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2.11k reviews for:

El Deafo

Cece Bell

4.22 AVERAGE

emotional funny inspiring fast-paced

This was great! It's a graphic memoir of Bell's experience becoming hard of hearing after contacting meningitis at age four. She grew up in the 70s and had to use a heavy hearing aid apparatus that strapped onto her chest. There weren't any closed captions on television. Through her memories, you get some best practices for interacting with people who are d/Deaf or hard of hearing (don't yell, don't speak really slowly, don't assume they know sign language) and you also see her dealing with the relatable stresses of growing up, navigating school, friendships, and crushes. I appreciated her author's note at the end about the different experiences people can have with deafness and why she doesn't personally consider herself Deaf; I kind of wish the note had been at the beginning, particularly with how anti-sign language she was as a kid.

If this had been fiction rather than a memoir, I would have been annoyed at some of the choices she made (like the aforementioned bias against sign language). But since it's her memoir, I don't fault her for putting in those memories — especially since she tries to balance them with her mom's positive view of sign language and some reflections on what she might have had access to if she'd allowed herself to learn.

I would feel more comfortable with this book being used as part of a classroom discussion than for a kid to read this independently if they did not also pair it with a story of someone who grew up Deaf to get a diversity of perspectives. Given that caveat, I think this book makes excellent fodder for discussion. We see how Bell's understanding of her difference changes as she grows — first, she puts up with a bullying friend because she thinks she won't be able to make another friend, then she finds a friend who's nicer but treats her like she's "special" in a condescending way, and finally she is able to decide on her own terms what makes her unique and who she wants to share that with.

I'm glad this book has been widely recommended! I also think it's worth the read. Just don't let it be the only first-person experience of deafness you ever read.
emotional hopeful informative inspiring fast-paced

Loved this so much. I loved how the character would transform into a superhero in her imagination. I learned so much about hearing loss or hard of hearing from this and I appreciated the story and what the character deals with. Great book!

This graphic novel is excellent from the very detailed animation to the variety of themes and life events that occur for the main character (who is based on the author). It would be great for teaching empathy and perspective taking as it addresses a subject not often talked about in society, let alone children's literature--disability. Bell offers a glimpse into how hard it can be to be different from your peers, while also demonstrating that embracing those differences empowers us.
adventurous funny hopeful informative fast-paced

This was written for a much younger audience than myself. Certain concerns and interactions annoyed me, although they seemed accurate to the age group of the protagonist.

I liked the depiction of the characters as rabbits, especially considering the prominence of the phonetic ear in the story. I really enjoyed the notes from the creator in the rear matter.

Review written by a very comforted adult who has suffered from hearing loss all my life.

I have often found hearing loss lonely as it feels like there are not many people who can relate to the struggles of daily life and the challenges I faced in coming to terms with my hearing loss. This is one persons childhood story made into a comic and it was very relatable. The rejection and shame around wearing hearing aids and the self consciousness.

I would recommend it to anyone one with hearing loss, but more importantly for the friends and family of those around them.

I was so unsure of this book - solely by the title - so I didn’t pick it up for a long time. Knowing members of the Deaf Community and also people who are hearing impaired and hard of hearing (I used to be a teacher of deaf/hard of hearing students), I thought it might be a terrible play on words. Thankfully, it wasn’t! This was filed under “biography” at our local library, and it is about Cece Bell’s school life after she becomes sick with meningitis and becomes deaf. Cece is very blunt about how she felt and what she went through. It is simply written and easy to follow. I especially like the author’s note at the end, reminding readers that “I am an expert on no one’s deafness but my own.” This is one graphic novel I'll be happy to purchase and put on my middle school shelves.

A clear-eyed, funny, and wholesome look at a girl's experience losing her hearing at a young age and navigating friendships. Every adolescent should read this!