done it myself and the result usually ends in a disappointed reader. It’s not the books fault; it’s just that the reader has set unbeatable expectations. If you open up your mind and accept this, I have no doubt that you’ll love Speechless.

this story is amazing! i have a project for honors english 10, and this is a great story to chose for an independent assignment. the story has a fantastic plot, memorable characters and actions produced by characters, along with just a great perspective on the topic. i enjoyed the story and i loved the simplistic cover to the story, it held an adventurous and astonishing story. i 10/10 recommended this story to young adults!

This is one of those books that leave you speechless. There was such character growth in Chelsea it was unbelievable, and the secondary cast of characters was amazing.
I started out not really liking Chelsea, but I think that was the whole point. It was so hard to watch her make such bad choices, but then completely redeem herself by making a very hard one... One that ended up alienating her from her friends, who then turn to bullying her. She decides to take a vow of silence that changes her so much. I can't imagine the resolve it would take to go as long as her without speaking. But she made such an impact on me that when my husband or kids would talk to me after I was reading, I would stare at them and think that I wasn't supposed to be talking. Then I would remember it is Chelsea and not me... I was that engrossed.
As for the secondary characters, there was the good and the evil, and both were done so well. Asha was so amazing. I loved her bubbliness and her willingness to befriend Chelsea. I loved watching their friendship grown and what Asha brought to the story.
I loved the tight knit bunch at Rosie's the local diner, and how that quickly became essential to Chelsea's life now that she was cast out of her circle of friends. The relationships with Sam and Andy the friends and boyfriend of Noah, the boy who was injured indirectly because of her but ultimately helped by Chelsea by her actions. I loved the interactions with Chelsea and Sam, and his bravery for opening himself up to her.
As far as Kristen, she is the it girl, and every bit what I couldn't stand yet somehow found myself envying in high school. Beauty, circle of friends, yet could and would turn on them in an instant. I never knew just how cruel it went though because there were moments when I thought I saw the glimmer of hope for growth in her, and then I wasn't sure if it was dashed the second that she opened her mouth.
This was a deep novel about speaking up for what's right, learning when to keep a secret, the power of friendship, bullying, self identity including being gay, and also featured involved parents and issues with the dad losing a job. Hannah Harrington weaved it all intricately, tactfully and powerfully into Speechless.
The moments where Chelsea had "aha" moments about herself, her actions and when she finally stood up for what ultimately got her into the mess were so powerful.
Bottom line: emotional story sprinkled with sarcasm, witty and light moments. Speechless has a touch of romance and characters that are dynamic and beautifully written.

To be honest, the very first thing I noticed about Speechless was the gorgeous cover. I realize you might find that a little odd. There are no faces, no swirls, no fancy typeface to draw in the reader. However it is exactly the lack of all those accoutrements that caught my eye. Simplistic. Beautiful. A blank slate. Then, the synopsis. Thank you whoever wrote this! Thank you so very much for not giving away the entire plot in a few paragraphs. I promise you, vague or not, this synopsis is perfection. Speechless holds much more than you are expecting.

Chelsea Knot is definitely not a perfect person. What she is, is realistic. A girl who is flawed, selfish, and raw. Harrington starts out the book by showing us a Chelsea that is pretty easy to dislike. One who spreads rumors, and hurts people. However as she learns the error of her ways, she grows by leaps and bounds. The Chelsea at the end of Speechless is an entirely different person, and just being there for her journey will make you fall in love. In fact, the entire cast of characters that support Chelsea in her time of need are easy to love. I could go on and on about Asha, Sam, Dex and Lou, but I won't. I'll let you meet them for yourself.

What I loved most about this book is that Chelsea's story is full of hope. It is full of growth, and understanding. Speechless touches on tough topics, and it does it well. Instead of relying on angst to draw the reader in, we get to dive deep in Chelsea's head and learn right along with her. There is a message here, that bridges that gap between all ages that might pick up this book. I think Harrington says it best with: "Hate is... it's too easy," he says. "Love. Love takes courage."

Despite it taking some time for me to feel the writing style of the book, I soon became immersed. In fact, a sigh escaped my lips when I reached the last page. A sigh of contentment at how perfectly this book is paced, and executed. Even the romance in this book is spot on, and builds slowly. Gorgeous. Speechless has just further cemented my opinion that Hannah Harrington is a master of her craft.

