Hannah Harrington (1)

WHILE READING
This is fun. Okay, okay! It's terrible, I mean, can't she use her brain? But OMG this is fun. Really amusing. At least right now. I mean of course she didn't tell him, duh. haha! (unrelated: I want out on a skate-rink. It's August!)

REVIEW:
It's all kinds of wonderful. But I'm torn over the actual rating. ARGH! Well, time and perspective and all that...
It's serious and amusing. And surprisingly (or not?) true. I liked how Chelsea changed throughout the book.
The story is so wholesome! HEA = 3 - unexpectedly

FINAL VERDICT: READ AND RECOMMEND… (mehr)

Chelsea has managed to make friends with the most popular girl in town Kristen but unfortunately the group that this girl hangs out with have very questionable morals. It all comes to a crescendo when she accidentally springs one of the boys in her class making out with another boy at a party. To get herself in further with the "in" crowd, she blabs about it to the popular girl's friends. Two jocks from this group ( one being Kristen's boyfriend) decide to bash the gay boy.
Horrified by what they have done, Chelsea goes straight to the police to report them and then is socially ostracized ( including destroying her locker and bullying) from the popular group for putting them in jail. Inspired by a story in National Geo magazine about a buddhist monk's vow of silence, she decides to stop talking; figuring that her loud mouth has only caused all her problems in the first place.
Her parents and some teachers are not supportive, but through this silence, Chelsea befriends someone she may never have if she had stayed with the popular group, Asha and comes to meet a whole group of different,individual people.
Was pleasantly surprised by this book as it was not about selective mutism like I thought but rather something more calculated. I think the characters are very believeable - they all make mistakes - and the portrayal of Chelsea missing Kristen's friendship when they weren't putting others down rings very true. Kids who love school and romance will also like it. Older readers due to the sex and insults that some of the characters bandy around ( all in context of the story)… (mehr)