Speechless

Feb 09, 2013 Blythe rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley-edelweiss-arc, 2012-reads, exceeded-my-expectations, didn-t-see-that-coming, hand-me-some-tissues, i-totally-saw-that-coming, judge-a-book-by-the-cover, 2012-favorites, read-reviewed

**2/9/13 - raised rating from four stars to five, because this was perfect and I honestly couldn't care less about the few negatives mentioned below, because I still think about this book to this day, and if I were to ever reread a book soon, it'd undoubtedly be this one.

"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 t...more

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Sep 24, 2012 Sam rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-or-galley, realistic-or-contemporary, other-favourites, favourite-boys, romance, 2012-favourites

“You can be surrounded by people and still be lonely. You can be the most popular person in school, envied by every girl and wanted by every boy, and still feel completely worthless. The world can be laid at your feet and you can still not know what you want from it.”

Hannah Harrington has a way with words. She has the ability to turn even the most irritating contemporary topics into something remarkably readable and touching. The start of this book was, intentionally of course, full of clichés....more “You can be surrounded by people and still be lonely. You can be the most popular person in school, envied by every girl and wanted by every boy, and still feel completely worthless. The world can be laid at your feet and you can still not know what you want from it.”

Hannah Harrington has a way with words. She has the ability to turn even the most irritating contemporary topics into something remarkably readable and touching. The start of this book was, intentionally of course, full of clichés. The main character is a part of the in-crowd and best friends with the popular mean-girl. A world of parties, gossip and back-stabbing surround their small lives, and while this isn’t something that I enjoy reading about, Harrington turns this book, at precisely the right moment, into a story about a girl reflecting on her own personality. Before you know it, Chelsea is under an effective vow of silence and improving as a character – or uncovering the better parts of herself – with each paged turned.

It’s surprising how significantly someone’s awareness increases when they have nothing to do but listen. Under her self-inflicted vow, Chelsea refuses to speak a word to anyone, not even to herself. Speech, the ability to tell others as much or as little as you want, is what landed Chelsea at rock bottom in the first place. She is not a polished character, and Harrington doesn’t hesitate to make her flaws visible. Perhaps this is why she was able to work her way under my skin. From not liking her very much at all at first, Chelsea’s vulnerability and loneliness soon broke through my barrier, and before I knew it, I began to sympathise and root for her. Hannah Harrington has a talent for creating achingly realistic characters and Chelsea Knot is no exception.

Of course, as emotional and moving as this book was at points, the humour is also easy to acknowledge. Chelsea’s loneliness is short-lived as she finds unexpected friendship in Asha and Sam. The banter and easy camaraderie between them and the rest of the crew at Rosie’s diner was beautifully crafted and smile-inducing. Sam is, in the best possible way, an average boy. There is nothing outrageously far-fetched about him or ridiculously unreal. In other words, he is a genuine character and someone quite easy to imagine in the real world. The slow-building romance between him and Chelsea was a delight to read. Perfectly paced and appropriately realistic, the relationship between the two of them became my favourite aspect of the book.

One other relationship that particularly held my interest was that between Chelsea and Kristen, the former best friend. A part of me expected some sort of progress to have been made by the end of the book, but thinking about it, leaving it unresolved was perhaps the best thing that Harrington could have done. Not every relationship ends with a happily ever after and she gently emphasised that well here.

Speechless, in the end, met my high expectations and proved to be just as mesmerising as Harrington’s Saving June. It beautifully tackles some serious issues while remaining accessible for the reader, and has the most wonderful set of believable characters. I almost wish there was a sequel to this so I could visit Sam, Chelsea and Asha again.

(This review also appears on my blog)(less)

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Aug 14, 2012 Giselle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, own, contemporary

Can you imagine not speaking for days? Weeks? I have a hard time shutting up for a few hours. Chelsea, she gives a whole new meaning to the silent treatment when she decide to take a vow of silence after her big mouth basically ruins her life - or at least that's what she thinks.

After reading Saving June and getting to see how great an author Hannah is, I was highly anticipating her second novel, Speechless. Although not quite as emotionally intense as Saving June, it's a truly wonderful novel t...more Can you imagine not speaking for days? Weeks? I have a hard time shutting up for a few hours. Chelsea, she gives a whole new meaning to the silent treatment when she decide to take a vow of silence after her big mouth basically ruins her life - or at least that's what she thinks.

After reading Saving June and getting to see how great an author Hannah is, I was highly anticipating her second novel, Speechless. Although not quite as emotionally intense as Saving June, it's a truly wonderful novel that looks into the highs and lows of high school social statuses, giving a great message to those who think everything is better on top of the ladder. Our lovely Chelsea feels immense guilt for spreading a secret that almost costs someone their life. I completely despised Chelsea at first. Being best friends with the most popular, stuck up girl in school gave her a surreal sense of self importance, a judgmental attitude, and an illusion of friendship that is saddening. Fortunately, Hannah is wonderful at creating characters who grow and mature throughout the story, with real in-depth personalities, which was no exception with Chelsea. She soon realizes that what she had, wasn't friendship; she begins to reevaluate herself, trying to find who she truly is, what's really important, and all the while not uttering a word.

Luckily, not everyone is blaming Chelsea, and she's making some new friends who become excellent secondary roles in the book. Unique and full of quirks, we get flawed, realistic characters who absolutely radiate with life. Even the bullies have genuine character presence. The romance is slow and sweet; there's a perfect balance of camaraderie and flirting with a guy who is understanding, kind, and completely worth it.

At first I did find the vow of silence a tiny bit unrealistic. How often in a conversation do you utter words out of habitual reflex - a simple "yeah" or "Uhuh"? Chelsea never seems to have a lot of trouble holding back. We do see her struggles when she's being verbally attacked, her not being able to defend herself or retaliate is undoubtedly frustrating, but I was expecting to have a stronger sense of the difficulties of this utter silence at all times. There is no way I could have stuck with it in her situation, being bullied, insulted, and ridiculed while vowing not to speak has to be insufferable and I loved being inside Chelsea's mind during these confrontations. I did enjoy the ending, though I can't help but feel it was a bit too... perfect. I would have liked to see more of the aftermath and long term consequences, which would have helped lessen the idealism of the story's ending, and give a stronger closure.

Conveying a sound message for adults as well as teens, Speechless touches on several social topics that a lot of people can relate to, and learn from. If you're already a fan of this author you won't be disappointed, and if this is your first venture in her works, I recommend you add Saving June to keep this one company on your shelf!

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An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.

For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads

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Sep 10, 2012 Dija rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: People who talk too much or too little. And everyone else too.

Shelves: aug-2012, arc, authors-i-stalk, awww, cotton-candy-fluff, cover-heaven, read-in-2012, wow, ya, my-reviews, reread-worthy, second-chances

I can't believe someone as good as you exists. I can't believe you even want to be around me. I can't believe how lucky I am when just weeks ago I thought my life was over.

4.6/5 stars

Speechless is cheesy, sappy, and predictable, yet an absolute treasure regardless. Unlike most realistic YA novels out there, Chelsea's story is full of hope rather than angst.

