A review by thebiasedbibliophile
Give Me a Sign by Anna Sortino

5.0

If there’s one thing the world needs it’s more Deaf representation in books! When I joined the Penguin Teen Influencer’s program, I honestly just had my eye on Ruta Sepetys’ new book, but when I saw the cover for Give Me a Sign by Anna Sortino, I couldn’t pass it up!

Although I have some hearing loss, and doctors think I will eventually be deaf in my right ear, I have not had many opportunities to connect with the Deaf community. I recently started learning ASL, and I’ve wanted to find other ways to connect with people who are HoH and Deaf. Give Me a Sign popped into my life at the perfect moment (some might even say it was a sign). People frequently talk about books they love, but every now and then, we come across books we need, and this was one of those books for me.

There were many wonderful features of this book, but obviously the representation was my favorite. The protagonist, Lilah, goes to a summer camp for the deaf and blind. She attended the camp when she was younger, but returns as a counselor. At the heart of the story, Lilah struggles with her identity, feeling as if she is too deaf to fit in with hearing people, but too hearing to fit in with the Deaf community. In the end she learns that accepting who she is will be an ongoing process, full of victories and challenges at every stage of her life.

Additionally, Sortino addresses many important issues within the Deaf community. For instance, there is a hearing character who is in school to become an ASL interpreter, but she is also an influencer and basically teaches ASL in her videos. I appreciated the way this character learned from the other camp counselors. There are so many hearing influencers that profit off of Deaf culture, to the point that many Deaf influencer's are often overlooked. It was refreshing to see this character learn her lesson without being ostracized from the group. Instead of lashing out at the characters who told her that she was in the wrong, she took what they said seriously and changed her behavior.

Furthermore, the use of hearing aids, cochlear implants, and ASL was discussed throughout the novel. I enjoyed the way Sortino included a vast array of experiences in relation to the devices and language. Lilah has mixed feelings about using hearing aids; on the one hand, her hearing parents expect her to use them, and they do help her in some ways, but on the other hand, constantly trying to decipher what people are saying is exhausting, and the summer camp gives her an opportunity to be accepted regardless of whether she chooses to use hearing aids.

Likewise, Lilah’s brother is eligible for the cochlear implant surgery, but she worries that he is rushing into the decision. She has the opportunity to listen to other characters’ experiences with the devices, and sees that they are a valid option. One character explains how her family felt as if she weren’t deaf enough after going through the surgery. 

The use of ASL is portrayed in a similar manner in that Lilah sees how one camper’s family is not supportive of her learning the language. Lilah herself does not have easy access to ASL outside of the summer camp. 

All of these aspects shined a light on real-life issues. Sortino showed multiple sides to so many different experiences, and to have the opportunity to learn more about the Deaf community was invaluable to me. The theme of belonging that was woven into the story made it feel welcoming and the romance was cute, too. I have no doubt that there are many people that need this book in their lives.