As someone who has read usually a book a week (give or take) for the past 55 years, it takes a lot to give me something new in a book.

Well, The Sign for Home was a very, very pleasant surprise. The main characters are Arlo, a DeafBlind young man and Cyril, his new interpreter.

Arlo is being raised by his Uncle Birch with help from his main interpreter Molly, both intent on keeping Arlo on the straight and narrow path of the Jehovah’s Witnesses. Enter Cyril, a new interpreter who feels that they are not letting Arlo be exposed to things that will help him live his life.

There are hints of something good and bad that happened to Arlo when he was at school. A love story gone wrong, that he is forbidden to think about or talk about.

As Cyril grows more and more attached to Arlo, we feel his anguish as he wrestles with his role as an interpreter. An interpreter is only supposed to interpret. They are not there to influence or pass judgment.

Arlo’s life and circle of friends expands as they rally behind him.

It’s a love story, an adventure story, a friendship story, a feel good story, and an eye opening insight into the DeafBlind community.

I found myself staying up later to read an extra chapter or two, something I usually on do in thrillers. I loved it! I received an ARC of the book.

I read and listened to this months ago and was trying to calm down enough to write a proper, thought out review that wasn't too emotional and I just CAN'T.

Ya'll this book had me in tears, in a good way, and I had to alternate between the audio and the book because I was listening to this while driving on my commute and I was SO wrapped up in these characters that I couldn't drive safely while worrying about my darling cinnamon rolls.

These. Characters. ARLO!!! CYRIL!!! I just wanted to HUG them practically the ENTIRE TIME I was reading/listening to this book. They were so well developed and had HUMAN flaws, but also human strengths. I just wanted a HEA for all involved. My precious babies need to be happy and loved. Sniff.

Arlo is a Deaf/Blind young man and Cyril becomes one of his interpreters for a college course Arlo is taking. The insight into the Deaf/Blind community was such that I suspected the author either did a crazy amount of research into it or that he was a part of that community and culture and it turns out he is. And it SHOWS.

He isn't preachy, he just gives the reader/listener a glimpse into a world that many of us have never experienced or even thought of before.

Also, the author narrated the book and from what I understand, sometimes that can go sideways. Not with this one. Holy cow, but the author knocked it out of the park!

This book sucked me in and left me a wrung out mess, but in the best of ways. I will be pushing this book into the hands of customers at my store, possibly while crying. It's so beautiful, I don't even have the words to describe it. You just have to experience it for yourself.

5, I was NOT expecting that and highly recommend this book to EVERYbody, stars.

My thanks to NetGalley, libro.fm and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for an eARC and audio ARC copy of this book to read/listen to and review.

This book was absolutely amazing. I LOVED IT! it was sooooo frustrating at times, how ignorant the characters were and how they treated people with disabilities. It's heartbreaking, because it is a reality out there. Make sure to check out trigger warnings before picking this one up!! But I highly recommend it if you're in the right mental place 🙌

Arlo Dilly takes a summer class where a writing prompt causes him to unearth his long-buried past. After, he not only finds a sense of relief but also finds out that his lost love is still out there. With the assistance of his talented interpreter, he finds the strength and courage within himself to put together a band of misfits to find where he belongs, and to find that missing piece of his heart.

One part of reading that I love is learning through the books, especially while that learning is masked behind a great story. In this book, I learned so much about the DeafBlind community including challenges as well as strengths experienced with the loss of two senses. From the first chapter (aptly titled "Sniff"), I could tell that this was going to be an experience to read. I felt connected to the characters and the story, and I was genuinely hoping for success for them all. I do think the book was a bit long. There were details and mini plot lines along the way that, although they may have added to the overall point slightly, they were not essential and just prolonged the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. This one is out now!

The Sign for Home was a pleasant surprise of a read.

At the onset, it was a bit of an awkward immersion, as the chapters are structured in a two person narrative with Cyril voiced in first person and Arlo voiced in second person. A second person POV is just such a rare thing. Even rarer is one that actually works...and this one did. Once I got past the oddness of the "you" voicing, I was able to read Arlo's sections as internal dialogue and it was effective in helping me feel things from Arlo's point-of-view quite well.

Arlo's situation is heart wrenching. There is so much that occurs in his life that really demonstrates how disabled individuals are often sidelined. He isn't able to fully advocate for himself or live as an independent adult. He is infantilized by his uncle and his life is controlled by those around him. As a result, he is terribly naive and unprepared for the real world. It was so sad to read his story and there were times that the situation elicited a very strong impulse to be livid with Brother Birch and his horrible treatment. The writing of Arlo's character is very well done and I truly felt that he was fleshed out like a real human. I would have liked to have a bit more of this approach with Cyril. He was a good character, but didn't get quite the same thorough exploration.