Saving June had greater emotional impact, but in a lot of ways, I loved Speechless more. The subject matter in Saving June has been addresse...more

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Sep 03, 2012 ♥Rachel♥ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley-e-book, arc

In the beginning of Speechless, Chelsea is not a likable person. She’s friends with the very popular Kristen, who is not a very good friend at all. Kristen is the type of friend that encourages you to wear something that makes you look crappy, telling you how wonderful you look, so that you don’t outshine her in any way. I had a friend like that once and it took me a while to figure it out. But for Chelsea, this is overlooked because of the benefits her “friendship” brings. She’s popular by asso...more

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Aug 20, 2012 Janina rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review, contemporary, young-adult-fiction, on-my-kindle, lgbt, mean-girls, read-in-2012, better-than-expected

Three and a half stars.

I very much felt like the odd one out after not enjoying Hannah Harrington's debut, Saving June, and wasn't even inclined the give the author a second try. Still, this book sounded too interesting to pass - and I am glad I gave it a chance. If anything, Speechless is insanely readable, the pages flying by in what feels like minutes instead of hours. I really enjoyed the reading experience, and would definitely encourage others to pick this book up, but still, there were so...more Three and a half stars.

I very much felt like the odd one out after not enjoying Hannah Harrington's debut, Saving June, and wasn't even inclined the give the author a second try. Still, this book sounded too interesting to pass - and I am glad I gave it a chance. If anything, Speechless is insanely readable, the pages flying by in what feels like minutes instead of hours. I really enjoyed the reading experience, and would definitely encourage others to pick this book up, but still, there were some things that I felt were missing.

Actually, I had not expected to like Chelsea after reading a less favourable early review of this book. Talking without thinking and then regretting it afterwards - but mostly only because she herself had to suffer her inconsiderate actions? Hmm. Now, after finishing the book, I definitely have to say that despite her weaknesses, I enjoyed reading from Chelsea's point of view and did not resent her for her actions - although I probably should have. She is not the multi-facetted character like for example Sam from Before I Fall or Regina from Some Girls Are, but her situation is somewhat similar to theirs. Wanting to please her popular, mean girl best friend Kristen, Chelsea has carelessly destroyed numerous reputations and relationships by spreading rumours and gossip - unconcerned and uncaring about what that meant for the people in question. Now, after owning up to her actions for the very first time, admitting what she did was wrong and taking responsibility, she learns what it means to be on the receiving end of rumours, people whispering behind your back, even being attacked and harrassed by people you believed to be your friends. Chelsea defininitely takes an unusual road in terms of dealing with this, but that is what made me want to read this book in the first place, so I certainly won't complain. What I do like to point out, though, is that I felt that Chelsea's transformation from mean girl to, well, not-mean girl, happened too fast and without the reader really taking part in it. We never really experience Chelsea's former self first-hand, mostly only in form of flashbacks.And when her old friends start to shun her at school - even threathen her, insult her - she very quickly decides that her old self was just born out of the want to please people not really worth it, and that she actually never really felt at home with their group. It is easy for her to move on to new friends, who strangely see the good in her despite her past and actually go to greath lenghts to make her part of their own circle of friends. For me, that was just not realistic. There was just such a gap between the "bad people" hating Chelsea for what she did and making her life hell - really, are people still that backward, hateful and stuck up in small town USA? - and the "good people" trying to help her.

Still, I couldn't help but love the guys who took Chelsea in and helped her through the hard times she was getting at school. I have a thing for their kind of friendships - always there for one another, but still teasing each other at every chance they get. The diner they all worked at was a great setting for that, I definitely would have liked to work there as well. What irked me a bit in that area, though, were Chelsea's parents - after what her daughter went through they were so concerned about her decision to take a vow of silence, would they really not care when she stayed out late every night without telling them where she was? I get that they had a rough time and problems themselves, but I really can't imagine them not wanting to know where their sixteen year-old daughter spent her evenings. I am not saying she shouldn't be allowed to spend time at the diner, I just feel like it should have been of interest to her parents, who came across as very sensible and caring in other aspects of this story.

What I loved, though, was Sam, and I thought that his relationship with Chelsea was really cute, even if it lacked that certain spark I had wished for. Asha was an intersting character as well, and I would have loved to learn a bit more about her background. All in all, the cast of suporting characters definitely had potential, but sometimes, they remained a little too far in the background for my tastes. I know this was Chelsea's story, but I would have loved to read more about Noah's and Andy's relationship - so Hannah Harrington, if you ever decide to write this story from their point of view, I'll definitely buy that book!

All in all, this is a book I did find some faults with, but they didn't hinder my overall enjoyment of the story. This book explores the repercussions of high school rumours and the problem of bullying, but it still manages to do so in a lighter tone than other novels in the genre I have read. I would not say that it diminishes the effects bullying has, but generally offers a more positive outlook on things.

Thanks a lot to Netgalley and Harlequin for the review copy.(less)

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Aug 28, 2012 Maree rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-contemp, harlequin, 2012-read, june-august-quarterly-reading-chall, in-the-bookshelf, favourites-2012

Chelsea Knot has a problem: she can’t keep her mouth closed. She loves spreading rumours, delighting best friend Kristen by dishing up juicy (and some not so juicy) secrets, but Chelsea’s Gossip Girl gig is cut short when she tells one secret to many. The consequences of this particular piece of gossip are serious: one boy is in hospital and two are in police custody. After one disastrous, drunken night Chelsea decides enough is enough. It’s time for her to keep her mouth shut. Chelsea takes a v...more

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Feb 03, 2013 Cass - Words on Paper rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-release, review-copy, author-love, glbt, read-2012

Author of SAVING JUNE. Dude, this is a no-brainer.

[Review posted at Words on Paper]

[I admit I got really lazy with this review, but it kind of works out because this book involves the voluntary absence of speech and so in kind I say very little in this review.]

4.5/5

As SPEECHLESS involves a vow of silence, and it’s been ages since I read this and only had a small list written up about it, I’ll keep this review short and simple.

Hannah Harrington’s debut novel (SAVING JUNE) was such a memorable con...more

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Aug 13, 2012 Sarah (saz101) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-releases, contemporary, young-adult, wow-i-read-a-non-fantasy

First thoughts: I LOVE. Hannah's a truly amazing writer, and Speechless is just... Impossible not to like. The characters--especially the secondaries--are a delight, and she handles deeper, darker issues with real sensitivity and insight. I adore.

In Saving June , a story essentially about loss and grief, Hannah Harrington showed us light, hope and joy. So it comes as little surprise that her sophomore offering, Speechless, a story about a shallow, nasty mean-girl has unexpected depths, its own h...more

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Aug 20, 2012 K. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 21st-cent, cover-love, e-book, identity-and-psychology, ok-fine-its-ya, society-culture-and-politics, surprise-bitch-i-m-good

I was not going to read this book. I promise you, I was not. I was so fully aware of my (standing) disappointment with Harrington's debut Saving June, and was certain I had a firm grasp of her writing style that I had prematurely made up my mind.

Well. Sometimes people act like snobs, okay. It's not a crime. It just makes you highly unlikeable as a human being.

