Reviews tagging 'Rape'

The Sign for Home by Blair Fell

10 reviews

tillie__'s review

emotional funny inspiring tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry, Emotional abuse, and Ableism

Minor: Rape and Sexual content

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

nloushoes's review

adventurous challenging emotional informative inspiring sad 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? It's complicated

4.5

Rating: 🤗/4.5

Format: 📖

Chapter length: medium 

Vibe: A window into a life I knew nothing about but am so grateful to have started a learning journey about. I spent time watching videos on  ASL communication, tactile sign language, protactile and haptics to learn more. My heart enveloped these characters and their pain, loss, love, anger, sadness, grief, and determination for justice. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Rape and Alcoholism

imds's review

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry, Ableism, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Confinement, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Homophobia, Grief, Cancer, Bullying, and Alcoholism

Minor: Rape and Sexual assault

stacy837's review

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Cursing, Ableism, Bullying, Forced institutionalization, and Grief

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, and Self harm

Minor: Alcoholism, Cancer, Death of parent, Rape, Religious bigotry, Outing, and Sexual content

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

courtney__bernard's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful 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

4.5

 Wow! Just Wow! What a wonderful book and an excellent coming-of-age story. 

 

This book is a dual perspective between Arlo Dilly a DeafBlind man who is much more than those around him believe and his new interpreter Cyril. Arlo is a Jehovah's Witness starting community college and Cyril needs a job this summer to help him get out of Upstate New York once and for all. 

 

This rich and heartwarming coming-of-age story lets the good guys win and love concurs all. The friendships built really grow and help the characters become better communicators by the end. There were plenty of lighthearted and funny moments that made the story interesting and compelling. This was like nothing I have ever read before and I loved how Blair Fell was able to describe how Arlo felt and used ASL to have rich conversations with those around him. 

 

Final Thoughts - The friendships made in this story, are real and honest with each other and show that home doesn’t have to just be a singular place but where people love you most. 

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Suicide attempt

Minor: Death of parent and Rape

sammies_shelf's review against another edition

emotional informative 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

4.25

Blair Fell has written a wonderful and very original debut novel using his own experience as an ASL interpreter.

Arlo Dilly, our Deafblind, Jehovah's Witness protagonist, enrolls in a college writing course to improve his English. Through his interaction with a new, open-minded interpreter, Cyril Brewster, and his engagement with a personal writing assignment for his class, he uncovers the secrets that have been kept from him by his guardian about his past trauma and current accessibility options.

I have never read anything quite like this book. It combines an original cast of characters, a compelling plot, excellent narration from both Arlo and Cyril, and information about the Deafblind community. The author writes dialogue communicated in ASL with the accurate grammar and spells out words that are finger-spelled, which is an excellent detail. I was really impressed by the character development, and the conflicts are very real as everyone fights for what they believe is best for Arlo, as Arlo discovers the agency to fight for what he wants. This book is so human and provides an honest look at the experiences of the Deafblind community. The second-person writing for Arlo's chapters allows the reader to step into Arlo's shoes and understand how he understands his world and experiences his wide range of emotions as he uncovers secret after secret. I was really invested in the relationship between Arlo and Cyril as they work to understand each other, and as Cyril faces ethical dilemmas while knowing he must advocate for Arlo. I was rooting for Arlo to win his freedom and his love! I loved that the ending leaves us with an awareness of the unknown and a warm heart. This is a unique and educational coming-of-age story that I absolutely recommend.

Pub date: 04/05/22

Many thanks to Emily Bestler, Atria Books, Simon and Schuster, and NetGalley for the digital ARC. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism

Moderate: Violence

Minor: Rape

missrosymaplemoth's review against another edition

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Homophobia, Sexual content, and Bullying

Moderate: Cursing, Alcoholism, Cancer, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Animal cruelty, Blood, and Rape

kerrygetsliterary's review

emotional informative reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Confinement, Cursing, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Homophobia, Infidelity, Physical abuse, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Blood, Cancer, Child abuse, Death of parent, Terminal illness, and Sexual content

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, and Rape