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anjh's review
adventurous
challenging
funny
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
this book was good but not amazing. to be very honest i thought i would like it more than i did but that’s okay- it was still good. i think the thing i appreciated most about this book other than the Deaf main character is the graffiti artworks- they were genuinely amazing. i tend to enjoy more the books that i relate to the main characters and share their thoughts and personalities and just felt like i couldn’t really with Julia. i did very much like her response to fatph*bia tho, that was very cool.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Fatphobia, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Body shaming, Police brutality, Eating disorder, Chronic illness, Mental illness, and Violence
Minor: Self harm, Physical abuse, and War
worldroamer's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
labunnywtf's review
3.0
I want to make art that makes my heart race. Art that demands to be felt, even if that feeling is terror.
First of all, the illustrations in this book deserve 5 stars all by themselves. I would read a book written by Whitney Gardner entirely in illustrations. The style is incredible, and the way she incorporates them into each chapter is so brilliant.
I never really got over my love for books with pictures in them, what can I say?
This book overfloweth with representation, and I'm living for it. Julia is Indian, with two moms, and she's Deaf. None of these things are the catalyst for the events of the book, which is really and truly my favorite form of representation. We get a few touches, such as when her teacher Mom is told she should be more understanding about parents requesting a 100% gluten free classroom because she "lives an alternative lifestyle". I laughed pretty hard at that one.
But this isn't a book about how Julia has to overcome her disability, or how art takes her away from a world where she can't hear. This is the story of literally any other 17-year old girl, hearing or not. She's kind of an asshole teenager, she has all the angst and attitude, it's just that when conversations are happening, her hands are moving instead of her mouth.
What Julia has, other than an enormous chip on her shoulder, is an amazing talent for art. She's a graffiti artist, and she's passionate, and good. And when her best friend's reputation is besmirched on the walls of her school, she defends her honor and covers it up. Said good best friend turns out to be a raging bitch and turns her in. She's expelled, and sent to a "normal" school, where she has to have an interpreter and deal with people who YELL REAL LOUD BECAUSE MAYBE THEN YOU CAN HEAR ME.
Julia is angry, but I don't think Julia is unlikeable. I read her as just another 17-year old brat. The reason I enjoyed this book so much is the story of the art. This isn't an overcoming adversity story, this is a Healing Through Art story. And it's really simple, and really lovely.
Do I believe Julia actually met Banksy? Ennh. But the idea of it is kind of awesome, and I'll shrug and say maybe.
I am not deaf, nor do I have anyone in my life who is. I was in...1st grade? With a deaf student, and his mother taught us finger spelling and maybe a few other things, but that's long gone from my brain. So, I can't comment on accuracy, other than if Whitney Gardner is taking the time to draw out signs in the pages, I'm guessing she did her research thoroughly.
I did mimick all of the ASL descriptions in the book. I probably failed a lot.
But there are a lot of little things in here that made me smile, and made me think. Julia has to be sneaky, because graffiti is still illegal. And she knows to keep her keys tucked into her shoe so they don't rattle. She learned this from the closed captioning on television programs. That's such a miniscule detail, but again, it's what makes diversity and representation reads for me.
I really, really enjoyed this. A fast read, nothing too deep, but solid, solid YA.
First of all, the illustrations in this book deserve 5 stars all by themselves. I would read a book written by Whitney Gardner entirely in illustrations. The style is incredible, and the way she incorporates them into each chapter is so brilliant.
I never really got over my love for books with pictures in them, what can I say?
This book overfloweth with representation, and I'm living for it. Julia is Indian, with two moms, and she's Deaf. None of these things are the catalyst for the events of the book, which is really and truly my favorite form of representation. We get a few touches, such as when her teacher Mom is told she should be more understanding about parents requesting a 100% gluten free classroom because she "lives an alternative lifestyle". I laughed pretty hard at that one.
But this isn't a book about how Julia has to overcome her disability, or how art takes her away from a world where she can't hear. This is the story of literally any other 17-year old girl, hearing or not. She's kind of an asshole teenager, she has all the angst and attitude, it's just that when conversations are happening, her hands are moving instead of her mouth.
What Julia has, other than an enormous chip on her shoulder, is an amazing talent for art. She's a graffiti artist, and she's passionate, and good. And when her best friend's reputation is besmirched on the walls of her school, she defends her honor and covers it up. Said good best friend turns out to be a raging bitch and turns her in. She's expelled, and sent to a "normal" school, where she has to have an interpreter and deal with people who YELL REAL LOUD BECAUSE MAYBE THEN YOU CAN HEAR ME.