Anyway. I requested this on NetGalley and as fate would have it, I got approved. It was there for my taking. And then all these reviews...more

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Aug 13, 2012 Keertana rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-galley-and-first-reads, kick-ass-heroines

Rating: 4.5 Stars

In all honesty, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I dove into Speechless. I picked it up for one reason and one reason alone – Hannah Harrington had written it. I knew, from the moment I requested it, that I would love it, but I never expected just how much. Harrington has a habit of surpassing even my wildest expectations – she did it with Saving June and she constantly does it again, every time I re-read her debut novel. Thus, while I was expecting nothing short of brilli...more

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Sep 12, 2012 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I knew Speechless by Hannah Harrington was coming home with me at first sight. It spoke to me. The pure white cover’s peace and quiet stood out on the shelf, but it was the feel and texture of the book that made Speechless unputdownable. My hands could not stop running and sliding over the raised letters, smooth cover, and jagged cut pages. Without saying a word, I was in love. I realize I’m a book geek, but beautiful book presentations make me shiver! :)

Have you ever said something you regret?...more
I knew Speechless by Hannah Harrington was coming home with me at first sight. It spoke to me. The pure white cover’s peace and quiet stood out on the shelf, but it was the feel and texture of the book that made Speechless unputdownable. My hands could not stop running and sliding over the raised letters, smooth cover, and jagged cut pages. Without saying a word, I was in love. I realize I’m a book geek, but beautiful book presentations make me shiver! :)

Have you ever said something you regret? Wish you could take back? Speechless introduces readers to Chelsea Knot, a young woman, who cannot keep a secret to save her life. Without thinking, Chelsea says something that wasn’t hers to say, shared a secret that spirals out of control, and causes such pain and hurt. Chelsea’s words were taken, interpreted, and used to inflict and cause such ugliness. Words have the power to touch, shift, and alter everything in an instant. My heart can speed up with three little words. My stomach flutters with anticipation while some words are in the air. And other words in this world can spike and boil my blood with anger faster than a match to gasoline. But the same can be said for silence. Silence possesses the power over my heart, stomach and blood as well. Words left unsaid are just as painful and powerful. Chelsea Knot decides to take a vow of silence. Words spun her world out of control, so perhaps silence will help Chelsea find her way and come to some sort of peace with her mistake.

This might sound strange, but my absolute favorite character and part of this story was Rosie’s Diner. Not necessarily the building itself—even though that held some magic too—but the love cooked up there was what made my heart melt. Inside was a place filled with warmth, camaraderie, fun, and love! Dex, Lou, Andy, Noah, Sam, and Asha all made it feel like a home. A safe world to be yourself in. The whole gang moved, worked, shared, and laughed together with such trust and openness. You can feel it! Asha’s kindness and knitting; Sam’s loyalty and mouth-watering tuna melts; and Dex and Lou’s strength and support guiding the ship—all added up to pure love and my favorite place to be in this book.

Now for my least favorite ingredient of this story…Chelsea herself. I did not despise her, but I never trusted her through and through, which to me, showcases Ms. Harrington’s skill as a writer beautifully. I loved this book, but here I am admitting my dislike for the main character! Brilliant! Chelsea was a very real, flawed young woman who lost herself in a group of “friends”. I could rant and rave about Kristen here, but I will let you meet her for yourself. Grrrr… There were times my heart reached out to Chelsea, rooted for her, and admired her strength. The goodness was there in her heart, but just when I thought I could trust her—she would search through someone’s papers or brush someone off. The trust never developed in my heart for Chelsea. But that is me all over the place! It takes a lot for me to trust someone after heartbreak and pain in life and my books.

Sam, on the other hand, was SO adorable! The boy had me swooning as soon as he walked in the room! Snoopy, skateboards, and whiteboard flirting brew up a witty, fun, touching chemistry between Chelsea and Sam that pulled an “awww” right out of me. The fact he could even consider trusting Chelsea bowled me over and made me love him even more! The geeky boy stole my heart. I will shut up now before I say too much though. ;)

Speechless is a thought provoking story filled with hope, humor and power. A story I highly recommend visiting. This book actually had me looking up a few math terms and shopping for tuna melt ingredients! :) See what Speechless says to you.

I am already looking forward to Hannah Harrington’s next world.

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Jan 17, 2013 Cara rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, e-book, realistic-fiction, to-review, whoa-that-s-heavy

This may be kind of unwise to admit this but if I couldn't talk for even one day I am certain I would shrivel! Makes me nervous even thinking about it *shudders* the book should be interesting nonetheless;)

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Aug 28, 2012 Lyn (The Heartless) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, trauma, teen-lit, arc

This review is also
Fun, touching, and true to life, Speechless tackles and succeeds as addressing a variety of currently trends that plague our society.

This book could not have come to me at a better time. Speechless has a number of important factors, each receiving an appropriate level of critique and care. First, the bullying mob in the fiction hits close to home as I watch some of my own book blogging friends deal with the aftermath of a group of slandering individuals attempt to wreak havo...more This review is also
Fun, touching, and true to life, Speechless tackles and succeeds as addressing a variety of currently trends that plague our society.

This book could not have come to me at a better time. Speechless has a number of important factors, each receiving an appropriate level of critique and care. First, the bullying mob in the fiction hits close to home as I watch some of my own book blogging friends deal with the aftermath of a group of slandering individuals attempt to wreak havoc in their lives. These individuals have spoken against the unfair treatment of other book lovers, and they have paid a high price for their courage. In Speechless, Chelsea battles a similar battle. The teenage girl haphazardly shares a secret about a classmate, which then launches the entire plot of the book. However, she also comes forward and confesses to the police when an act of violence results from her actions. She suffers the consequences and faces an ongoing battle at her school, not because of her betrayal of the brutalized victim. When two of the popular jocks are taken into custody, resulting in Chelsea becoming a target for vandalism, threats and minor physical assault. Because she decided to do the right thing, she pays with her personal safety.
Second, this book has a very solid pro - homosexual aspect. This issue is a hotbed currently in the news, with the owner of a fast food chain, Chik-fil-a, condemning gay marriage. I won't bring in my own political beliefs (Oh, who am I kidding - I'll never set foot inside another one of their franchises EVER again), but we cannot deny that this issue is becoming an all out war. The book handles a gay relationship with care and tenderness, even in the face of a hate crime. The ending of the book is will make you want to laugh and cry all at once. I had a wonderful warm fuzzy feeling during the last 15% of the story. WARNING: You're going to need some tissues.

