Chelsea is the best friend of the most popular girl in the school, Kristen. So Chelsea is popular. She doesn't care what rules she breaks or who she hurts -- it's all about pleasing Kristen and staying in her good graces.
They are at a party, pretty drunk, and Chelsea sees something and doesn't hesitate to tell everyone. Because of that, someone else is seriously hurt, and Chelsea comes to the realization that maybe she should learn to keep her mouth shut. So she does.
Everyone at school hates Chelsea for what she did. She's the victim of vandalism and bullying. And through it all she says nothing. She even manages to make some new friends -- without speaking a word. But Chelsea is so down on herself that she can't believe anyone would want to be her friend.
The main theme in Speechless is about maturing. Chelsea and even her ex-friends do a lot of soul-searching and evolving, hopefully for the better.
The addition of a little romance helps with the heavy, somewhat dismal situation. There is growth and change, as well as hope, at the end of Speechless.
Speechless is a book with a message. It's simple and well paced, but Harrington doesn't hesitate to spell it out. I wouldn't call it preachy, but she certainly doesn't leave it to the reader to figure out the lessons that Speechless has to teach.
Speechless is well-written, easy to read, and relatively short. I am enthused about passing this one on to my contemporary fans.
Published by Harlequin Teen, August 28, 2012
Copy won from Tara @ Fiction Folio
268 pages
Rating: 3.5/5
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I really enjoyed this novel. I felt it dealt with an issue that every teen deals with. I think no matter how hard people try there is always gossip and they don't realize at times how much it can hurt people.
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