I picked up Speechless by Hannah Harrington while visiting my brother in Lubbock a few months ago (the same day I purchased Bitter End). The gorgeous pearl colored cover, with no other decoration other than the raised letters that make up the title. It's beautiful cover immediately had my attention and, once I read the synopsis, I was sold.
When sophomore Chelsea Knot in on two guys making out at her best friend's New Years Eve bash, she can't help but make it public almost as soon as she has the chance. After all, she's known for not being able to keep a secret and she isn't exactly sober at this point in the night. She assumes it's harmless, just a bit of juicy gossip, but then two boys from her class decide they're going to teach the two "a lesson" and leave the party, she realizes that it might not have been as harmless as she thought. The next day, she learns that Noah, one of the boys she had walked in on, is in the hospital in a coma caused by a beating he received the night before. Her best friend swears her to secrecy, but Chelsea's conscience compels her to speak and the two boys who left the party are arrested on assault charges.
Disgusted by the way her own mouth has caused so much pain and suffering, Chelsea decides to take a vow of silence. If what she's said has caused this much damage, she decides she won't say anything at all. Upon her return to school, not only is her vow tested by teachers who believe she's only finding a new way to slack off, but by the harassment of classmates. Not only has she been pegged as the girl who caused Noah's beating via her loose tongue, but she has also been outcasted and harassed by those who used to be her friends for turning in the attackers.
Refusing to back down in her decision, she keeps her mouth shut in the face of this, even as she begins fear for her own safety in the face of the growing harassment. It isn't long before she makes some unlikely friends in the face of all the drama and, slowly, Chelsea learns that sometimes it's better to speak up than to stay silent after all.
I really enjoyed this book. Each of the characters was well-rounded and believable; the pacing was perfect and the plot itself carried out impeccably. It's very important, when dealing with such important content as Speechless did, that everything be as realistic and believable as possible and I really think Harrington cleared that hurdle with flying colors.
I would absolutely recommend this to anyone looking for a good read with an interesting topic and characters that feel like they could walk right out of the pages. It's quite the page-turner and I honestly would have read the entire book in one sitting if sleep hadn't been absolutely necessary. I will definitely be keeping my eye out for more of her works, because Hannah Harrington definitely knows what she's doing.
Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
"I just think she could really use a friend right now."
"And you're volunteering for the position," he says skeptically.
"I don't think she has anyone else," she tells him. "Everyone is mad at her."
"I'm not saying we should be gathering the pitchforks or anything, but come on. Did it ever occur to you maybe she deserves it?"
"You don't know, Sam. It's not just about Noah . . . it's about her ratting out those basketball players."
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