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juneberry0123's review against another edition
adventurous
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
evamadera1's review against another edition
5.0
Any time a book evokes strong emotions from me while reading, I know I'm in for a ride. LeZotte created a masterpiece with this book, showcasing an aspect of history that I knew nothing about, the deaf community on Martha's Vineyard. Lezotte speaks from personal experience when she conveys how Mary experiences the world. This became utterly heartbreaking when Mary faced a world full of abhorrent ableism. (This is when I became the most angry.) I highly recommend this book!
hilaryannbrown's review
4.0
Written by a Deaf author, this young adult book takes place in the Deaf community of Martha's Vineyard in 1805. I was fascinated by that premise because I'd never heard anything about this history! Through the eyes of its young heroine, the book also explores the early settlers' relationships with the island's indigenous people as well as freed slaves who had married into native tribes - all of which was so interesting. The book is written for a very young audience - I would even give it to a 4th or 5th grader.
erinsbookshelves's review
emotional
reflective
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? No
5.0
jeannieq's review
5.0
I liked this book a lot! Even if you read the front cover that gives away a lot of the story it doesn’t take away from the action as you are reading it. The language of the book was the best part for me. The author is deaf and so are the characters. Readers will notice that sentences end with “s/he signed” not “she said”. I also appreciate that the author didn’t write in ASL glossing as I think it would have taken away from the story. ASL is not exact English and the author makes it very clear that they are different languages. The story had me crying and cheering for little Mary Lambert!
I also think it’s very important that the author has discussions within the novel about the land that settlers “bought” from indigenous Native Americans. Mary has many internal struggles about right and wrong within this book. I think it’s important for kids to be able to read this and apply the same critical thinking to their surroundings today.
I also think it’s very important that the author has discussions within the novel about the land that settlers “bought” from indigenous Native Americans. Mary has many internal struggles about right and wrong within this book. I think it’s important for kids to be able to read this and apply the same critical thinking to their surroundings today.
bookbuyingwithkatie's review
adventurous
informative
tense
slow-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? No
4.0
roseleaf24's review
4.0
What a fascinating story about the deaf community on Martha's Vineyard and the abominable views people had about the deaf, and probably still have.