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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
Great story. Well thought out characters. Loved how she noted ASL in the story in all caps and in ASL grammar. Also loved how she highlighted how hard lip reading can be. Loved how she included Deaf history. Overall great book highly recommend.
emotional
informative
inspiring
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:
No
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
a pretty generic high school love story if not for some diverse representation including a deaf protagonist high schooler and her little brother with cystic fibrosis. the writing wasn't anything special, perhaps compounded by much of the dialog being the direct translation of the signing which meant blunt communications without much finesse. a lot of FINE and NOTHING. so it definitely felt repetitive. also the protagonist's distrust of beau's affections felt repetitive. but also did it annoy anyone else that he liked her from the first time they met and then started learning signing despite being rebuffed by her several times? im not saying that deaf characters dont deserve love interests, but this love at first sight stuff is very boring and unrealistic to me. also we dont even really get to know the reasons why beau likes her? the chemistry is forced.
but as generic as the love story is, there should also be generic love stories with deaf people. and this book does a good job at that. i don't necessarily think i learned anything new from reading this but there is some exposure to the controversy about cochlear implants and the idea that not all deaf people would want to be 'fixed'. in addition to increased awareness of deaf community concerns, it could help young people learn about how to respect difference in general and think a little bit more empathetically about how we'd all like to be treated.
but as generic as the love story is, there should also be generic love stories with deaf people. and this book does a good job at that. i don't necessarily think i learned anything new from reading this but there is some exposure to the controversy about cochlear implants and the idea that not all deaf people would want to be 'fixed'. in addition to increased awareness of deaf community concerns, it could help young people learn about how to respect difference in general and think a little bit more empathetically about how we'd all like to be treated.
I’d give it a 4.5/5, it was a super cute story, I think the author could have done a little more in terms of an exciting plot. But I enjoyed learning more about the deaf community and about the main characters brother who has CF. It was a great read about the ups and downs of being deaf, but ultimately living a normal life and succeeding just like everyone else. I’m glad there are books out there like this one telling the untold stories of many. I would have finished this book sooner but I left it at a friends house for almost 2 weeks
Maya struggles to be the only deaf girl in a hearing school while butting heads with smart and attractive Beau Watson.
I enjoyed the story, however so much of it bothered me. I dislike the title. It might as well scream “ for John green fans” and “watch my cheesy zac efron movie in 6 months!” The characterization seriously sucked. The characters only existed so maya could be jealous of them or derisive. Maya experienced no personal growth. So what, she learned to have hearing friends? What of her hearing friends that she had before she became deaf? Her self-centered and self pitying attitude was off putting. But it IS a YA book. So maybe the character tones are appropriate for the intended audience. But for books about sick/disabled/disordered kids, I prefer Out of my mind, fish in a tree, counting by sevens, and good ol’ wonder.
I enjoyed the story, however so much of it bothered me. I dislike the title. It might as well scream “ for John green fans” and “watch my cheesy zac efron movie in 6 months!” The characterization seriously sucked. The characters only existed so maya could be jealous of them or derisive. Maya experienced no personal growth. So what, she learned to have hearing friends? What of her hearing friends that she had before she became deaf? Her self-centered and self pitying attitude was off putting. But it IS a YA book. So maybe the character tones are appropriate for the intended audience. But for books about sick/disabled/disordered kids, I prefer Out of my mind, fish in a tree, counting by sevens, and good ol’ wonder.
An interesting coming of age story about a deaf girl going to public school.
Very well written with wonderful characters. Gervais does an excellent job bringing readers into the world of the hearing impaired.
Ending was abrupt and would have lived a little more about Maya's early years, and her family backstory. But enjoyed the story enough to finish in one evening!
Ending was abrupt and would have lived a little more about Maya's early years, and her family backstory. But enjoyed the story enough to finish in one evening!
I loved this! I love that all the dialogue was written according to ASL grammar. I’ve found that in a lot of books with deaf characters their dialogue is written in standard English.
**I was sent an e-arc copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. This in no way affects my rating or review.
**I was sent an e-arc copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. This in no way affects my rating or review.
Maya's family moves across the country just before her senior year, and her new school is for hearing students. Character development is a bit rocky in the beginning, which sort of fits with the protagonist's insecurities. Thought provoking easy read from the perspective of a deaf student.