Book Freak: Book Review: Speechless by Hannah Harrington

28 January 2013

Book Review: Speechless by Hannah Harrington

Title: Speechless
Author: Hannah Harrington
Source: Netgalley

Review:

Hate is easy, but sometimes love is easy, too. When you find it.

When will you shut up and mind your own business?

Meet Chelsea Knot. She's the school biggest gossip. She has her way in knowing every single juicy news before it hit the news rack the nest day. She's friend with the ever popular Kristen, and together they remind me so much of:

It all started with a secret that was supposed to be kept that way until the infamous Chelsea Knot ran into them, and just couldn't kept her mouth shut.

And just when her friend, Kristen wanted her to keep her mouth just, she just couldn't. She tried, but a life was involve and she felt responsible. So against the wishes of her best friend, she spilled - and now her life was changing big time.

The Consequences
All actions has corresponding consequences and Chelsea didn't expect the consequences of her actions - drunk or sober. Her big mouth just landed one person in the hospital, two people in jail, rendered her friendless, isolated and the target of bullying. Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

The Vow of Silence

Chelsea Knot: Me + Talking = Bad News!

I could not manage a vow of silence - even for a day. Communication is a very important part of our daily lives - and talking covers 3/4 of it. After all, you can talk your ideas faster than you writing it. But Chelsea did it anyway. When she realized her big mouth cost her everything - she decides to zip it and took a vow of silence.

Seriously! She doesn't speak at all!

New Life. New Friends. New Chelsea
Her new vow of silence had changed her. It made her see things she was blinded to see when she was popular. She lost her so-called friends- but she gained new ones. People she didn't expect to befriend her. Asha, an Indian who taught her Geometry until she got herself a decent grade, as well as knitting, she even brought her to Rosie's - her workplace. Sam he gave her a chance and taught her to make amazing tuna melts (although she can't master it still) & he even taught her how to skate. There's Andy - he's much more complicated to win him over. Nevertheless, she earned great friends - not popular but REAL .

She found a new love, someone who stood by her and helped her throughout this ordeal. He even helped including her family. He made Chelsea happy despite the circumstances that surrounds her. And I'll never thought I'll say this - but after all she has been through - She deserves it!

Chelsea changed. It wasn't an instant 180 turn - but the progress made it even more realistic. Starting reading the book, I didn't think I'd like her. I hated the mean girls at school. I hated the bullies and anyone who gets away with anything grave. But she proved to be different. She's brave. Brave enough to loose her friends, and status (that I think is a VERY BIG DEAL in high school). Her attitude: yes, the b*tchiness, made her survive all those stones that were thrown at her. She kept her vow of silence and though was tempted to speak out at times, she made it through until it was the right time to finally speak.

Speechless
Hannah Harrington, I'm Speechless.

Speechless is about the consequences of what we thought would be an innocent action. It's about doing the right thing even though it means losing some things that are important to you. It's sticking & ratting out friends who deserves it. Being brave enough to acknowledge you have done something wrong - and being brave enough to be sorry about it.

Speechless is about friendship. It's about love. It's about choices and consequences.

Review Grade:

Favorite Quotes:

“Hate is... It's too easy. Love. Love takes courage.”
“I guess that’s the thing about riding on cloud nine—it can’t last forever. And that particular fall was hard and fast.”
“It's like he knows everything. And I don't have to say a word.”
“Keeping secrets isn't my specialty.”
“I'm an expert at finding out secrets, but keeping them- especially a secret of this magnitude - is something else.”
“Running my mouth has hurt enough people already - the least I can do is to shut up.”