In the near future Australia is controlled by Organicore. It is a company that makes “perfectly balanced” synthetic meals. They have replaced “ wild food.” (Wild food is food grown in a garden.). Piper McBride is deaf and 16 years old. She lives with her mother. Her mother works for Organicore as their top scientist. When her mother is fired, they find that they are getting less food from Organicore. Her mother worries as she doesn’t know how she will pay the rent much less have money for meals to eat. Piper wonders if “wild food” is all that bad to eat. At the same time, her mother reminds her of the importance of being normal — in this case, not deaf. Her mother tells her it is important for getting a good job. Piper is thinking about about other things such as survival. Deaf since she was three, she is surprised by Marley in a bicycle repair shop. He has a deaf mother who has taught him sign language. Piper is taught by Marley and his mother Australian Sign Language. Piper grew up oral, lip reading and speaking instead of signing. She also learns how to grow her own food. Both skills give Piper the confidence to gain independence and make new friends. She imagines a different society than the present one she lives in.

The novel is more than pages with words on it, but also through paint, collage, and drawings on the pages. The author has brought up themes of truth, friendships, and a little romance. The “illustrations” are perfect. The author amazed me with adding the illustrations on each page. It brings up the subject of being deaf and how it effects not only the deaf person but how it effects normal someone interacting with them. It makes one realize that talking louder will not help. I also am aware that lip reading is not every deaf person can do. It’s a subject that no one talks about. I think there should be a public book on etiquette for interacting with the deaf (also blind, handicapped as usually one doesn’t really know. I say this because I have a deaf friend, a blind friend, and a mother in law in a wheelchair.). This novel is Insightful, hopeful, and empowering which is much needed for our turbulent times.

I read an e-book version of this book, but I feel like I will need to see the physical book. Even digital it was beautiful and truly reminded me of a visual journal with words and amazing art work.

The Words in My Hands follows Piper, a young artist that expresses herself through her art,; one of her biggest ways to communicate in a world that couldn’t be bothered to accommodate her Deafness. Told in the form of an art journal we follow Piper and her mother in the near future where jobs are hard to find and the price of living is outrageous. Piper’s mum loses her job and the two of them fall into hard times very fast. No electricity. Living in their back shed. Food is scarce.

Readers will be mesmerized by the gorgeous art and the story which isn't perfect but is more than worth taking the time to immerse yourself fully in to the art, the story, and the great representation of Deaf Culture. While there were some things I wasn't too fond of I am so glad I was given the chance to read this.

Thank you to netgalley and publishers for providing me with an e-copy so that I can share my honest opinion with all of you. I strongly encourage you to make time for this book as soon as possible

Piper McBride is a sixteen-year-old growing up in a not-so-distant-future version of Melbourne, Australia. Her mother is one of the top scientists for Organicore, an innovative company that develops and sells reconstituted food. As fuel prices skyrocket and people start to question the healthiness of Organicore foods, Piper stumbles across a group of people with a very different perspective on “wild food”.

A big part of this book centers around the fact that Piper has been deaf since she was about three. Since her mother was hearing and didn’t want her daughter to be seen as different, Piper was raised oral. This means that she was never taught sign language and instead learned to lipread. During the course of the story, Piper meets members of the Deaf community, starts to learn Auslan (Australian sign Language), and begins to embrace a part of herself she has always held at bay.

The book itself is presented as an art journal written by Piper, who loves art. Many of the pages are embellished by colorful backgrounds, textures, and/or borders. Handwritten portions and larger drawings also make regular appearances. The effect is to tell a story with more than simply words on a page and adds to Piper’s voice and personality.

I enjoyed this story. It uses a futuristic (though realistic) setting to talk about current-day issues that the author experiences in real life.

The Words in My Hands by Asphyxia has already been nominated for awards so please do not take what I am about to say as anything to do with the actual words of this story. I received this book in an unformatted version which has made it impossible for me to review as the pages were cut in half, not compiled in the correct order, and imaged incorrectly.

What I can say from flipping through page after page is that the illustrator did a fantastic job of formatting. The use of different fonts, color, and design is very eye catching. It looks like watercolor mixed in with pencil and charcoal. Plus there are diagrams, drawings, and doodlings. The artwork is striking and memorable.

Pick up a finished copy of The Words in My Hands by Asphyxia and let me know what you think.

I received a free copy of this book and I am writing a review without prejudice and voluntarily.

This book was beautiful. Five stars of beauty. It had too much going on though. I felt that it suffered from being science/speculative fiction. I think rooting this in the here and now would have been enough. Sure, it was a cool world, but I just felt overwhelmed by too much stuff happening. It is just one opinion of course. I would love to have some of the art to hang on my wall. It was just stunning..

