Have you ever heard the phrase, “loose lips sink ships?” For Chelsea Knot this could not be more true, as she comes to realize that the power of being able to destroy someone’s reputation is too much of a burden to handle.
Chelsea is an average girl with a knack for spreading gossip with the help from her more-than-popular best friend, Kristen. She never thought that she would endure the consequences, until one night she outs a fellow classmate and causes him to almost be killed. Chelsea struggles with her knowledge of who attacked her classmate, and ultimately confesses, leading to her downfall, as the bully, to becoming the bullied herself.
One of the most interesting aspects of Speechless is that we get a change in perspective. Instead of seeing the view of the victim we are face to face with the bully and we get a glimpse at how they learn to live with their heinous actions. Not only is she outed for being the school narc, but after taking a vow of silence to keep herself from hurting others, she becomes live bait for the entire student body. Despite daily physical and verbal assault, she maintains her front and finds solace in an unlikely way, much to the dismay of her taunting classmates. I think this is what separates this book from the typical book about teenagers and their struggles through high school: it shines a light on the impact bullying has on not only the victim, but often the bullies themselves when they are faced with succumbing to social influences.
If you are looking for a lighthearted yet dramatic novel following teens and their theatrical reactions towards mild turmoil, I highly recommend this book. It is an interesting take on a classic story. However, I will warn that you will fly through this book—it was extremely difficult for me to put it down for even a second!
-Brooke, (Dusen)Berry blogger and member of the River Teen Advisory Board
