Saving June by Hannah Harrington

Title: Saving June
Author: Hannah Harrington
Publisher: MIRA Ink
Released: May 1st 2011
Pages: 336 (Paperback)
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US
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‘If she’d waited less than two weeks, she’d be June who died in June. But I guess my sister didn’t consider that.’

Harper Scott’s older sister has always been the perfect one so when June takes her own life a week before her high school graduation, sixteen-year-old Harper is devastated. Everyone’s sorry, but no one can explain why.

When her divorcing parents decide to split her sister’s ashes into his-and-her urns, Harper takes matters into her own hands. She’ll steal the ashes and drive cross-country with her best friend, Laney, to the one place June always dreamed of going, California.

Enter Jake Tolan. He’s a boy with a bad attitude, a classic-rock obsession and nothing in common with Harper’s sister. But Jake had a connection with June, and when he insists on joining them, Harper’s just desperate enough to let him. With his alternately charming and infuriating demeanour and his belief that music can see you through anything, he might be exactly what she needs.

Except June wasn’t the only one hiding something. Jake’s keeping a secret that has the power to turn Harper’s life upside down again.

I guess it's kind of backwards to read an author's second novel, love it, and go into reading the debut with high expectation - but I did. Speechless took my breath away, and I read countless other reviews saying that they'd picked up speechless because of how utterly amazing Saving June was. I read the synopsis, and I fell in love - I just hoped the book would meet the hype.

Book of the Month: May

Although I'm deep into my exam season, I actually managed to read 13 books this month! Unfortunately, there were quite a few 2 and 3 star ratings, and in the end there were only three books that really blew me away; Goddess by Josephine Angelini was the final instalment of the Starcrossed trilogy, and everything I wanted to happen did, and more; Speechless by Hannah Harrington completely captured my imagination, and I was engrossed from start to finish; and Fever by Lauren DeStefano, the sequel to the Chemical Gardens trilogy, where the author yet again drew me in with her gorgeous descriptions and ability to build realistic worlds.

Although I really enjoyed the other two, Speechless was the book for me. I've never read Saving June, so I didn't have any pre-existing expectations - but Speechless proved all the great reviews right; Harrington is an amazing writer, with an incredible ability to work her way into the mind of teenagers. This is one of the few books that once I've finished, I still think about weeks later. Harrington tackled some very modern, difficult issues, and I thought that altogether it was a brilliant read. Now all I've got to do is get my hands on Saving June.

Speechless by Hannah Harrington

Title: Speechless
Author: Hannah Harrington
Publisher: Mira Ink
Released: August 28th 2012
Pages: 272 (Paperback)
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US
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Everyone knows that Chelsea Knot can’t keep a secret

Until now. Because the last secret she shared turned her into a social outcast—and nearly got someone killed.

Now Chelsea has taken a vow of silence—to learn to keep her mouth shut, and to stop hurting anyone else. And if she thinks keeping secrets is hard, not speaking up when she’s ignored, ridiculed and even attacked is worse.

But there’s strength in silence, and in the new friends who are, shockingly, coming her way—people she never noticed before; a boy she might even fall for. If only her new friends can forgive what she’s done. If only she can forgive herself.