Julia is angry, but I don't think Julia is unlikeable. I read her as just another 17-year old brat. The reason I enjoyed this book so much is the story of the art. This isn't an overcoming adversity story, this is a Healing Through Art story. And it's really simple, and really lovely.
Do I believe Julia actually met Banksy? Ennh. But the idea of it is kind of awesome, and I'll shrug and say maybe.
I am not deaf, nor do I have anyone in my life who is. I was in...1st grade? With a deaf student, and his mother taught us finger spelling and maybe a few other things, but that's long gone from my brain. So, I can't comment on accuracy, other than if Whitney Gardner is taking the time to draw out signs in the pages, I'm guessing she did her research thoroughly.
I did mimick all of the ASL descriptions in the book. I probably failed a lot.
But there are a lot of little things in here that made me smile, and made me think. Julia has to be sneaky, because graffiti is still illegal. And she knows to keep her keys tucked into her shoe so they don't rattle. She learned this from the closed captioning on television programs. That's such a miniscule detail, but again, it's what makes diversity and representation reads for me.
I really, really enjoyed this. A fast read, nothing too deep, but solid, solid YA.
heather_19's review
3.0
2.5 actually
The storyline of this book was actually a really good one but it felt too drug out. Clocking in at just under 300 pages, this book should not have taken me as long as it did. As it was, I had to force myself to finish it at all.
The storyline of this book was actually a really good one but it felt too drug out. Clocking in at just under 300 pages, this book should not have taken me as long as it did. As it was, I had to force myself to finish it at all.
papertraildiary's review
5.0
Looooved this! From my review at The Paper Trail Diary:
I feel like this book is saying to me “You’re Welcome for the Book Hangover, Jessica.” Julia is deaf, Indian-American, has two deaf moms, and yet none of those qualifiers to who she is equal to what the story is about, which I really admired. She is who she is, and her story isn’t about being an outsider in any of those ways – it’s about how she has a hard time making friends, has some anger issues, and has trouble expressing herself without being contained. When she covers up slang about her supposed best friend on the wall of their school, that friend snitches on her, leading her to get expelled. She transfers to a school where she’s the only deaf person – people definitely do not know how to act around her – which means she’s more eager than ever to claim space of her own through her art. But soon someone starts adding to her art – not tagging over it, but actually making it better – leaving Julia angry, confused and paranoid. Instead of freaking out and going dark for a while, she takes on the challenge to her art and identity.
Julia’s a strong character, and I really enjoyed reading her story. I liked reading about how people spoke to her and how she reacted to them. She often wanted people to adjust for her, rather than her adjust for them, which I thought was a fair thought, especially for a teenager. I also loved reading about her friendship that she slowly forms with another girl who she only calls Yoga Pants. This book has a lot of colour and character, and I will highly recommend it to anyone, especially those who read mostly YA and are looking for something fresh and vibrant.
I feel like this book is saying to me “You’re Welcome for the Book Hangover, Jessica.” Julia is deaf, Indian-American, has two deaf moms, and yet none of those qualifiers to who she is equal to what the story is about, which I really admired. She is who she is, and her story isn’t about being an outsider in any of those ways – it’s about how she has a hard time making friends, has some anger issues, and has trouble expressing herself without being contained. When she covers up slang about her supposed best friend on the wall of their school, that friend snitches on her, leading her to get expelled. She transfers to a school where she’s the only deaf person – people definitely do not know how to act around her – which means she’s more eager than ever to claim space of her own through her art. But soon someone starts adding to her art – not tagging over it, but actually making it better – leaving Julia angry, confused and paranoid. Instead of freaking out and going dark for a while, she takes on the challenge to her art and identity.
Julia’s a strong character, and I really enjoyed reading her story. I liked reading about how people spoke to her and how she reacted to them. She often wanted people to adjust for her, rather than her adjust for them, which I thought was a fair thought, especially for a teenager. I also loved reading about her friendship that she slowly forms with another girl who she only calls Yoga Pants. This book has a lot of colour and character, and I will highly recommend it to anyone, especially those who read mostly YA and are looking for something fresh and vibrant.
taylorlechat's review
3.0
This was fine but all the characters were pretty bland and uninteresting. The plot was pretty weak too but I enjoyed reading about d/Deaf culture
jnwunder's review
5.0
Literally the best portrayal of a Deaf character I've ever seen written down, even down to the little things like calling people by initials because that's their sign name. Julia's deafness is not treated as a fault with her, but with people in her environment who don't take the time to figure out how to communicate with her. No magic lipreading and just wow. I was shocked to find that the author is not deaf because of how well she captured this POV. Julia was a little annoying at times, but I'm still absolutely in awe of this book. WOW, just WOW.
stopthesun's review
2.0
If you love art, then you'll love this book. If you're interested in or connected to the Deaf community, you might also be interested in this book.