"Hate is... it's too easy," he says. "Love. Love takes courage."

The main reason I checked out Speechless was because of its cover: a cover without a pretty girl in a pretty dress on the it, a cover without a pretty girl about to kiss an equally as pretty boy on the it. It's different, and I love it. However, based on the vague synopsis, I came to the conclusion that this book most likely wasn't for me, and decided to pass on it. It wasn't until I saw glowing four and five star reviews for this book from trusted friends of mine that I decided to request this on NetGalley and see if I would end up liking it. And let me just take a moment to say, that I'm so happy I took the chance and requested this on NetGalley.

Normally, this would be the part in my review where I'd write my own little synopsis explaining what the book is about. But, I'm not going to do this for Speechless. I want you, dear reader, to read the vague synopsis. And if you do read the provided synopsis and don't know much about what will happen in Speechless afterwards, good. I want you to go into this book knowing barely anything about it. I want this book to have the same surprise for you as it did for me. And hopefully, you end up enjoying it as much as I enjoyed it.

And I more than enjoyed this book. I loved this book to bits. I loved the characters, and the depth each and every one of them was provided with (for the most part, but more on that later in the review). I loved the funny moments and one-liners this book had. I loved the emotional punch this book gave me, many, many times. But what I especially loved is how Harrington made me dislike the central character in the beginning, and then have me absolutely love her in the end.

Chelsea Knot is not a perfect character, she's not a perfect person, but, in that sense, she's realistic, and extremely easy to sympathize with. Wouldn't you say that a flawed and believable character is easier to like and sympathize with than a perfect character? Chelsea knows that what she's done in her past to people was wrong, and she learns the error of her ways and grows as a character immensely by the end of Speechless, and getting to see and compare the massive change in who Chelsea was by the beginning of this novel to the end is really something special.

Chelsea's friends, Asha, Sam, Dex, and Lou might just be some of my favorite characters I've had the pleasure to read about so far this year. Like Chelsea, they're all flawed, but they're all amazing and extremely likable characters, and they accepted Chelsea when no one else would. Asha is the best friend anyone could ever hope to have - she's loyal, helpful, and only ever sees the good in people. The same goes for Chelsea's other friends, Sam, Dex, and Lou, who are all sweet and difficult to dislike. (Though I would have liked to see much more of Dex and Lou!)

Harrington's writing, while not the most exquisite, is captivating, and the dialogue between the characters is incredibly witty and fun. While we are at times bombarded by acronyms, overuse of the word 'like', and text speak, it only made the environment in which Chelsea and her friends were surrounded by, and their characters, more believable to me.

So, after all of this glowing praise for Speechless, why am I giving it four stars? There are only two reasons I can pinpoint as of right now that restrain myself from giving Speechless the five stars it undoubtedly deserves. Those two reasons are that Kristen, the main antagonist of the story, and really all of the other antagonists, are never given much depth. And the second reason that I can't bring myself to give Speechless five stars is that the slut-shaming and Chelsea calling people freaks, etc, was a bit too much at times.

However, despite those problems, which seem miniscule when compared to all the things I didn't have problems with, I think it's safe to say, that - wait for it... Speechless left me speechless.

(That was inevitable and you know it.)

After reading the synopsis, I was a little like "ehhh" kind of sounds like a weird premise. I mean really, what high school girl you know would really decide to take a vow of silence? But then after reading and finding out the event that caused it, I see exactly why. What happens is heart breaking. Many people don't see the effect that society has on teens, but this story shows just that. This story tells just how "important" your peer's opinion is.
Chelsea has had the biggest mouth in her grade since she can remember. Any news she got, she spread it. Which is the reason her best friend is the most popular girl in school. But then one night something happens and Chelsea is scared into silence. Because she did the one thing that no one else would do.... She was brave.
I can absolutely relate to this book because being only 23 I still remember being in high school and how everyone acted. I can truly say it was portrayed as a modern day high school. For this reason, I LOVED the characters. They were easy for me to connect with and I understood they were acting that way because of immaturity.
As for the romance in this novel, it kind of unexpected for me. I knew it to be a contemporary romance and that eventually she would fall for someone, but I honestly thought it would be someone else. It was actually a bit of a surprise when the secret came out. It was quite refreshing to have it be them.
Speechless is a tale of growth, friendship, and love. It will leave you thinking about the bigger issue it covers long after you turn the last page.