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lazygal's review
3.0
I knew that Martha's Vineyard had a large Deaf population and that they'd created their own version of sign language, so reading a book set in that location and with that population was interesting to me. Having said that... the era is the early 1800s, and yet Mary could be a modern child. Something about that felt very off. The child she sets out to help is clearly a victim of abuse and is still being kept in an abusive situation, aided by the staff of the Vale (it's never completely clear why the owners of the Vale are allowing all this to go on, but they're absent so that's possibly why). No spoilers, except to say that the expressions of racism and bigotry are the among the realist I've seen in a book for this age group.
eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss.
eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss.
margot_molloy's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
mlangman's review
4.0
I read this sequel even more eagerly than the first. While the first section was slow (mostly recap for those who didn't read the first book), once Mary begins her adventure, I couldn't put it down. This book deals with even more issues of discrimination and ableism than the first. In addition, this story explores the impact on colonialism on disabled indigenous peoples, a topic I had not really considered. This sequel is more action-packed than the first and the pacing is more even, making it a better choice for many middle graders, but it is definitely recommended to read the first book before this one.
yapha's review
4.0
This sequel to [b:Show Me a Sign|44575095|Show Me a Sign|Ann Clare LeZotte|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1556588202l/44575095._SY75_.jpg|69184603] continues to look at the history of the Deaf community on Martha's Vineyard in the early 1800s. In addition to addressing anti-Deaf sentiment in most of the hearing world, it also looks at other types of discrimination include that against Native Americans and African Americans. Mary is still recovering from her ordeal when she is asked to come help a younger girl who may also be deaf. Although she comes from a well-to-do family, she is locked away in a room and treated like a wild animal. Because of her experience as an "experiment," Mary knows in her heart that she must try and help. But nothing is quite what it seems. Highly recommended for grades 4 and up. It can stand alone, but better to read [b:Show Me a Sign|44575095|Show Me a Sign|Ann Clare LeZotte|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1556588202l/44575095._SY75_.jpg|69184603] first.
eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss
eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss
emily_mh's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
This was a great sequel to Show Me A Sign! The book continued to explore Deaf history, this time focussing on the historical mistreatment of Deaf family members, how they were not treated as human beings and instead were abused and neglected because they were not understood. It also highlighted the importance of being able to communicate with those around you, and the isolation that occurs when this is not possible. This was of course incredibly confronting to read about, but it is also so NECESSARY to read about, shining a light on evil history that is not often taught to middle-graders.
I loved that the social issues raised in this book were explored with an intersectional lens. For example, LeZotte shows the intersection of race, disability, and class when it comes to one important side character, illustrating how racist and classist ableism created their horrendous situation. Additionally, the author calls out how the Bluestockings' white feminism excluded women of the global majority and disabled women. Racism, ableism, classism, sexism, and the various intersections of these oppressions are, of course, all still relevant to today's society, which just underlines the strength of this book in exploring topics that middle-graders (and other readers of all ages) need to learn about.
My one criticism is that the pacing and plot structure wasn't as strong as in Show Me A Sign. But I still thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and would wholeheartedly recommend the duology!
I loved that the social issues raised in this book were explored with an intersectional lens. For example, LeZotte shows the intersection of race, disability, and class when it comes to one important side character, illustrating how racist and classist ableism created their horrendous situation. Additionally, the author calls out how the Bluestockings' white feminism excluded women of the global majority and disabled women. Racism, ableism, classism, sexism, and the various intersections of these oppressions are, of course, all still relevant to today's society, which just underlines the strength of this book in exploring topics that middle-graders (and other readers of all ages) need to learn about.
My one criticism is that the pacing and plot structure wasn't as strong as in Show Me A Sign. But I still thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and would wholeheartedly recommend the duology!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Ableism, Child abuse, Kidnapping, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Racism, Colonisation, Death, Forced institutionalization, and Confinement
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Child death, Slavery, Excrement, Sexual harassment, Medical content, War, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Addiction, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Vomit, Gore, Animal death, Sexism, Kidnapping, Xenophobia, Pregnancy, Death of parent, and Grief
Major: neglect Moderate: seizure Minor: insects, loss of a loved one, epidemic, drowning, theft, involuntary experimentation, imprisonment, capital punishment, missing loved one, COVID, childbirthlibraryrobin's review
4.0
I liked this tremendously. Unlike most stories featuring a Deaf character, LeZotte has created Mary as a well-rounded and authentic person.
susylamb's review
4.0
Loved this book so much better than the first one. But I guess the first one was needed for this one lol.
The story seemed more imaginable and wasn’t as hard to believe. Really love the look into the deaf culture and also the native people who live on Martha Vineyards and Cape Cod. And once again the epilogue was one of the best parts for me.
The story seemed more imaginable and wasn’t as hard to believe. Really love the look into the deaf culture and also the native people who live on Martha Vineyards and Cape Cod. And once again the epilogue was one of the best parts for me.
kbestoliver's review
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
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
4.25
lj_maney's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5