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A review by janina_reads
Speechless by Hannah Harrington
3.0
Three and a half stars.
I very much felt like the odd one out after not enjoying Hannah Harrington's debut, Saving June, and wasn't even inclined the give the author a second try. Still, this book sounded too interesting to pass - and I am glad I gave it a chance. If anything, Speechless is insanely readable, the pages flying by in what feels like minutes instead of hours. I really enjoyed the reading experience, and would definitely encourage others to pick this book up, but still, there were some things that I felt were missing.
Actually, I had not expected to like Chelsea after reading a less favourable early review of this book. Talking without thinking and then regretting it afterwards - but mostly only because she herself had to suffer her inconsiderate actions? Hmm. Now, after finishing the book, I definitely have to say that despite her weaknesses, I enjoyed reading from Chelsea's point of view and did not resent her for her actions - although I probably should have. She is not the multi-facetted character like for example Sam from Before I Fall or Regina from Some Girls Are, but her situation is somewhat similar to theirs. Wanting to please her popular, mean girl best friend Kristen, Chelsea has carelessly destroyed numerous reputations and relationships by spreading rumours and gossip - unconcerned and uncaring about what that meant for the people in question. Now, after owning up to her actions for the very first time, admitting what she did was wrong and taking responsibility, she learns what it means to be on the receiving end of rumours, people whispering behind your back, even being attacked and harrassed by people you believed to be your friends. Chelsea defininitely takes an unusual road in terms of dealing with this, but that is what made me want to read this book in the first place, so I certainly won't complain. What I do like to point out, though, is that I felt that Chelsea's transformation from mean girl to, well, not-mean girl, happened too fast and without the reader really taking part in it. We never really experience Chelsea's former self first-hand, mostly only in form of flashbacks.And when her old friends start to shun her at school - even threathen her, insult her - she very quickly decides that her old self was just born out of the want to please people not really worth it, and that she actually never really felt at home with their group. It is easy for her to move on to new friends, who strangely see the good in her despite her past and actually go to greath lenghts to make her part of their own circle of friends. For me, that was just not realistic. There was just such a gap between the "bad people" hating Chelsea for what she did and making her life hell - really, are people still that backward, hateful and stuck up in small town USA? - and the "good people" trying to help her.
Still, I couldn't help but love the guys who took Chelsea in and helped her through the hard times she was getting at school. I have a thing for their kind of friendships - always there for one another, but still teasing each other at every chance they get. The diner they all worked at was a great setting for that, I definitely would have liked to work there as well. What irked me a bit in that area, though, were Chelsea's parents - after what her daughter went through they were so concerned about her decision to take a vow of silence, would they really not care when she stayed out late every night without telling them where she was? I get that they had a rough time and problems themselves, but I really can't imagine them not wanting to know where their sixteen year-old daughter spent her evenings. I am not saying she shouldn't be allowed to spend time at the diner, I just feel like it should have been of interest to her parents, who came across as very sensible and caring in other aspects of this story.
What I loved, though, was Sam, and I thought that his relationship with Chelsea was really cute, even if it lacked that certain spark I had wished for. Asha was an intersting character as well, and I would have loved to learn a bit more about her background. All in all, the cast of suporting characters definitely had potential, but sometimes, they remained a little too far in the background for my tastes. I know this was Chelsea's story, but I would have loved to read more about Noah's and Andy's relationship - so Hannah Harrington, if you ever decide to write this story from their point of view, I'll definitely buy that book!
All in all, this is a book I did find some faults with, but they didn't hinder my overall enjoyment of the story. This book explores the repercussions of high school rumours and the problem of bullying, but it still manages to do so in a lighter tone than other novels in the genre I have read. I would not say that it diminishes the effects bullying has, but generally offers a more positive outlook on things.
Thanks a lot to Netgalley and Harlequin for the review copy.
I very much felt like the odd one out after not enjoying Hannah Harrington's debut, Saving June, and wasn't even inclined the give the author a second try. Still, this book sounded too interesting to pass - and I am glad I gave it a chance. If anything, Speechless is insanely readable, the pages flying by in what feels like minutes instead of hours. I really enjoyed the reading experience, and would definitely encourage others to pick this book up, but still, there were some things that I felt were missing.
Actually, I had not expected to like Chelsea after reading a less favourable early review of this book. Talking without thinking and then regretting it afterwards - but mostly only because she herself had to suffer her inconsiderate actions? Hmm. Now, after finishing the book, I definitely have to say that despite her weaknesses, I enjoyed reading from Chelsea's point of view and did not resent her for her actions - although I probably should have. She is not the multi-facetted character like for example Sam from Before I Fall or Regina from Some Girls Are, but her situation is somewhat similar to theirs. Wanting to please her popular, mean girl best friend Kristen, Chelsea has carelessly destroyed numerous reputations and relationships by spreading rumours and gossip - unconcerned and uncaring about what that meant for the people in question. Now, after owning up to her actions for the very first time, admitting what she did was wrong and taking responsibility, she learns what it means to be on the receiving end of rumours, people whispering behind your back, even being attacked and harrassed by people you believed to be your friends. Chelsea defininitely takes an unusual road in terms of dealing with this, but that is what made me want to read this book in the first place, so I certainly won't complain. What I do like to point out, though, is that I felt that Chelsea's transformation from mean girl to, well, not-mean girl, happened too fast and without the reader really taking part in it. We never really experience Chelsea's former self first-hand, mostly only in form of flashbacks.And when her old friends start to shun her at school - even threathen her, insult her - she very quickly decides that her old self was just born out of the want to please people not really worth it, and that she actually never really felt at home with their group. It is easy for her to move on to new friends, who strangely see the good in her despite her past and actually go to greath lenghts to make her part of their own circle of friends. For me, that was just not realistic. There was just such a gap between the "bad people" hating Chelsea for what she did and making her life hell - really, are people still that backward, hateful and stuck up in small town USA? - and the "good people" trying to help her.
Still, I couldn't help but love the guys who took Chelsea in and helped her through the hard times she was getting at school. I have a thing for their kind of friendships - always there for one another, but still teasing each other at every chance they get. The diner they all worked at was a great setting for that, I definitely would have liked to work there as well. What irked me a bit in that area, though, were Chelsea's parents - after what her daughter went through they were so concerned about her decision to take a vow of silence, would they really not care when she stayed out late every night without telling them where she was? I get that they had a rough time and problems themselves, but I really can't imagine them not wanting to know where their sixteen year-old daughter spent her evenings. I am not saying she shouldn't be allowed to spend time at the diner, I just feel like it should have been of interest to her parents, who came across as very sensible and caring in other aspects of this story.
What I loved, though, was Sam, and I thought that his relationship with Chelsea was really cute, even if it lacked that certain spark I had wished for. Asha was an intersting character as well, and I would have loved to learn a bit more about her background. All in all, the cast of suporting characters definitely had potential, but sometimes, they remained a little too far in the background for my tastes. I know this was Chelsea's story, but I would have loved to read more about Noah's and Andy's relationship - so Hannah Harrington, if you ever decide to write this story from their point of view, I'll definitely buy that book!
All in all, this is a book I did find some faults with, but they didn't hinder my overall enjoyment of the story. This book explores the repercussions of high school rumours and the problem of bullying, but it still manages to do so in a lighter tone than other novels in the genre I have read. I would not say that it diminishes the effects bullying has, but generally offers a more positive outlook on things.
Thanks a lot to Netgalley and Harlequin for the review copy.