Reviews tagging 'Death'

The Sign for Home by Blair Fell

9 reviews

carakupferman's review

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

The Sign for Home is totally unique and utterly brilliant. The main character, Arlo, is a 23-year old DeafBlind man who has been raised with a strict Jehovah’s Witness upbringing by his controlling and religious uncle. Before embarking on a mission to Ecuador, he is permitted to take a summer writing course at the local community college to improve his English writing skills, and he is introduced to a new interpreter, Cyril. Cyril is gay, a bit chaotic, and terrified at the prospect of working with a DeafBlind consumer using tactile ASL but agrees to the job with the hope that the money will finally enable him to escape Poughkeepsie. The two men develop a strong friendship and partnership as Cyril’s support helps Arlo break through the trauma and repressed memories of his past and begin to question his sheltered life. When he learns that his childhood sweetheart is still out there, he embarks on a journey to find her against all odds of inaccessibility and neglect.

The story in this book is tremendously moving, but its most unique and interesting feature is the use of voice. Cyril’s perspective is written in a classic first person narration, but Arlo’s perspective is written in second person, creating a sense of both distance and intimacy, putting you in Arlo’s head while also taking you out of the moment. I also loved the way Blair Fell translated and transliterated ASL, preserving the distinctness of ASL from English and giving his Deaf and DeafBlind characters an authentic voice. This book is so interesting and compelling. Possibly my favorite so far this year!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Child abuse, Bullying, Gaslighting, Religious bigotry, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, and Grief

Minor: Death of parent, Cancer, Death, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Abandonment, Addiction, and Alcohol

booksnteatourist's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cursing and Bullying

Minor: Death and Death of parent

cdace8's review

challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia, Death, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Alcoholism, and Bullying

permanme's review

adventurous emotional inspiring 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Death, Grief, Ableism, and Alcohol

kimveach's review

adventurous emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense 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

5.0

I loved this book!  I wish I could find these characters and become their friend.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Blood, Cancer, Homophobia, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Ableism, Addiction, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Violence, Death of parent, Grief, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, Cultural appropriation, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, and Medical trauma

dazzle_spider_reader_1212's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Ableism, Forced institutionalization, and Abandonment

Minor: Confinement, Cursing, Death of parent, Medical trauma, Rape, Medical content, Sexual assault, Death, Drug abuse, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Drug use, Gaslighting, Grief, and Sexual content

uranaishi's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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? No

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Bullying, Ableism, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Alcohol, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Excrement, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Toxic friendship, Violence, Medical content, Outing, Terminal illness, Death, Infidelity, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, Cancer, Colonisation, and Cursing

Minor: Suicide attempt, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Deportation, Physical abuse, Vomit, Blood, Child death, Xenophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, and Self harm

brittacalypse's review

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted tense medium-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism and Religious bigotry

Minor: Grief, Death, Death of parent, and Medical trauma

caseythereader's review

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective 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

3.5

Thanks to Atria Books for the free advance copy of this book.

 - I feel divided on THE SIGN FOR HOME. I love that this is a story with perspectives we rarely, if ever, see in fiction: Deaf and DeafBlind people and culture, Jehovah's Witnesses, interpreters. There's so much here about the relationship between a DeafBlind person and their longtime interpreter, about different types of language and communication for DeafBlind people, and about confronting ableism at every turn.
- However, as much as this book was about Arlo finding himself and his liberation, I still felt a weird savior-y vibe from Cyril for a lot it. There were several completely unexamined fatphobic comments from both Arlo and Cyril. Arlo's love interest wasn't a fully developed character. And finally (SPOILER!), I absolutely did not buy Molly's abrupt change of heart. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Ableism, Alcohol, Confinement, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, Blood, Bullying, Grief, Suicide, Cursing, Death, Fatphobia, Forced institutionalization, Homophobia, Medical content, and Rape