Reviews

Set Me Free by Ann Clare LeZotte

roseleaf24's review

4.0

This is a gripping story about Mary trying to reach a deaf girl who is being maltreated, to give her the same acceptance and ability to communicate that she has had in her home community. The story of their relationship is great, and the mystery of Beatrice's backstory is engaging. The social commentary is great for identifying the problems at the time and making clear the problems we still face, but it felt at times little too direct and a little too modern for characters from 250 years ago. I appreciated that Mary has to work through living with her friends' racism, not letting it go unchallenged but also not losing the friendship.

schrammanda's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

thebookwitch876's review

adventurous dark hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

towering_tbr's review

4.0

Very good sequel but quite heavy handed.

carolineinthelibrary's review

5.0

Just like "Show Me a Sign", I absolutely loved Ann Clare LeZotte's ability to write history and deaf culture into a riveting fiction book. This second adventure of Mary's was engaging and heartbreaking, because as LeZotte notes in her Author's Note, while the characters are fictitious, the treatment of both Indigenous people and Deaf people throughout history has harmed many and left others behind. I thought the story told was an important one and found myself rooting for Mary throughout the book and beyond, hoping that the character had the opportunity to change more lives by introducing MVSL to those not familiar with it.

lmcoffman's review

adventurous challenging emotional informative tense

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

jwinchell's review

4.0

A strong follow-up to Show Me a Sign, Set Me Free is about Mary becoming a teacher. The circumstances of her pupil are strange but the back matter of the book explains Martha’s Vineyard Sign Language and the native people who live there and on Cape Cod.

mbrandmaier's review

3.0

When Mary leaves the Vineyard to try and tutor a young Deaf girl, she discovers that there is something sinister afoot at the estate where she is staying.

jbtinkerbell's review

adventurous inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.5

lizaroo71's review

3.0

I loved the first book [b:Show Me a Sign|44575095|Show Me a Sign (Book #1 in the Show Me a Sign Trilogy)|Ann Clare LeZotte|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1556588202l/44575095._SY75_.jpg|69184603] in what promises to be a trilogy.

This book picks up three years after Mary was kidnapped by an ill-intentioned scholar studying the deaf. Mary is determined to make her way in the world and find her calling.

She is given an opportunity when an old friend invites her to work as a teacher for a young girl that is suspected to be deaf. Mary seems the perfect person to be a teacher. But when Mary arrives at the large estate outside of Boston, things are not quite what they seem. Mary makes it her mission to save her young pupil she calls Ladybird.

The ending definitely leads to believe we'll find out what happens to Mary in her life. I think this one didn't have the heart of the first, but I still loved spending time with Mary and a tiny bit of time with Ezra.