Author- Hannah Harrington
Published- August 28th, 2012
HarlequinTeen
288 pages
Received from Netgalley
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's 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 if 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.
I know I am a bit of a latecomer to the Hannah Harrington boat, but I know now that I will for sure be reading more of her works. Not only did Speechless grab my attention from the first sentence, but it also taught a very important life lesson in the process.
I'm not sure what to think of the cover. I definitely think my preference goes to the plain white cover, but if they end up going with the cover in my review I definitely wont be upset. I do know that attention has been called to the fact that this cover is almost identical to a book with the same title. I'm not sure I like the cover being such a copy cat. There are so many creative people out there and no one could come up with a different cover?!
Chelsea was such a dynamic character and her story was just fascinating. I loved how she was unafraid to go after what she believed in, even if that meant at the expense of a friendship and usage of her voice. She definitely wasn't one of the most interesting characters I have ever come across, but definitely not the most boring. She actually led a pretty average lifestyle which made her very easy to relate to.
The best character by far had to be Sam. I mean, come on! Who wouldn't just fall head over heels for him. I loved his quirkiness and easy- going nature, but most especially I loved the romance between him and Chelsea. I am such a sucker for a cute teen romance, and this book was the embodiment of my love.
Asha, Chelsea's new best friend was fantastic also, as were her new "family" that consisted of Dex, Lou, Noah, and Andy. Each had their own faults that added to an already eclectic group of super cool characters.
While reading this book I had many quotes stand out to me, but I had one that really hit home. I know this one has affected many other readers, but I wanted to share it and share the love.
"Hate is...too easy," he says. His face is calm, calmer than it has any right to be, his eyes not wavering from mine, like he's so completely sure of what he's saying. "Love. Love takes courage."
I'm telling you, just reading it gives me the chills. Really, the whole book was a special read. It was really empowering to read something that screams "stand up for yourself" and "do what's right for not just you, but others also".
One issue that I did have that hopefully (*fingers crossed*) they fix in the the finished version are the choppy transitions. I found myself getting confused as to where I was location wise in the story because there was no separation between what happened thirty minutes ago and now. It felt like I was just continuing on to a new paragraph, but really I was getting transitioned from a car to a kitchen in a span of three words.
Overall, I really loved Speechless. It was gritty and raw while still maintaining the cutesy romance aspect that attracts so many readers. I will for sure be reading more books by Mrs. Harrington now that I know how fabulous of an author she is!