Finally, the plastic nature of popularity rears its ugly head as well in Harrington's novel. Chelsea falls from grace with the majority of the school as the result of her actions. Over time, Chelsea understands that her friendship with her old cliche was less than fulfilling. She overhauls her wardrobe (she hates the color pink), she delves into art and her former clothing projects, and she builds meaningful relationships with the people who accept her for who she is, not who they push her to be. She even realizes that the side effect of her former friendship not only caused her to be forced into a mold, but she also projected the same expectations on to others. Formerly, Chelsea expected others to conform to her expectations. I also applaud the author for adding that the male population can be just as cruel as the females. Typically, the popular boys are utilized as props or prizes for the female mean girls when popularity comes into the mix, but Hannington doesn't let the boys off that easily in the book. The guys hand out the same level of bitter bullying tactics as well. Don't get me wrong, girls can be poisonous. But boys can be just as petty and passive aggressive as girls. I am glad to see an author step up and point out that both genders can be spiteful and mean as well.
Chelsea's character doesn't follow the formula here. She loves celebrity gossip, she adores makeup over math, and she is a sucker for fashion. She has a change of heart, but she does not shed her Gossip Girl core in favor for the inner geek. I did not have much in common with Chelsea outside her hair color (redheads are the BEST!), but I did like that she was a teenage girl with teenage interests. I enjoyed the fact that I could bond with her, even though she and I are two very different people. Yes, girls who enjoy sports, books and intellectual stimulation have a right to the teenage persona, but not all girls in the non-popular field are going to be book toting video game nerds. Even I enjoy a nice dosage of celebrity blogs and I can spend money at Sephora like I am made of it. Bottom line is: I liked that this character for who she is, and that she was comfortable with being the girl who knew post-Oprah Tom Cruise.
This novel is such a beautiful tale about everything that is wrong with our teenagers. False flattery, intolerance, sacrificing the self in order to curry favor, and the stigma of popularity and happiness is stifling for young adults. I can recall high school: it was not the "best of times". The problems I read in the book were no different than the problems from my high school years. Cell phones, and electronic communication adds an extra dash of pressure into the whole stew as well.
Mechanically, I must confess I am torn about my final decision. Hannington develops Chelsea's voice as she slowly starts to change internally, and I could see a stark difference between the writing style as our main character began to develop. However, I did find that some of the flow was choppy, and that the novel, at times, seemed to be rushed and spotty. Story-wise, I found this the perfect blend of morality, romance, and civic rights. I found it pleasantly ironic that a story about a former popular white teenager becoming the platform for pro-gay rights and civil rights. Overall, I found the story delightful and not overbearing for the basic message that what you say can hurt others around you.

I will wrap with up with one of my favorite quotes: (and there are A LOT of highlight-worthy trinkets in the book)
I can't change what I've done and what I haven't done, but I can change what I do now.(less)

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Jan 21, 2013 Booknut rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-love-dearly, ethics-and-society, down-to-earth, heartbreaking-betrayal, heartwarming, high-school-dramas

Silence is golden...or so they say.

But there isn't anything golden behind Chelsea's vow of silence - in fact, the truth is as black and dappled with purple as Noah's healing bruise.

Chelsea swore herself to silence when her curiosity, need to fit in and please and not mention her loud mouth, got Noah into serious trouble, landing him in hospital. But silence is hard to keep when everyone has their own versions on what happened and some choice-names to say about you behind your back and to your f...more

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Jul 29, 2012 Rose rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-or-galley, netgalley, young-adult, contemporary, realistic-fiction, coming-of-age, tbr-challenge, tough-subjects, glbt, favorites, quarterly-challenge-6-2012

Initial Thoughts: I could say something completely cliche like "Speechless" left me speechless, but that's rather inaccurate and couldn't be further from the truth. Hannah Harrington's novel made me want to climb on rooftops and declare its awesomeness. Wonderfully constructed characters in a beautifully written novel - and it manages to be funny in spurts while tackling some very tough issues.

One of the best reads in YA I've read this year.

Full Review: "Speechless" is Hannah Harrington's second...more Initial Thoughts: I could say something completely cliche like "Speechless" left me speechless, but that's rather inaccurate and couldn't be further from the truth. Hannah Harrington's novel made me want to climb on rooftops and declare its awesomeness. Wonderfully constructed characters in a beautifully written novel - and it manages to be funny in spurts while tackling some very tough issues.

One of the best reads in YA I've read this year.

Full Review: "Speechless" is Hannah Harrington's second novel and the first that I've had the opportunity to read from her. It's one of those novels that completely blew me away in the spectrum of YA contemporary fiction, because it not only tackles a very tough subject with sensitivity and resolve, but also manages to be funny and have characters that genuinely leap from the page and come into their own as the novel progresses.

The story revolves around a high school student named Chelsea Knot, who would be aptly considered an "it" girl at her school - very popular, very chatty, engaged in the latest juicy gossip. Her gift of gab (or curse as one might put it) has enabled her to climb to the top of the social ladder. I'll admit that I wasn't endeared to Chelsea because of how she uses her gossip to pull strings and manipulate others into doing what she wants.

But goodness does she get a reality check. At a party, Chelsea's observance and subsequent spilling of details leads to a horrible event which ends up with one in the hospital, and two football players in the center of evens. Chelsea's devastated, and ultimately, she ends up doing the right thing by telling the truth of the event, but she becomes alienated by others in two measures - being the causation of the incident, and ultimately "ratting out" those that were directly responsible for it. So she's ostracized and put into a position where no one likes her at school or are at least cautious about her in the community. And her actions have consequences that reach far beyond and within her circles.

Believing fully that her telling ways were the fault of things, Chelsea takes a vow of silence, and moves to change herself in the process. She befriends some unlikely people (Sam and Asha as per example) who wouldn't have walked in her social circles prior to her vow of silence, and is alienated by people whom she used to be associated with, even called her best friend at one point. The characters are very well crafted, and I felt they were easy to identify with - it's easy to connect with their grief, humor, and overall interactions with each other. Even Chelsea, who does have her noted flaws, becomes someone that the reader can sympathize with as they watch her transformation in her vow of silence. I'm in awe of how well Harrington treats her grief, guilt, and gradual coming to terms and moving forward.

I couldn't put this book down when I read it and loved every moment. I would highly recommend this novel for those who like YA contemporary coming of age stories, with elements of romance, humor, a wonderful look into its tough subject matter and GLBT issues. It's a beautifully written work and I would no doubt look into Harrington's other works.

Overall score: 5/5

Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher Harlequin/HarlequinTeen.(less)

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Nov 10, 2012 Kaede rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: judge-a-book-by-its-cover, a-best-of-the-best, fantastic-characters, males-done-right, pure-awesomeness, realistic-fiction, netgalley-arcs-edelweiss, so-insanely-in-love-with, too-awesome-for-5-stars

"Words matter - how we use them and how we don't...At the end of the day you answer to yourself, no one else, so you'll be happy that you did."

One. Two. Three.

The seconds go by.

Four. Five. Six.

Minutes. Days. Weeks.

Chelsea Knot can not speak. Believing her silence will benefit everyone, and her voice no one, Chelsea sets out to undertake a vow of silence. Besides, who's going to miss the girl who was always a snobby bitch, who now adds traitor to her long list of hate-worthy traits. And after...more

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Oct 18, 2012 Nessa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, review

Well, the book I'm reviewing today was certainly an odd little chestnut! But one I enjoyed cracking open, nonetheless. Let's look at Speechless, a YA novel by Hannah Harrington.

Speechless tells the story of loudmouth popular girl Chelsea Knot. She and her best friend Kristen organise a New Year's party, and Chelsea winds up publicly outing Noah, a gay student she finds with his boyfriend in one of the bedrooms. Two of the jocks barge out after him, and lynch him. All because Chelsea couldn't kee...more

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Jan 14, 2013 Elaine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-in-2013-team-a, 2013-favourites, 2013-reads, contemporary, favourites, kindle, made-me-lol, romance, young-adult

Also posted on rabbitsfortea

You can be surrounded by people and still be lonely. You can be the most popular person in the school, envied by every girl and wanted by every boy, and still feel completely worthless. The world can be laid at your feet and you can still not know what you want from it.

