Recently in today’s society, we have seen a growth of acceptance when it comes to gays in our communities. Although there has been much support on the subject, we still have opposing opinions. In the book “Speechless” by Hannah Harrington, we meet the blabbermouth Chelsea who ends up “outing” two boys at her best friend’s, New Year’s Eve party. Two other boys that are friends with the ever popular Chelsea begin beating up newly “outted” Noah so badly that he is hospitalized. The story follows Chelsea as she takes up a vow of silence to keep her gossip to herself and to make sure she thinks before she speaks. This is a beautifully written story about growing up, acceptance, and finding who your true friends are, even when they are against you.


One of the main things I loved about this book was that the characters had a lot of development. They each have backgrounds that shape who they are during the course of the novel. Bullying is a huge issue today, whether it’s online or the old fashion face to face confrontation. A twist in this novel is that a popular girl becomes the object of the hate. Chelsea is a frustrating character that you can’t help but fall in love with. This book is also paced very well. There is always something happening and it just flows and is definitely hard to put down once you open. “Speechless” has become one of my favorite novels that I have read in a very long time for its wit and strong writing. I highly recommend it and everyone should read it. It’s one that will make you sympathize with all of the issues that still effect our lives and it will leave you utterly ‘speechless.’