REVIEW: Speechless by Hannah Harrington

Title: Speechless
Author: Hannah Harrington - Website || Twitter || Facebook
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Published: August 28, 2012
Format: Netgalley eARC* 288 pages
Rating: 5/5
Get it: Amazon | B&N | The Book Depository

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 thoughts, feelings, and reactions.

Hannah Harrington has stepped it up a notch with her latest book, Speechless. I loved her previous book, Saving June, and couldn’t turn down the chance to read Speechless. Did Hannah Harrington disappoint me? No way! She blew me away and surpassed any expectations I had. Any hesitations I had with this book disappeared on that first page. Speechless was not just any ordinary book that I fell in love with easily, it was more.

Chelsea Knot: secret-teller and gossiper extraordinaire.


She cannot keep her mouth shut, cannot keep a secret, and must tell everyone and anyone any juicy information that comes her way. One moment and more than a few words said causes a near death experience for another, causes Chelsea’s popularity by association to crumble down to barely nothing, and brings Chelsea to make a vow of silence. From the start, I found Chelsea to be bold and daring with the way she threw around secrets. Chelsea was also hilariously funny, I had to fight off my laughter! She astounded me with what she did and although I didn’t like the way she handled things in the beginning, Chelsea showed enormous growth and change after her downfall and throughout the book. Even through the heavy bullying and harassment Chelsea gets from her old friends, she still holds her head high. Along the way, Chelsea learns to think before she speaks, to balance between speaking up and keeping quiet for the right reasons and she discovers true and real friendship from the most unlikely group of people.

The Romance: heart-warming and smile-like-a-fool worthy.


It’s not the main focus of the story and it’s not all consuming. It’s just right. It’s slow and sweet and it builds and builds into this natural, inevitable and real relationship between Sam and Chelsea. Sam is not your typical, drop-dead-gorgeous love interest. He’s not the most popular or most coveted. Sam is cute and quirky and dorky in the most attractive and appealing way possible. He’s fun to be around. When he’s present, he makes you smile. Best of all, he’s friendly and such a great guy that he doesn’t judge, but gives Chelsea a chance to show she’s more than that girl.

Hannah Harrington’s writing: powerful and moving.


There is just something about her writing that I cannot pinpoint exactly what it is that is so easy to read. It's so deep and profound that it really packs in the emotions and just hits home. She creates a relatable, well crafted, well thought out book that brings in bullying and other high school issues front and center to the reader. Her writing just draws you in so consumingly that there is no way you’re coming out of it the same. Speechless made me want to become a better person than the one I was before. It made me want to make a difference; to be there for Chelsea and to stand up for her when others chose not to. Hannah Harrington’s writing leaves you touched like no other book has before. 

Overall, Speechless was the perfect novel about self-discovery, redemption, and finding true happiness in yourself and others. I highly recommend, not just Speechless, but anything Hannah Harrington writes!


*Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin Teen for making it possible for me to read this book.