The thing that first drew me to this book was the wonderfully simple cover that from far looks just like a blank paper. Speechless. This book is very aptly named and beautifully written. I honestly don...more Also posted on rabbitsfortea

You can be surrounded by people and still be lonely. You can be the most popular person in the school, envied by every girl and wanted by every boy, and still feel completely worthless. The world can be laid at your feet and you can still not know what you want from it.

The thing that first drew me to this book was the wonderfully simple cover that from far looks just like a blank paper. Speechless. This book is very aptly named and beautifully written. I honestly don't quite know how to put my feelings about this book down in words as I always do the books I love.

I can cut myself some slack somes. Because I'm a work in progress. Because nobody is perfect. At least, I acknowledge the mistakes I've made, and am making. At least I'm trying. That means something, doesn't it?

I think this quote perfectly sums up why I liked Chelsea so much. She starts out as a very flawed character but at the end of the book, I don't find that she has become a saint either. Yes, I still think that she has flaws but at the very least, she did look at herself and try to change.I can definitely appreciate that.

I really loved her new group of friends as well. Asher and Andy are both pretty hilarious and Sam is just downright sweet. I also loved how the romance between Chelsea and Sam played out. The pacing for the story was pretty spot on.

How it seems so impossible that someone could look at them, see how plainly they care for each other, and find anything ugly or shameful or worthy of hatred in it, when all I see is something beautiful.

Speechless also touches on the issue of bullying and homophobia, but it was done in a way that doesn't feel like it's trying to shove what's morally right down your throat. Rather, it is done in a more pensive manner which I really liked. It makes you think love, hatred, friendship, forgiveness and so much more. This was one YA contemporary that thankfully lived up to it's hype and made me fall in love with Harrington's writing and characters.

This book deserves a very solid 4 stars but it was just lacking that little something that takes my breath away, for me to actually rate it as 5 stars.(less)

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Jul 24, 2012 Lisa O. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, ebook, swoooooon, ya-lit

Hannah Harrington's fans won't be disappointed by Speechless.
I'll be honest, I didn't like it as much as Saving June and that is the reason why I cannot give it 5 stars. The mean girls theme and the Mc herself gave me the impression of a slightly "less mature" book, if I make any sense. Maybe meant for a younger audience as well, even though the main theme is as heavy as the death theme in Saving June.
It might be that I am a sucker for road trips and epic soundtracks but this was just a bit "le...more

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Aug 03, 2012 Anzu The Great Destroyer rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: chick-lit fans, teens, fans of the author

Shelves: contemporary, ya-is-dead, arc-galley, dropped-in-the-toilet, not-my-cup

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Jan 18, 2013 Marie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: good, worth-a-look, arc

Keeping secrets isn't my speciality. Never has been.

Popular Chelsea Knot was not very nice. She thought everyone other than Kirsten was beneath her and she wouldn't acknowledge or give the time of day to anyone outside her social group. When in a house party she notices two guys together she can't wait to get everyone's attention on her and well blab. But then things spiral out of control. Warren and Joey two very popular, buff and sporty guys think they should be taught a lesson they leave,...more Keeping secrets isn't my speciality. Never has been.

Popular Chelsea Knot was not very nice. She thought everyone other than Kirsten was beneath her and she wouldn't acknowledge or give the time of day to anyone outside her social group. When in a house party she notices two guys together she can't wait to get everyone's attention on her and well blab. But then things spiral out of control. Warren and Joey two very popular, buff and sporty guys think they should be taught a lesson they leave, hunting the two gay guys. Only the next morning one of them is in hospital in real bad shape.
Chelsea knowing that she can't possibly stay quiet rats them out to the cops getting both Warren and Joey arrested. Everyone at school seems to hate her, either for blabbing about the gay guys or for ratting out Warren and Joey. She takes a bow of silence hoping she will never hurt others by blabbing out things that she shouldn't. It seems to work. Communicating through writing has its benefits after all- she has to think before she writes.

Surprisingly loser Chelsea Knot WAS nice. She didn't dwell on the fact that everyone hated her but got up and moved on. She realised that she didn't miss nor want to be part of Kirsten's group.
She soon befriends Asha, a real sweet girl who sees the good in everyone and slowly her life seeems better. Sam is Noah and Andy's best friend. Noah is the gay guy in hospital and Andy's his boyfriend who works with Sam and Asha. Slowly but surely Chelsea begins to find herself and realises. Being popular isnt everything. She's never been more happy. Especially when she gets feelings for Sam that seems to be recited.

"I can't believe someone as good as you exists. I can't believe you even want to be around me. I can't believe how lucky I am when just weeks ago I thought my life was over."

Chelsea grows over the four weeks this book takes place. She isn't just who Kirsten wanted to be but she is Chelsea. Herself. The guilt she feels over what happens to Noah makes her become a better person.

'Hate is easy. Love takes courage." I loved that quote!

This book was very enlightening and I loved seeing Chelsea develop into a person that anyone would be lucky to have as a friend. I loved her vow of silence, it proved how strong she was. Even when she was being taunted and teased she stood her ground. I was even happy how someone who never had to or would stick up for herself put some people in their place. This was a very good read, Sam was an amazing person and I think he as well as Asha made Chelsea have the courage and determination to not be held down. (less)

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Jul 29, 2012 StefanieEmmy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Ein kurzer Text, catchy und vielversprechend. Noch dazu habe ich von Hannah Harringtons Debüt "Saving June" nur Gutes gehört. Ich habe mich voller Vorfreude auf "Speechless" gestürzt ... und bin nach wenigen Seiten in ein ernüchterndes Loch gefallen.

Alles was ich bei diesem Buch noch sehe ist eine Protagonistin, die für mich einfach nicht funktioniert hat. Es fällt mir wirklich schwer, andere Aspekte der Geschichte zu beurteilen, weil Chelsea mir so prominent vor Augen steht - und das ist extrem...more Ein kurzer Text, catchy und vielversprechend. Noch dazu habe ich von Hannah Harringtons Debüt "Saving June" nur Gutes gehört. Ich habe mich voller Vorfreude auf "Speechless" gestürzt ... und bin nach wenigen Seiten in ein ernüchterndes Loch gefallen.

Alles was ich bei diesem Buch noch sehe ist eine Protagonistin, die für mich einfach nicht funktioniert hat. Es fällt mir wirklich schwer, andere Aspekte der Geschichte zu beurteilen, weil Chelsea mir so prominent vor Augen steht - und das ist extrem schade, weil der Hintergrund ein sehr wichtiger und diskussionswürdiger ist. Es ist nur ein Satz, der Chelseas Leben komplett verändert, und nicht nur ihr Leben, sondern vor allem das von Noah, der danach für Wochen ans Krankenbett gefesselt ist, fast stirbt. Es führt Chelsea vor Augen, wie wenig es braucht, um das Leben eines anderen in Gefahr zu bringen.

