Alison Gervais

Maya loses her hearing as a teen, but rather than mourning for what she no longer has, she embraces her Deaf identity. When she is mainstreamed into a Colorado public high school, she has a bit of a chip on her shoulder, but soon she makes a stalwart hearing friend and even finds a love interest who takes up signing to communicate with her. A few misunderstandings inevitably follow, but Maya finds support as she pursues her dreams.

I liked this breezy YA novel, but it had one major flaw: show more Maya’s seemingly wholehearted Deaf pride is more a matter of words rather than actions. She keeps saying that she likes being Deaf, and she completely rejects the possibility of cochlear implants, but in almost every scene she is surrounded by hearing people. Deaf culture isn’t depicted at all. As a reader, I didn’t see the basis for her pride. I think I would have preferred it if the novel were set in the school for the Deaf that Maya attended after her hearing loss. show less

Quite likely the most authentic portrayal of deaf culture I've read in children's or teen literature, thanks to an #ownvoices author. Maya and her family move to Colorado where she attends a hearing high school for the first time; previously she had long been attending a school for the deaf in New Jersey. All the challenges of attending a new school among strangers are writ large factoring in her disability. Maya accepts her identity as a deaf person and suffers no fools who don't get it, show more but like every teen she has her moments of self-doubt. The sign language passages are written in caps and reflect the tone of ASL's abbreviated expressions. A terrific and revealing work. show less

diverse teen fiction (Deaf teen moves from NJ to CO--and adjusts to public school /not school for Deaf; author describes self as HoH and involved in Deaf community).
The new school/new romance story is solid and satisfying--not exactly unusual for a teen books, but what makes this stand out is the kicky Deaf protagonist Maya, and how she describes her world. I've read a few books with Deaf characters ([b:El Deafo|20701984|El Deafo|Cece show more Bell|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1423770455l/20701984._SX50_.jpg|40021855],[b:You Don't Know Everything, Jilly P!|37822657|You Don't Know Everything, Jilly P!|Alex Gino|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1523871698l/37822657._SY75_.jpg|59500100] and [b:Charlie and Frog: The Boney Hand|46142340|Charlie and Frog The Boney Hand (Fiction - Middle Grade)|Karen Kane|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1559621573l/46142340._SY75_.jpg|65073185] for middlegraders; [b:You're Welcome, Universe|25701463|You're Welcome, Universe|Whitney Gardner|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1464012477l/25701463._SY75_.jpg|45533327] and [b:Five Flavors of Dumb|7818683|Five Flavors of Dumb|Antony John|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348174009l/7818683._SY75_.jpg|10851592] for teens) and this is the first one (that I can remember) that approximates ASL grammar--usually the signed words are translated into English--which I appreciated. It also goes into the controversy of Cochlear Implants fairly in-depth, including Maya's experiences when she goes to the doctor for a routine checkup (sort of like how Winnie gets fat-shamed by her doctor in the unfortunately named [b:If It Makes You Happy|40851643|If It Makes You Happy|Claire Kann|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1544070863l/40851643._SY75_.jpg|63621019]).

Highly recommended for anyone who doesn't want to act like an ass the next time they interact with a Deaf person (which should be everyone). show less

I really enjoyed this book. I read it in one day! Maya is a strong-willed female protagonist who defends her deafness. At first, she comes off a bit arrogant but as the storyline moves along, the reader begins to understand her struggle as she assimilates herself into a "hearing" world. I really liked the way that the author distinguishes between speaking and the act of sign language by having the "dialogue" written in capital letters and the sentences themselves shortened. The thing that show more surprised me the most was that Maya was written to only having been deaf for about 4 years, due to a bout with Meningitis. The author keeps everything grounded and real and Maya's struggle, along with the other characters struggles to help Maya assimilate into this new world come straight across in the story. It has actually inspired me to get online and learn some ASL! show less