The Words in My Hands by Asphyxia is a very unique coming of story that packs a powerful punch. I am a big supprter of creativity, and thjs story was delivered in such a beautiful and creative way. I really liked the main character and how she became so empowered. It was also interesting to see a chapter representing the deaf community, and communicating such an important and powerful message. I really liked the artwork that went along with the story as well. Overall the story was good but it didn't struggle to hold my attention sometimes.

The Words in My Hands was a very uniquely written book. I loved the artwork throughout and thought the main character was excellently written. However, I had a hard time enjoying some of the storyline. It would captivate me for a short time and then I would go a long time before I was interested in the story again. There were certain parts of the story that were not essential to the storyline and could have been omitted without losing any meaning. Three stars because I loved the lead character and the creativity of the presentation.

I have always been interested in learning more about Deaf culture, so it was really exciting to find out about an OwnVoices story about a deaf teenager learning to embrace her Deafness and find her own voice despite the powerful people who want to suppress it. This book has two main plots that weave together wonderfully and keep the story as a whole interesting. The first centers around Piper's journey regarding her Deaf identity as she moves from being pushed to conform to a hearing way of life to exploring what it's like to embrace the Deaf community for the first time. This book also has a slight dystopian feel, following a plot line about food and sustainability, activism, and freedom of speech.

Overall I found the plot line interesting. I will say, it did take me a few chapters to really get into it. For me, I think I'm just at a period where anything with too much of a dystopian/sci-fi feel takes a little more for me to get into. But this book did pull me in with its interesting characters. Not only is Piper's experience interesting to read about, but she is a realistic, relatable character who's got some stubbornness, some fear and self-doubt, but at the end of the day she is strong and willing to fight for what's important to her. I also like the romance in the story. It's not a perfect fairytale romance. She and Marley have their ups and downs, and sometimes Marley made choices that annoyed me, but that makes their relationship more raw and realistic. It makes them both human. I do think readers will really connect with them, especially with Piper.

The other really cool thing about the book is that it's an incredible combination of text and art - painting, collage, drawings. The book is a visual experience, and I loved the uniqueness of this. It added to the story in a way that elevated the reading experience. It shows readers another part of Piper's character, as she's very artistic and creative. It was cool to get to visually see some of her work rather than just having it described in words. Piper's story is fun to read, encouraging, and gives a really cool insight into the Deaf community. I'd definitely recommend it.

This is a beautiful coming of age story and I love that it focuses on a teenager trying to find her place in the world.
Premise
Set in an ominously prescient near future, All the Words that Matter is the story of Piper: sixteen, smart, artistic, and rebellious, she’s struggling to conform to what her mom wants—for her to be ‘normal,’ to pass as hearing, and get a good job. But in a time of food scarcity, environmental collapse, and political corruption, Piper has other things on her mind—like survival.

Deaf since the age of three, Piper has always been told that she needs to compensate in a world that puts those who can hear above everyone else. But when she meets Marley, a whole new world opens up—one where Deafness is something to celebrate rather than hide, and where resilience and hope are created by taking action, building a community, and believing in something better.
It was a great book about embracing that what makes us unique makes us special. Her deafness catapulted her to great things in this story instead of holding her back and I think it is a great relatable read for teenagers regardless or whether they have a disability or not.

I have to DNF this unfortunately... I keep getting headaches because of the journal like art on the pages. I think the art is really cool but I can't seem to read this without getting a crazy headache, I tried making it black and white and still was getting a headache...

I really enjoyed this book. It was futuristic but relatable. I thougth it was wonderful how the author integrated the Deaf world with the hearing world and showcased the misconceptions and feelings on both sides.

I would have loved to get into this book, as it seemed like it was going to have incredible represention and plot but the writing was not my style at all and felt incredibly slow and choppy, so I struggled with it a lot and ended up being unable to get completely through.

I read an e-book version of this book, but I feel like I will need to see the physical book. Even digital it was beautiful and truly reminded me of a visual journal with words and amazing art work. This was an uncomfortable book to read because the apocalyptic time shortages of fuel and food were believable and this book didn’t seem quite as futuristic as I might like. The protagonist, Piper, is the deaf daughter of the food scientist that created an alternative food called recon that has been genetically created to do away with health issues like cancer. Piper is oral and relies on lip reading and hearing aids to communicate. This creates a lot of difficulties in hanging out with people. This book is about huge issues like freedom of speech and the damage humans are doing/have done to the planet, but at it’s core it is about a deaf teen who discovers who she is through learning about the Deaf community. It was a beautiful story and I know it is one that will stay with me.