Naja, glaube ich zumindest. So wirklich eingestehen tut sie sich diesen Umstand nicht. Chelsea ist egozentrisch, unsympathisch, naiv, hochnäsig, einfach zum-aus-der-Haut-fahren-nervig. Wie ich so aus ihrer Perspektive gelesen habe, hatte ich das Bedürfnis, ihr einfach mal eine zu kleben. Und dabei zu hoffen, dass sie vielleicht mit beiden Beinen im Leben landet.
Anfangs hat sie mich stark an Samatha aus "Before I Fall"/"Wenn du stirbst, zieht dein ganzes Leben an dir vorbei, sagen sie" (Lauren Oliver) erinnert, allerdings besteht hier der gravierende Unterschied, dass Samantha erstens ein spannender Charakter und zweitens viel selbstreflektierender ist als Chelsea.
Das wirklich schlimme ist das hier: Ich habe mich noch nicht mal gefreut wenn zur Abwechslung mal jemand nett zu Chelsea war und Leid getan hat sie mir auch nicht. Als zB Asha, die einzige die wirklich normal mit Chelsea umgeht, ihr anbietet bei den Matheaufgaben zu helfen, ist Chelseas erster Gedanke, dass sie so zumindest eine gute Note aus "dieser widerwilligen Kameradschaft" herausholen könnte.
Abgesehen von Genervtheit hat Chelsea keine Gefühle bei mir getriggert. Schlechte Ausganglage für einen Roman, der sich der Ich-Perspektive bedient und dazu noch sehr charakterorientiert ist.

Gestört hat mich außerdem, dass das mit dem Schweigen bei Chelsea viel zu einfacht funktioniert. Sie entscheidet einfach, nicht mehr zu sprechen, aber sie beklagt sich nie, dass es so viel einfacher wäre, zu sprechen. Wenn ich mir vorstelle auch nur einen Tag kein Wort von mir zu geben ... ich bin wirklich keine Quasselstrippe, aber es würde mir so unglaublich schwer fallen. Vor allem weil jeder mit der Zeit nachlässig wird. Unachtsam. Wenn man mit etwas wie einem Schweigegelübde beginnt ... das muss einem doch schwer fallen!
Aber bei Chelsea kein Gedanken in diese Richtung. Das kommt erst nach 1/3 des Buches, nachdem sie schon drei Tage problemlos geschwiegen hat.
Das nehme ich ihr einfach nicht ab.

Zu Chelseas Verteidigung muss ich sagen, dass sie mit den verstreigenden Tagen offener und fairer anderen gegenüber wird, aber die Freundschaften, die sie auf die Schnelle schließt ... naja, sagen wir, sie hat echt Glück, dass Asha und die anderen so leicht und schnell vergeben.
Dann plötzlich, fast von einer Seite zur nächsten, macht Chelsea einen kompletten Wandel durch. Man sieht richtig wie die Teile in ihrem Kopf zu einem Ganzen werden und ihre egoistische Art ist fast gelöscht.
Zumindest dieser Moment war schön zu lesen, aber es ändert nichts daran, dass Chelsea dieses Buch für mich ruiniert hat. Ich hätte es so viel interessanter gefunden, diese Geschichte aus Ashas Perspektive zu lesen. Oder aus Sams (kleine Info: das ist der love-interest, aber was ihn zu Chelsea hinzieht kann ich nicht verstehen).

Mehr als zwei Sterne schauen wirklich nicht heraus. Chelsea hat das Buch für mich ruiniert, aber ich werde der Autorin wohl trotzdem noch eine Chance geben und "Saving June" lesen.

Thanks to Harlequin and Netgalley for providing the ARC!(less)

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Sep 15, 2012 Eunice rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-netgalley-edelweiss, contemporary, young-adult, ya-romance, favourites, out-2012, realistic-fiction, taught-me-lessons

Speechless is one remarkable and outstanding novel that handled a very insightful issue with great depth and profundity in it. I'm amazed by how Hannah Harrigton effectively wrote Chelsea's story that would make every readers understand the situation, the characters, the consequences and see the lessons and messages behind it.

Chelsea at first wasn't a very likable character. She's shallow, indifferent and yes, doesn't know when to shut her mouth. That was until it caused a terrible and heavy co...more Speechless is one remarkable and outstanding novel that handled a very insightful issue with great depth and profundity in it. I'm amazed by how Hannah Harrigton effectively wrote Chelsea's story that would make every readers understand the situation, the characters, the consequences and see the lessons and messages behind it.

Chelsea at first wasn't a very likable character. She's shallow, indifferent and yes, doesn't know when to shut her mouth. That was until it caused a terrible and heavy consequences and she vowed to never speak again. I love how Harrigton wrote her character, she was so flawed but was very realistically written. Her character definitely bugged me in so many ways but when bad things started happening to her it was so easy to sympathize with her situation. Although that didn't mean I trusted her right away. But as she bit by bit realized stuff and things, as she gradually grew, changed and developed I started to really appreciate and love her character too.

Every aspect of her development was well hightighted. I love how it was efficiently carried thus helping the readers to completely relate and understand the repercussion of Chelsea's actions (as well as the other characters) and how it had affected her. Hannah Harrigton is definitely a great writer for being able to really reach me with Chelsea's story.

The secondary characters were one of the best parts of this book. Asha, Sam, Andy, Lou and Dex were all great characters and definitely appealing. I love that they were the kind of seconday characters that weren't forgettable. The scenes with them; the banters and dialogues were so fun and amusing to read. The romance was also a very lovely and sweet one. I love how Sam and Chelsea's realtionship developed, it was gradual and slow but really adorable and cute and sweet. Haha!

If you enjoyed Hannah Harrigton's Saving June I'm sure you're gonna love this one. Harrigton wrote an amazing realistic story with flawed yet totally relate-able character and with so much depth and insights. The writing is splendid and flowed so easily. And the development of the story as well as the characters is impressive. This is a very worthy read. I recommend this.

*Thank you Netgalley and HarlequinTeen for the review copy.

This review is also posted at Book Overdose (less)

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Aug 24, 2012 Jasprit rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: out-2012, arc-galley, readalong, read-in-2012, ya, contemporary, realistic-fiction

This book has seriously left me speechless, what I enjoyed most about going into this book was that I had no real idea what the book would be about. The main reason for picking it up was because it was by Hannah Harrington; I adored Saving June so couldn’t wait to get my hands on more of her books. I liked how the synopsis hardly gave anything away and the cover was simple yet so beautiful. I liked the fact that I had no expectations what so ever (this made me realise I should do this more often...more This book has seriously left me speechless, what I enjoyed most about going into this book was that I had no real idea what the book would be about. The main reason for picking it up was because it was by Hannah Harrington; I adored Saving June so couldn’t wait to get my hands on more of her books. I liked how the synopsis hardly gave anything away and the cover was simple yet so beautiful. I liked the fact that I had no expectations what so ever (this made me realise I should do this more often when picking up books).

