What readers of SPEECHLESS have said about the book...
'I've just recently finished speechless, and I have to say it was amazing! Everything about the book was so exciting, The characters were all so good and all contributed to the basis of the book so much. What was great about the book was that all the characters developed so well as the book went on, Charlotte starting as the popular girl ending up as one of Harriet's friends, Gloria as the annoying grandma to the kind and loving grandma, Harriet as the quiet, speechless! Girl who is always afraid of speaking to the girl who saves her brothers life! Another one of my favourite characters is sam! He is always so kind and understanding to Harriet.
I would say charlotte and Gloria are my two other favourite characters ( maybe not so much Gloria at the start!!) It was such a heartwarming book and one of those rare reads where I find myself constantly engrossed! Harriet is such a strong character and what she must go through must be really hard but she always seems so positive. I love how charlotte normalizes her despite her condition and sticks up for her no matter what! I love how much charlottes story progresses on. And how her home life comes in in such an unexpected way! Honestly, such a great read and will look forward to more of your books.🙂.'
Mae
Year 7 Student
'I have just finished reading Speechless and am sat with tears streaming down my face! What a book! I have six children and my oldest is in year 7 at high school. She is funny and so clever, kind, sweet, moody, cheeky, witty, fun... and also happens to have cerebral palsy. She uses a power chair and has severe speech dysarthria, she goes to mainstream school and refuses to sign or use a communication aid, preferring to speak bravely and the people that learn to listen are the ones she has become close friends with. Reading this book was like reading about all the fears I had of what high school would be like for my daughter, and all the frustrations she faces on a daily basis. I’m going to recommend it to everyone I know. Truly a brilliant read. I think I need to go and have a good cry now (while my daughter sits there laughing at me for being so emotional!). Thank you Kate Darbishire for writing this!'
Jade
Parent
'I loved Harry for her grit and determination, her observations of people were funny. This story has twists and turns and keeps you guessing until the end.'
Jane
Book Lover
"Most amazing book i have ever read, it left me speechless. It took me a day (and normally it would take a week). It has been an emotional rollacosta, i was right there with Harriet through the ups and downs. If you want to find out more about how a child might feel if they could not/would not speek, then this is the book for you! If you want to find out more about bullying, then this is the book for you! I would urge you to encourage your children to read this book, it will help them understand the impact of their words. Word of warning! do not read on a busy train (as i did) as people stare when you start crying uncontrollably."
Anna M
Social Worker
"The book is about an 11-year-old girl who has Cerebral Palsy and how she deals with life-changing situations and the problems she faces joining secondary school.
I really enjoyed reading the book and would highly recommend it for others to read. It was very gripping and once I started reading it I couldn’t put it down. The story was full of twists and I never expected what was coming next, it made me feel empathy towards the characters especially Harriet.
I think this book would help people learn the difficulties of living with a disability and accept that although they may seem different, truly they are just as smart and kind and can do anything we can do."
B.F.
Secondary School Student
"I found this story to be a refreshing insight into the life of one perhaps less fortunate and how she would cope with everyday things despite these difficulties. Harriet is not a character I have encountered before and I think it was well formed. The author has created Harriet, a normal teenage girl and described her life with Cerebral Palsy instead of perhaps creating the story of a disabled girl and then assigning Harriet to it. Additionally, her friendship with Charlotte was a welcome relief and the [ending] was truly touching. It showed that despite her disability she was as brave and loyal and as able to help/influence others as anybody else. Finally, it was somewhat shocking how some of her classmates treated her and I had not quite realised that mere students could be so unkind and devoid of compassion.
Overall an excellent book."
A.R.
Secondary School Student, age 13
"As a mum, an English teacher and a school librarian, I can say with hand on heart that EVERY child should read this book. It is a beautiful story about a little girl (Harriet) fighting to be braver than she feels. The fact that she has cerebral palsy is handled so sensitively and knowledgeably by the writer so that the reader feels empathy rather than sympathy or pity. I feel that if everyone read this book, the whole world would be that little bit kinder. And Harriet isn't the only one we begin to understand better: like in the real world, we all have our own difficulties to overcome which can influence the way we behave at times. Best middle-grade book I've read in a long time."
Rachel
SchoolLibrarian
“This story for older children and young teenagers is told from the point of view of eleven year old Harriet who has cerebral palsy and very limited speech so that she chooses not to talk if she can help it. She describes life adjusting to her secondary school in which she is the only handicapped pupil and has to cope with all this entails not least some heartless bullying. Kate Darbishire has given us a sensitive and intuitive picture of what goes on in a child’s mind when she seems to retreat from life rather than engage with it. We are drawn into her world and the very real challenges she faces as for several weeks her parents are unable to look after her and she and her brother are left in the hands of initially apparently unsuitable grandparents. It is a story of great kindness as well as of thoughtlessness and misunderstanding. In the end Harriet triumphs and those round her have grown along the way. The author has empathy and an imaginative understanding of her subject and writes with perceptiveness and humour.”
June
Retired English Teacher
"I loved this book. I read it as a beta reader. The characterisation is excellent and the real life drama unfolds with such attention to detail that while you read it, you may feel as if you are in Harriet’s mind, empathising with her in every situation. I haven’t read Wonder, but my book club have made trailers about it and I think Speechless is of a similar vein. A book that teaches empathy in a non didactic way, by bringing us into the life of a teen who struggles with identity in a world that judges the external. Harriet has a witty sense of humour, is quietly strong and incredibly brave. I laughed out loud and misted over. Thank you for writing this, Katie! I hope it flies!"
Kate
Book Lover
"An inspiring story that provides a rare glimpse into life with cerebral palsy – well worth reading for both children and adults
We both really enjoyed this book - Cerebral Palsy is a condition that we knew little about & this certainly opened our eyes to the difficulties encountered. We love that we are hearing this story about family struggles from Harriet’s perspective – Harriet is a warm, genuine character that you really feel for and it was lovely to see her relationships develop, particularly with Gloria and Charlotte. A good read!"
Ian and Lisa
Book Lovers
"Kate was able to combine a great storyline and fascinating characters with reality and insight into the life of someone with a disability. It is a great read for an adult and essential reading for a child. It is perfect to raise awareness of disability. I will be recommending all parents and teachers I know to buy this book. It would be great for shared reading for younger kids and independent reading for kids approaching secondary school age. I will be buying many copies as Christmas presents this year."
vickie
Teacher in a Special Needs School
"My girls and I love this book. It is an eye opener in to a disabled teenagers struggles. I love Harriet, my girls could really relate to the teenage struggles she is having and they were really grateful that they didn't have as many problems as her. We can't wait to read it again."
EMILY
Parent
"A book to touch your heart and make you think about 'special needs '. Hopefully It'll enlighten you as much as it enlightened me."
Allan
Teaching Assistant
"I really enjoyed the book and fell in love with all the characters especially Harriet . I was excited to see how the story would end and i wasnt dissapointed . The story stayed in my head long after i had finished the book . I look forward to reading more books by this talented author."
Jane
Book Lover
"Great book, I hope that like Gloria young people reading it will think about the importance of taking time to know those who seem different before judging."
Pollie
Parent