My appreciation to Annick Press Ltd., the author Asphyxia, and NetGalley for providing me a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I would like to say how beautiful the cover is, so much care was put into the art on each and every page of this book. This book is visually STUNNING. Asphyxia is a Deaf author/artist and so is the MC, Piper. Piper has grown up wearing hearing aids and lip-reading, and it’s not until she meets Marley, a CODA (Child of a Deaf Adult), that she begins to learn Auslan. I loved seeing her enthusiasm for her new language, and the scenes where she interacts with Robbie, Marley’s Deaf mother, were wonderful. The descriptions are amazing!

The idea of the book is that you are reading Piper’s art journal, and it is absolutely beautiful! Pick up your copy!!

You will definitely enjoy this book. I'm going to purchase the hard copy, just love the art drawing!!

#Futuregirl #thewordsinmyhands

I just reviewed The Words in My Hands by Asphyxia. #TheWordsinMyHands #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

I grew up with Deaf friends and CODA. I also have many hearing friends who learned ASL to translate and communicate with them. Being observant not only reveals opportunities to be polite and kind but exposes you to new and interesting people. Learning a few signs really goes a long way toward making those connections. This book incorporated multiple current and future concerns for all of us because we all need healthy food, access and information.

Get to ready to cry. The Words in My Hands is one of the most beautiful books I've read this year. From its lead heroine in Piper to the world she lives in, this story leaves you with a little bit of heartbreak and a whole lot of love. If you've ever wondered what it would feel like to be deaf in a world for the hearing, than sit back and let Asphyxia show you.

Thank you to Netgalley and Annick Press for providing an early digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

First and foremost, I cannot leave a review for The Words in My Hands by Asphyxia without mentioning how absolutely beautiful it is, cover to cover. So much care was put into the art on each and every page of this book. Each image not only reveals something about the events of that page but also main character Piper's mood at the time. The art tells a story in itself and while this book didn't end up being a "must read again" book for me, I will almost definitely buy a hardcopy just because this book is going to look so gorgeous on a shelf.

On to the story itself. Piper McBride is a sixteen year old living in near-future Australia, where "wild food" has started to become obsolete as more and more people switch to bioengineered food they call recon. Piper is Deaf and trying to navigate the world as the non-signing daughter of a hearing mother who desperately wants her daughter to appear "normal." As society as she knows it starts to erode, Piper learns sign language, meets a boy, and inadvertently spearheads a political movement.

There were parts of this book (besides the art!) that I loved. For the most part, I love Piper. She does some dumb, dumb stuff but she's a naive, sheltered 16-year-old. They do dumb stuff. While I didn't *like* Piper's relationship with her mom, I liked the way it was written. I kept wanting to shake Piper and tell her her mom should be the one who's ashamed for never properly learning to communicate with her daughter! Piper ends up finding something of a surrogate mother in an older Deaf woman and I really enjoyed watching that relationship unfold.

The writing was lovely, especially for a diary format, which usually isn't my favorite. I enjoyed the plot as well, and loved watching Piper learn to grow her own food as well as learn to sign, plus the political messages of the book are timely and important. The story did seem to start dragging around 70% but I liked the way it ended, [SPOILER] even if it was a little too hea for my taste.
[END SPOILER]

My main issue with this book: Marley, the love interest. 1. He's 19 while Piper's 16, in high school, and pretty immature for her age. He's been with several women, she's never had a boyfriend. It all felt just a little south of acceptable. 2. He starts to treat her like crap bc of his own insecurities while her only "crimes" are being deaf and sad, but they both end up apologizing. No thank you. 3. He's just kind of blah. This is obviously subjective but Piper spends SO MUCH TIME thinking about him, I just wish he had more of a personality. Another issue: there were a few scenes that were hard for me to read as a lifelong vegetarian, I won't get into too much detail, but let's just say necessary but graphic killing off animals for food.

While this book wasn't perfect, it was both entertaining and visually appealing, as well as feeling ominously prescient. Most importantly, it got me thinking about the ways in which my community can be more inclusive of Deaf people. Highly recommend for fans of contemporary YA, light spec fic/dystopian with political themes, and mixed media books.

When we meet 16-year-old Piper, she's a functioning oral: a d/Deaf person who lip reads and speaks. She's an enthusiastic consumer of Recon, a food substitute produced by her mother's company. The McBrides live in a dystopic Melbourne, Australia where a greedy corporation controls the government and thereby the population by distributing this fake food that becomes less available as they story progresses. Recon has ended cancer and other ills. "Wild" food is viewed with suspicion.

Piper doesn't think much of her disability or the food situation until she meets Marley, a bike shop guy and later his d/Deaf mom, Robbie, who grows vegetables and animals to sustain them. As Piper begins to learn sign language, the massive headaches caused by her hearing aids wane. Her interest in growing food waxes at the same time, aided by the constant hunger gnawing at her now that her Recon rations have been cut in half.