Chelsea is best friends with the ever popular Kristen. Everyone wants to know Kristen, so having the merest association with her brings up ones reputation dramatically. Everyone looks up to you, but at the same time everyone is also afraid of you, they know never to get on your bad side. So when one night at Kristen’s famous New Year party Chelsea puts her foot in it. Chelsea has the reputation of being in the know of the latest gossip and for not being able to keep her mouth shut. On the night of the party she ends up seeing something never expected. Because of the shots she’d had earlier on she’s a bit slow at processing what’s she’s doing and instead of just telling Kristen in private she blurts it out in front of the entire football team. Before she knows it some of the football members get so heated up and decide to take things in their own hands. Everything’s escalated out of control because Chelsea decided to open her mouth. Chelsea feels totally responsible and decides to take a vow of silence, because everything that normally comes out of her mouth gets her into trouble any way.

One thing I’ve quickly come to realise about Hannah Harrington’s writing is she knows how to get under your skin. With Saving June there were so many parts which were raw and achy and left a huge lump in my throat. Harrington was quick to do the same with Speechless. Her writing flowed effortlessly that before I knew it I was more than half way through the book. She has a beautiful way of pulling you in and reaching out to you, so each word just plays with your emotions. Her writing also has a magnetic feel about it that it led me to form such strong connections with the characters. I wish I could go on and describe how Harrington’s words affected me but I think my explanation would fall way short.

The main character Chelsea I found I could hugely relate to, she’d found herself in such a tough situation and left totally helpless. She was an interesting character’s head to be in; having to deal with the backlash and then suddenly to come to the realisation of what kind of a person she really was. She did however surprise me with her humour; despite everything going on she was still able to see the funny side to things. However I was also sort of conflicted about her through the book, it was because of Chelsea and her big mouth that the unexpected event took place, and I understood that’s why she felt that she couldn’t talk afterwards, but at times I found it infuriating that she didn’t talk, because did she think that by not talking it would make everything okay again? But then at other times I felt for her because of all the crap she had to deal with afterwards, she didn’t once open her mouth to giving a biting comment back, it certainly would have alleviated her situation a lot more, but by not talking she made herself an easy target.

The secondary characters that emerged in this story I hugely adored, Asha, Sam and even Andy against their better judgement were there when needed. They easily showed that sometimes friendship can be found in the most unexpected places.

Speechless was such a captivating read, it’s the first book in so long that I took everywhere I went, I just couldn’t bear to put it down. It was a book where the characters displayed depth, and I ended up truly admiring each and everyone as they brought something different to the story. Harrington is another great author whose books I finally decided to pick up this year, she has truly impressed me with her books so far that I cannot wait to pick up more of her future work soon.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin for the opportunity to read this book.

Also thank you to Leanne for reading this with me! If you haven’t already you can check out her awesome review here

This review and more can be found on The Readers Den (less)

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Aug 02, 2012 Jennifer rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Chelsea Knot loves to gossip. It is exciting to have the latest news and have everyone gather around her and be so impressed with what she knows. If you find out a friend is messing around with another friend's boyfriend you should tell right? But Chelsea doesn't always think about how the other people will accept this information. One night while at a party she catches one of her male classmates messing around with another male and decides it is hot gossip, not knowing that her best friend's bo...more Chelsea Knot loves to gossip. It is exciting to have the latest news and have everyone gather around her and be so impressed with what she knows. If you find out a friend is messing around with another friend's boyfriend you should tell right? But Chelsea doesn't always think about how the other people will accept this information. One night while at a party she catches one of her male classmates messing around with another male and decides it is hot gossip, not knowing that her best friend's boyfriend will physically assault him.

By the book's description I was worried I would dislike Chelsea but she actually does the right thing right off the bat. She knows her best friend will be mad and that she will face consequences but she still comes forth and tells the truth of what she knows. I was really proud of her cause doing the right thing really is hard when there is such strong peer pressure. Being bullied every single day at school for doing the right thing is so unfair and horrible but that really does happen. The kids were all pure evil and attacked Chelsea for standing up and turning in the guy who did wrong. I did not understand how the heck these kids could seriously think it was wrong to turn in someone who put another student in the hospital?!!?!?

Now that Chelsea has seen the error of her ways she decides to take a vow of silence. Speaking before thinking gets her in trouble so she writes on a whiteboard. I was glad Chelsea was changing her ways but being completely silent isn't always the answer either. Sometimes you have to speak up and she slowly learns the balance between standing up for what is right and thinking before you speak. She also has some great new friends that see the real her and are so kind and understanding. Her so called best friend was never a good friend and having real friends allows Chelsea to grow. Also a cute and sweet boy named Sam. The romance wasn't a huge part of the book but they had a nice friendship that built into a great romance.

Sometimes I wonder how I survived high school. lol But really this book dealt with some very serious bullying issues and I thought it was handled really realistically and well which at times was very sad and disturbing. I felt so very depressed and angry and then scared all through the book along with Chelsea. Anyone that would have to go through something like this is a very strong person. I was a huge fan of Saving June and I loved this one as well. Can't wait to see what Hannah Harrington writes next!

His eyes flicker over my face. "I really want to kiss you right now," he blurts out. "If that's okay."
He leans toward me, slowly, inch by inch, leaving me plenty of time to pull away from him. I don't. Instead I close my eyes and hold my breath as I wait for his mouth to meet mine, the anticipation tingling all the way from my stomach to my throat. I can feel him coming closer, his breath warm against my cheek in contrast to the freezing air, make me shiver.

And when it happened I did nothing. It barely even registered; it was like white noise. Sometimes I even laughed along for show. At least it wasn't being said about me-and I know how embarrassed I would've been if it had, because that was how awful everyone I hung out with agreed being gay was. And I thought it was okay as long as I didn't actively participate, that it was enough for me to secretly believe in my heart of hearts that there was absolutely nothing wrong with being gay even if I never dared say it out loud.
I thought it was enough, and it is so far from enough. I can't change what I've done and what I haven't done, but I can change what I do now. I can actually do something. Stand for something. (less)

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Feb 18, 2013 Rashika rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, mind-blown, good-female-leads, read-2013, realistic-contemporary, guys-one-cannot-help-falling-for, good-romances, 2013-favorties

“Ms. Davidson said I couldn’t shut out the world, but my question is, why can’t I do just that? It’s what the world wants. It’s the only way to keep myself out of trouble”.

I read Saving June a while ago and after finishing it, I was convinced I had to read Speechless as well. It took me a while to get around to it but I am so glad I read it. I think it was even better, not because it had a better writing style or better characters, but because it wasn’t a tragedy. Like I mentioned in the review...more

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Aug 29, 2012 Maja rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-favorites, arc-2012, contemporary-fiction, favorites, highly-anticipating-2012, just-another-book-crush, ya, reviewed-in-2012

A popular girl, queen bee’s best friend, in fact, but one that never felt like she really belonged, commits an unforgivable offense against the in-crowd and becomes a social outcast overnight. Left without other options and tired of being the target of abuse, she starts spending time with the weird girl and her group of friends and, after a lot of personal growth and quite a few enlightening moments, realizes there’s more to life than malls and glitter.

Yes, that is a description of at least a h...more A popular girl, queen bee’s best friend, in fact, but one that never felt like she really belonged, commits an unforgivable offense against the in-crowd and becomes a social outcast overnight. Left without other options and tired of being the target of abuse, she starts spending time with the weird girl and her group of friends and, after a lot of personal growth and quite a few enlightening moments, realizes there’s more to life than malls and glitter.

