Speechless by Hannah Harrington Review

About the book:

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 anyone 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 the 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.

My Review:

Chelsea gets drunk at a party one night and sees something she should not have.  She announces the secret at the party and because of what she says a fellow student is almost killed.  Chelsea decides to stop speaking so that she cannot hurt anyone again and while it is difficult for her she finds a hidden strength in listening instead of talking.  She also manages to make some new friends who help her to realize that there is more to life than being popular in school.

I had read Saving June by Hannah Harrington last year and I loved it so I was really looking forward to reading Speechless and I was not disappointed. I loved everything about this book- the story, the characters, the writing style, and the ability Harrington has to bring back all of the joy and pain of being in high school.

The book begins with the party and its consequences and it is an emotional read from the beginning.  It is such a sad situation that although I did not like Chelsea at the beginning, I did feel sorry for her and what happened.  Harrington does a great job of showing Chelsea's remorse and following her on her "spiritual journey" made for a very enjoyable read.

I loved all of the new people that Chelsea befriends in the book, her fellow workers at the diner.  They all seemed to have so much fun while working together and everyone had a different aspect of their personality that really added to the story.

I think Hannah Harrington is a very talented YA author, she really knows how to create a story that pulls at your emotions.  I would highly suggest this book to any YA fans, it is a great story that will have you thinking about it long after you have finished reading it.

My rating:  4 1/2 stars out of 5

I received this book from NetGalley for a review.