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4.11 AVERAGE
4.11 AVERAGE
This was my first novel with MCs that were deaf. It was really good.
First, I loved that this took place at camp. I loved showing off how fun sleep away camp can be.
I related to Lilah through my journey even though it was very different. Imposter syndrome is real. I loved that it wasn't always easy. That she was able to deal with the adversity on both sides. I really thought that the acceptance from her parents was the most touching part of this story. I also just thoroughly enjoy everything about Isaac.
I am so happy that Libro.fm provided their educators with such diverse titles. I also am very excited that I have more audiobooks with deaf rep ion them to enjoy and to put in my classroom library. My students who are CODA need these books too!
First, I loved that this took place at camp. I loved showing off how fun sleep away camp can be.
I related to Lilah through my journey even though it was very different. Imposter syndrome is real. I loved that it wasn't always easy. That she was able to deal with the adversity on both sides. I really thought that the acceptance from her parents was the most touching part of this story. I also just thoroughly enjoy everything about Isaac.
I am so happy that Libro.fm provided their educators with such diverse titles. I also am very excited that I have more audiobooks with deaf rep ion them to enjoy and to put in my classroom library. My students who are CODA need these books too!
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was a cute, easy read. I was in the mood for a summer camp book and this one hit the spot for sure.
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A special thank you to Penguin Teen and Putnam for allowing me access to this upcoming debut Young Adult book, “Give Me a Sign,” by Anna Sortino. I want to start my review by stating that lately I haven’t been gravitating towards YA books as much as I have in the past. I mean I am drawn to YA thrillers, like “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder,” but more importantly I appreciate YA books that go beyond the typical teen romance tand focus on bigger social issues, like racism/police violence (“The Hate U Give”), immigration/deportation (“The Sun Is Also A Star”), Teen Sexuality/LGBTQ (“Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda”), teen motherhood (“With the Fire on High”) to name a few. So, when I saw this book through Penguin Teen and its focus…on the deaf and hard of hearing community as well as other disabilities such as blindness, I was very intrigued. During my college years, I really enjoyed watching the show, “Switched at Birth” which had many storylines focusing on the deaf community and even featured an episode with no sound and only subtitles. So, I was definitely interested in this book!
In this story, we are following main character, Lilah who is torn between two worlds. She is partially deaf which means she is not deaf enough for her family to use ASL in their daily life…and she is not fully immersed with the hearing coming as she wears hearing aids. She encounters situations in her everyday life that causes her to feel like an outsider, such as missing parts of conversations due to her hearing aids.. However, there was one place that made her feel normal and not so self conscious about hearing…a summer camp which Lilah attended when she was growing up. This camp is geared towards children with disabilities such as blindness, deafness. So when the opportunity arises, she applies to become a counselor which would allow her to practice her ASL skills and surround herself with the deaf community. And that is when the story really begins!
Going into this book, I was very interested to get a realistic look at the deaf perspective which I knew the author, Anna Sortino, who is deaf, would be able to provide. I really appreciated the conversations throughout this book ranging from a hearing person financially benefiting from doing ASL videos; leadership hierarchy placement (a hearing person vs a deaf person); the ignorance the hearing community can have regarding the deaf community; the varying forms of different disabilities; the lack of knowledge/sometimes sympathy regarding the deaf community in society, and even legal situations.
I definitely recommend this book, especially during Disability Pride Month!
Give Me A Sign Goes On-Sale July 11th
In this story, we are following main character, Lilah who is torn between two worlds. She is partially deaf which means she is not deaf enough for her family to use ASL in their daily life…and she is not fully immersed with the hearing coming as she wears hearing aids. She encounters situations in her everyday life that causes her to feel like an outsider, such as missing parts of conversations due to her hearing aids.. However, there was one place that made her feel normal and not so self conscious about hearing…a summer camp which Lilah attended when she was growing up. This camp is geared towards children with disabilities such as blindness, deafness. So when the opportunity arises, she applies to become a counselor which would allow her to practice her ASL skills and surround herself with the deaf community. And that is when the story really begins!
Going into this book, I was very interested to get a realistic look at the deaf perspective which I knew the author, Anna Sortino, who is deaf, would be able to provide. I really appreciated the conversations throughout this book ranging from a hearing person financially benefiting from doing ASL videos; leadership hierarchy placement (a hearing person vs a deaf person); the ignorance the hearing community can have regarding the deaf community; the varying forms of different disabilities; the lack of knowledge/sometimes sympathy regarding the deaf community in society, and even legal situations.
I definitely recommend this book, especially during Disability Pride Month!
Give Me A Sign Goes On-Sale July 11th
emotional
informative
lighthearted
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:
Yes
Really appreciated the accurate look into deaf culture. Thank you to the author for sharing and educating.
Interesting and likeable characters, but I'm wondering if there are any authors out there who can write YA fiction without being compelled to include homosexual characters.
Interesting and likeable characters, but I'm wondering if there are any authors out there who can write YA fiction without being compelled to include homosexual characters.
Content Warnings
Homosexual relationship
funny
medium-paced
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-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:
Yes
This was a great read! And I am so glad to be seeing some more representation in novels. I loved that there was indications that the characters were having their conversations signing. I really enjoyed this and am so glad it exists for young readers!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism
Minor: Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail
informative
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I absolutely adored this little book. It’s a wonderful story about learning to embrace deafness and exploring your identity as a disabled person. It’s also really informative to read as a hearing person, especially given the variety in different levels of hearing that are represented in this book. A lot of insightful conversations that provide perspectives that I wasn’t familiar with, and I really did learn a lot while reading this. I highly encourage anyone to read this!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Police brutality
Moderate: Vomit