Yes, that is a description of at least a hundred YA contemporary books. Yes, Speechless is one of them. Yes, I usually stay as far away from them as possible, and I intend to keep doing that in the future. But this is Hannah Harrington, you know? And despite all my fears and reluctance, she truly made it work.

That’s not to say that I didn’t struggle at the beginning. The mean girls theme is one of my deal-breakers – those things I just can’t force myself to read about, and that’s what the beginning of Speechless is all about. It didn’t help that Chelsea, the main character, was constantly trying to prove herself to them. Such things always leave a bad taste in my mouth. I still remember Pink by Lili Wilkinson and the exact moment I realized that her main character, Ava, reached the point of no redemption. All those Very Important Life Lessons that came after couldn’t save her in my eyes. When you’re done, you’re done.

I loved that, loved that I mattered, that people were jealous. I loved turning heads. It didn’t matter that most of them were looking at Kristen; I was in their line of vision, and that totally counted for something. Being on the radar at all. It made me more than average. It was everything to me.

Fortunately, Chelsea realized the magnitude of her mistakes just before reaching that point. I was angry with her, but Harrington’s timing was superb, and that’s what saved the book for me. She turned things around at the very last acceptable moment, and she exposed her main character to abuse, which made me feel sorry for her first, and gave me a chance to genuinely like her later.

Oddly enough, romance was once again my favorite part. A slowly developed attraction between a normal-looking boy (no heart-stopping gorgeousness here) and a very flawed girl was simply too realistic and heartwarming to ignore. I loved how Sam changed in Chelsea’s eyes. At first, she saw nothing special about him, apart from the fact that he was being nice to her when he had every reason not to be, but after some time together she started seeing him differently, until suddenly nothing about him felt ordinary anymore. That’s the kind of love I want to read about – just people falling in love with other people. We can’t all fall for, or even appreciate, perfection.

… I was never happy before, and I never even realized it. You can be surrounded by people and still be lonely. You can be the most popular person in school, envied by every girl and wanted by every boy, and still feel completely worthless. The world can be laid at your feet, and you can still not know what you want from it.

In the end, I feel it’s necessary to point out that Speechless is nothing like Saving June. On the one hand, it’s a good thing. Diversity is always good and it would be a disaster if a young author like Hannah Harrington fell into a repetitive pattern. On the other hand, if you’re expecting to recreate the emotions Saving June left you with, you might end up just a little bit disappointed. Separate these two books in your mind and then go out to grab a copy of Speechless. I doubt you’ll regret it.
(less)

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Sep 18, 2012 Alex rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, for-review, teen-ya, net-galley, aussie

At First Sight: Chelsea Knot can't keep a secret, everyone knows that. She likes to know everything about everyone just a touch less than she likes sharing her knowledge with the world, particularly with Kristen, her best friend and the most popular girl of their class.

This time - during one of Kristen's parties - Chelsea stumbles upon a really big secret about one of her classmates, Noah, and before she knows it she has told everyone and her actions have consequences that she never imagined bef...more At First Sight: Chelsea Knot can't keep a secret, everyone knows that. She likes to know everything about everyone just a touch less than she likes sharing her knowledge with the world, particularly with Kristen, her best friend and the most popular girl of their class.

This time - during one of Kristen's parties - Chelsea stumbles upon a really big secret about one of her classmates, Noah, and before she knows it she has told everyone and her actions have consequences that she never imagined before.

So Chelsea decides to take a vow of silence, since opening her mouth always gets her and the people around her in serious trouble. Still, the vow turns out to be harder than expected, when she wants to speak up, when she's being bullied by those who were supposedly her best friends, when she things would just be easier if she could say what she means.

Still, the vow takes her to unexpected places, like to meeting new friends Asha and Sam (who happen to be close to Noah) and hanging out with them at the dinner they work at, Rosie's, and dealing with the fall out of the things she has done.

Second Glance: Speechless was an interesting book. I wasn't expecting much of it since I didn't like Saving June all that much - I thought it was okay but nothing didn't love it as much as everyone else seemed too.

Speechless was a happy surprise. I really liked Chelsea from the start - I thought I would hate her because of what she did, but instead I felt a lot of compassion for her.

She was a bit of a bully, partially because she was a huge gossip, but mostly because she went along to get along and let her friends do questionable things without protesting.

But when it mattered, she did the right thing even though it cost her and her family a lot. It does take her a while to realize she might not want her old life back after all, but the way she thought felt very true of a teenager.

I liked Asha, Sam and Andy, and generally all the new people that Chelsea meets, they were a lot nicer than her old friends.

I did think that, toward the end, the book got a little trite and the ending was a little anti-climatic and clichéd, but at least it was sweet and it ended in a good place.

Bottom Line: Speechless was a very pleasant surprise to me. It had humor, and I really liked the characters I was supposed to like and disliked the ones I was supposed to dislike, and it worked well for the most part. All in all, Speechless was a very engaging read(less)

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Aug 27, 2012 Donna The Happy Booker rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: because-someone-else-liked-it, 2012-dac-read, 2012-ya-contemp-challenge, contemporary, ebook, read-in-2012, school-setting, ya

Chelsea Knot is the best friend of the most popular girl at school and is known for her ability to ferret out, and expose, the good gossip. When she spills a secret that has violent repercussions, Chelsea makes a decision to do the right thing even if it means losing that all-important popularity. Suddenly, she's on the outside and getting back all that she's dished out in the past and then some. An article she reads in the National Geographic inspires her to take a vow of silence since talking...more Chelsea Knot is the best friend of the most popular girl at school and is known for her ability to ferret out, and expose, the good gossip. When she spills a secret that has violent repercussions, Chelsea makes a decision to do the right thing even if it means losing that all-important popularity. Suddenly, she's on the outside and getting back all that she's dished out in the past and then some. An article she reads in the National Geographic inspires her to take a vow of silence since talking without thinking has gotten her into this mess.

The beginning of Speechless was very slow and angst filled. The characters were all largely unlikable, a bunch of selfish, shallow teens with entitlement issues. I couldn't stand Chelsea and didn't feel particularly sorry for the position she found herself in. I even thought about marking this DNF and moving on to something else. I'm really glad that I didn't though, because as the story progressed, it slowly became more than it first appeared.

The vow of silence she took seemed to be for selfish attention seeking reasons initially, but the unforeseen result of not speaking allows her to really examine the person that she is as well as the people and things she had surrounded herself with. Her silence also caused her to listen more fully to what people where saying and to consider their words instead of simply replying. Through her vow, she learns about friendship, accountability, loyalty, and the power of words. Her character grows very slowly throughout the story as she acknowledges some hard truths about herself and attempts to become worthy of the new friends she's made and, of course, the boy. There's always a boy... :)

No flowery prose or layers of meaning, the writing was as simple and straightforward as the story itself and felt authentic and perceptive. I enjoyed Speechless much more than I thought I would after reading the first couple chapters and encourage anyone who chooses to read this to push through that initial reaction to these characters because the book does get much much better.(less)

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