Title: Speechless
Author: Hannah Harrington
Release Date: 28th August 2012
My Rating: 5/5
Blurb:
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 everyone
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 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…
In A Nutshell:
Words can't really describe how awesome this book is, no pun intended. It is a story about standing up and doing the right thing, even if the consequences may seem too much. Being yourself and finding true friends and happiness is always an option, if you let it be one. I have big love for this book.
My Review:
Wow. I am absolutely speechless, no pun intended. This book was amazing. I had very high expectations after the brilliance of Saving June, and Speechless totally lived up to them.
Speechless is a novel about bullying, homophobia, self-esteem, the meaning of friendship and forgiveness. It is about thinking before you speak and how your actions can affect others.
Chelsea is an incredibly strong character. She never used to think about what she did or said because it meant she got to be popular and she felt it was justified because being part of the "in crowd" at high school is the only way to survive. It’s no excuse for her behaviour but Speechless shows how you can change for the better and still find happiness even if everything you once thought was important is taken away from you. As she distances herself from toxic friendships, she discovers that not all friendships require so much work and that there are people out there that wont try and change you, but will like the real you and let you be you and wont make you feel guilty for the things you like in life.
There will always be people like Warren and Joey and Lowell and Derek. But there will always be people like Asha and Sam, Lou and Dex, Andy and Noah. Stand up to bullying. Find your voice. Don’t be Speechless. Words matter. There are always consequences.