From my limited understanding of Deaf culture (stemming from my language focus in college and my sister's deafness), You're Welcome, Universe does a great job of emulating and informing on the d/Deaf experience and culture without making it too obvious that you're being taught something. If you have never been exposed to Deaf culture before then at the very least, you'll learn a few minor things about it.
I have...mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, the book was exactly what I was looking for and more. I mean, the main character is this refreshing mix of not-your-typical-YA-protagonist vibes. Julia is not just d/Deaf. She's Indian and has a great relationship with her two moms. The best part? Her race and family structure aren't even plot points; they just exist as part of Julia's life.
So why didn't I love this book? I wanted to love this book, I really really did. I've been looking for a YA book with a d/Deaf main character for years. But Julia was so...unlikable.
Julia spends almost the whole book judging people without knowing them and generally acting like no one else in the word matters. She repeatedly lies to her parents despite feeling mildly guilty, disses and defends YP in the same paragraph (also, never bothered to learn her name),, and hates on everyone who tries to be even a little friendly (except the art teacher who she still screws over anyway). Even when I wanted to be sympathetic because of the poor way some people treated her I still felt Julia acted unfairly.
Jordyn does suck though.
It wasn't until page 267 out of 293 that Julia stops to realize that she's been horrible to literally everyone and tries to make up for it.
From my limited understanding of Deaf culture (stemming from my language focus in college and my sister's deafness), You're Welcome, Universe does a great job of emulating and informing on the d/Deaf experience and culture without making it too obvious that you're being taught something. If you have never been exposed to Deaf culture before then at the very least, you'll learn a few minor things about it.
I have...mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, the book was exactly what I was looking for and more. I mean, the main character is this refreshing mix of not-your-typical-YA-protagonist vibes. Julia is not just d/Deaf. She's Indian and has a great relationship with her two moms. The best part? Her race and family structure aren't even plot points; they just exist as part of Julia's life.
So why didn't I love this book? I wanted to love this book, I really really did. I've been looking for a YA book with a d/Deaf main character for years. But Julia was so...unlikable.
Julia spends almost the whole book judging people without knowing them and generally acting like no one else in the word matters. She repeatedly lies to her parents despite feeling mildly guilty, disses and defends YP in the same paragraph (also, never bothered to learn her name),
Spoiler
makes out with her ex-best friend's boyfriend just to...just to what? make her feel bad?Jordyn does suck though.
It wasn't until page 267 out of 293 that Julia stops to realize that she's been horrible to literally everyone and tries to make up for it.
afkehuldrike's review
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
ajb24's review
3.0
3.5 stars*
I really enjoyed the portrayal of Deaf culture and the casual inclusion of her lesbian moms (I think it helps normalize that a family can come in many forms). I also liked the emoticon chapter headings they were cute.
The plot itself was fine, I don’t have a big opinion on it either way.
However, Julia’s attitude could be quite annoying at times, and I didn’t really like how the Donovan/Jordyn/Julia storyline played out. Plus, YP’s weight issues are never fully resolved or even fully developed, so I kind of wish the author had spent less time focusing on Julia’s teen angst and more on developing a deeper relationship between the two.
Overall it was a fun read and I felt like I learned something about the d/Deaf community (even though the author herself isn’t deaf, she used several sensitivity readers so I’d like to believe that she captured various nuances as accurately as she could). I appreciate the representation included but feel as if the plot could have been handled better if more focus was put on developing Julia’s relationships to other characters instead of listening to her brood and angst all the time.
I really enjoyed the portrayal of Deaf culture and the casual inclusion of her lesbian moms (I think it helps normalize that a family can come in many forms). I also liked the emoticon chapter headings they were cute.
The plot itself was fine, I don’t have a big opinion on it either way.
However, Julia’s attitude could be quite annoying at times, and I didn’t really like how the Donovan/Jordyn/Julia storyline played out. Plus, YP’s weight issues are never fully resolved or even fully developed, so I kind of wish the author had spent less time focusing on Julia’s teen angst and more on developing a deeper relationship between the two.
Spoiler
it also kind of bothers me that we never find out “Yoga Pants” actual name - I thought eventually once they started hanging out together more often it would be revealed, but the nickname sticks for the entire novel and I’m not a huge fan :/Overall it was a fun read and I felt like I learned something about the d/Deaf community (even though the author herself isn’t deaf, she used several sensitivity readers so I’d like to believe that she captured various nuances as accurately as she could). I appreciate the representation included but feel as if the plot could have been handled better if more focus was put on developing Julia’s relationships to other characters instead of listening to her brood and angst all the time.