Review: Speechless by Hannah Harrington

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

Chelsea Knot can’t keep a secret.
Until now.
Everyone’s shared gossip that they shouldn’t have – but the last time Chelsea told a secret nearly got someone killed.
So Chelsea takes a vow of silence. If she keeps her mouth shut, at least things can't get any worse, right?
Wrong.
Suddenly taking a stand’s making previously popular Chelsea a social outcast. But finding a new ways to communicate is making her new friends in unexpected places; especially rebellious skateboarder Sam.
Sam’s the last person who should give Chelsea a second chance. It’s his best friend who her gossip hurt the most – yet he’s the only one who understands.
And the only one who can help Chelsea discover who she really is
…and who she wants to be.

MY TAKE:
I read and liked the author's first book Saving June, so I thought I would give this book a try.

In Speechless, Chelsea is a popular, gossipy sophomore who finds out the hard way that while her gossiping can make her feel good, it can seriously harm other people.

I enjoyed this book, although I think I would have liked it more if I hadn't read Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, Keeping the Moon by Sarah Dessen, and The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen beforehand.

The plot and how Chelsea reacted to things were all quite believable, and except for the part wherein she spilled the big secret, I pretty much agreed with the things she did and thought. However, I didn't really connect with Chelsea as much as I thought I would. I was able to relate more with the introspective and funny Melinda Sordino from Speak. That said, I do believe that there are plenty of girls out there who will be able to relate to Chelsea. She likes fashion, she's a bit girly, and she does okay in school. In short, she's your typical all-American girl.

The book touches on a lot of important topics such as the ill effects of gossip, homophobia, and the ridiculous social hierarchy in high schools. I'm glad that the book was able to discuss all these things without it becoming preachy. Everything was presented and dealt with at the right pace and with the right tone.

My favorite part of the story, though, was the interaction of the different characters who work at Rosie's. It reminded me so much of the crew at the Last Chance Diner in Keeping the Moon mixed with the Wish catering crew from The Truth About Forever. It's hard to bring a large amount of side characters into the mix and make it work, but it works well here.

Thanks to NetGalley and MiraInk for the e-ARC.

THE GOOD:

1. It deals with a lot of important topics.
2. It doesn't come of as preachy.
3. There are a lot of interesting characters.

THE BAD:

1. Chelsea might not be relatable to everyone.

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

Nothing has changed. I'm still the same Chelsea Knot. Bow down, bitches.

READ IT IF:

1. You are looking for a book with a normal high school heroine who can still stick up for herself.
2. You've been bullied before.
3. You hate bullies and homophobic people.

RATING:


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