Marley, being a bike shop guy, is obviously a hottie, but he's not totally the perfect YA boyfriend. He has his asshole moments, especially while he's wrestling with his identity as a CODA (Child of a Deaf Adult) and what that means when being in a relationship with a Deaf girl. The most perfect person in the book is Robbie, who is compassionate and strong and helps Piper to understand that she doesn't have to conform to hearing culture, even though Piper's mom is set on Piper's being as "normal" as possible.

Meanwhile government and mercenary oppressions seek to destroy public gardens and protest. Piper is an artist; the book is told in the form of her diary/sketchbook. When others see some of her drawings, they encourage her to use them as stencils and protest signs. That goes as well as you might expect and leads to a reckoning.

A favorite quote from the book is graffiti on the bike shop wall.

Imagine: If the GDP was replaced with a contentment index.

Highly recommended, especially for permaculture nerds, d/Deaf people, and people who want to overthrow corporate governments.

Caveat--I read it as an ebook, which I advise against. Because the text is on decorated diary pages, you can't adjust the size, and it's impossible to read on a phone. It's okay on a tablet, but still not great. Maybe the published version will be easier to navigate?

Thanks, NetGalley for the free ARC.

#TheWordsInMyHands by Asphyxia is set in a not-so-distant future. The main character, Piper McBride, is an artsy teen who doesn’t fit in at school. Piper is deaf, and although her mother has taught her how to lipread, she’s struggling to understand the world around her.

Meanwhile, Australia is dealing with a shortage of food and other natural resources, like petrol. Things get even worse when her mother—who creates artificial food called recon—loses her job at the politically corrupt company called Organicore. Even artificial nutrition seems to be in short supply nowadays.

When Piper’s bike is stolen, which happens to be her only mode of transportation, she meets a boy who works at a bike shop. His name is Marley, and he knows sign language because his mother is deaf. A whole new world opens up as Marley teaches Piper how to use sign language. While learning to communicate with Marley’s mom, Piper discovers a controversial trade: growing natural food.

#TheWordsInMyHands reads like a visual diary, documenting Piper’s introduction to the deaf community and a new way of eating. Now, Piper feels like she’s in between two different worlds: her life before sign language and her life after meeting Marley. Throughout the book, she must learn how to integrate these new aspects into her life at home.

Each character (especially Marley, Piper’s mother, and Piper’s best friend) is also going through their own internal struggles. The characters all grow, but the author doesn’t aim to solve each of the character’s problems by the end of the book, which I think is brilliant. The journey of identity and belonging is an ongoing process. Each character has a specific view on things, such as sign language and gardening. And the author presents these differing points-of-view through humanizing dialogue.

#TheWordsInMyHands, with its unique world-building, is reminiscent of the call-to-action in Samira Ahmed's Internment. Furthermore, the book is a piece of art. Each page contains doodles and watercolor markings. It feels like reading Piper’s personal scrapbook. In between chapters, there are beautiful drawings that depict pivotal scenes.

This novel is very character driven, yet the plot/suspense is also prevalent. As someone who has a disability, I am so happy to read this #ownvoices story. Personally, I wear leg braces that can be hidden underneath my boots and long skirts. Sometimes my disability is visible and other times it is invisible. I’ve never read a book that deals with a character feeling stuck in between two types of worlds, so I really appreciated this.

I feel that this book will appeal to so many people. The themes (belonging and identity) are universal. And even though I didn’t know much about sign language or gardening, the descriptions in this book were easy to visualize and understand. It’s truly an inclusive book.

I’m very excited for #TheWordsInMyHands to come out on November 2, 2021, and I can’t wait to see how it will look in person. Thank you to the publisher and #NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review the digital advance copy.

The Words in my Hands is an OwnVoices YA book set in near future Australia about Piper, a 16 year old Deaf girl who lives in a world where food and gas are scarce. Her mom has paid for her to live like a "normal" person by having her learn to speak and lip read. Her mom never learned or had Piper learn sign language.

She meets Marley and that all changes. He is a CODA (Child of a Deaf Adult) and is having issues, like Piper, of where he fits in to the Deaf world as well as the hearing world. He teaches her sign language and his mom teaches her about growing vegetables and raising small animals for food. This becomes necessary because the food is growing more scarce by the day.

As Piper's relationship with Marley grows, her mom's and best friend's lives are crumbling around them. Piper doesn't know where she fits anymore with the two most central figures in her life. Will Piper grow into her own as a more independent person in the Deaf community, or still rely on Taylor and her mom to help her navigate the hearing world?

This is more centered on characters than it is plot, but that works really well. It's also in the style of an art journal, so you feel like you're living what she is living right along with her. I really enjoyed that. Also please read the letter from Asphyxia at the end. It has some great advice about how to communicate with the Deaf community. As a paraplegic, some of this advice also works really well with any person who has a visible or invisible disability.

My appreciation to Annick Press Ltd., the author Asphyxia, and NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.