There is a lot of emotional and intellectual impact to this book. I was really surprised at how much is packed in this novel. It opened my eyes to the lack of fully efficient accessibility there is in our society.
I learned so much about the DeafBlind community. The depictions of struggles with every day life events that we often take for granted had me reevaluating how I see the world.

The depiction of the Jehovah's Witness religion was a mixed bag. It did illustrate the restrictiveness of the religion, but I think it also unfortunately portrayed the whole religion in a negative light. I am not JW myself, but it felt a little unfair to characterize the whole religion as bad. The sheltered life that Arlo led was well portrayed and did feel realistic, but there was just a twinge to things that felt like it was giving JW a bit of an evil feel.

The plot was well constructed and appropriately complex, but I was slightly disappointed in the ending. It felt like things went a little off the rails and the events were somewhat rushed and mildly unrealistic. I did enjoy the ending and found it appropriate given the arc of the story, but it didn't feel as carefully constructed and thought out as the remainder of the novel.

The Sign for Home is an emotionally impactful read with great characterization and a creative plot structure. It moved quite well, kept my attention, and had me experiencing an attachment to the realistic characters. An excellent debut and fantastic representation.

The Sign for Home is the first book that I have read by Blair Fell and unfortunately it will probably be the last. I loved the summary of this book and was really looking forward to reading it, but I just couldn’t get into it. I really liked the fact that the main character is deaf and blind. I found it quite refreshing from the norm, which can come across as too perfect at times. It was more graphic than I was expecting and I read a lot of different types of romance books so that is saying something. Unfortunately I would not recommend The Sign for Home, unless the graphic nature is something that wouldn’t bother the reader.

Blair Fell has created a truly wonderful story in his new novel "The Sign For Home!" His decades of experience interpreting for the deaf, the blind, and often, as in this tale, deaf/blind clients, informed and infused this story from beginning to end! His characters came to life, for this reader, in real TRUE BIZ fashion! I highly recommend this literary offering for its insights into the world of the deaf blind community, as well as its inherently educational underpinnings in the telling!!

I was offered a NetGalley advanced digital copy of this novel in exchange for an honest and fair review! I hope I have adequately expressed my appreciation for both the message and the craftsmanship that went into this novel!

I believe this novel was set to release in April 5, 2022. "Life" delayed my reading and subsequent review, but in no way diminished my heartfelt love of this novel.

#thesignforhome
#blairfell
#simonandschuster
#netgalley
#asl
#comingofage

This book caught my eye because it is about a deaf individual and I am hard of hearing. It's so rare to see books written about this demographic but I loved it. Such a quick read that sucks you into the story from page one. If the beautiful cover was any indication of what's inside, you don't want to miss out!

Books give us a chance to respectfully learn about members of our community that we might not have access to learn from in person. The Sign for Home introduces us to the difficulties a DeafBlind person might face, especially one without an advocate. Arlo Dilly is one such person, and this story explores his fight for his own agency, breaking out of a very controlled family life. Blair Fell brought Alro's world to life with honesty and humor through an interesting variety of characters.

This is one of the first books in a long time that I rushed to pick back up. Would have been a five star read for me except the "grand gesture" at the end felt forced to me. I felt like it should have been about Arlo saving Arlo and not his girlfriend.

HOLY COW!!! This book is incredible! I could not get enough. The writing is simply poetic. I enjoyed the different perspectives of both individuals so much.

The Sign for Home by Blair Fell is one of the most unique, heartbreaking, and insightful stories I've read in a long time. Cyril and Arlo's journey to self-discovery leads them through down a path of healing past traumatic experiences. Although their relationship starts as interpreter-to-consumer, it soon crosses the line into friendship and a world of experiences is presented to Arlo. I enjoyed the blossoming of their relationship, mixed with the sense of adventure. I also appreciated how the story was written, in that the text was directly translated from ASL to English (rather than interpreted), and signing was described. These few touches offers the reader another way to understand the Deaf and Deaf-Blind community and the language that they use. I've never read anything like it. I finished it on an airplane, and was crying in my middle seat - not only because it was over but also because I loved the story so much. I will be recommending The Sign for Home to everyone. Thanks to Atria for the review copy!

This is such a unique and interesting book! The premise itself is unlike anything else I've ever read and the writing style really drags the reader into the challenges and mindset of the different characters. I don't think a single character was treated fairly or had any easy decisions to face. I couldn't help but get emotionally invested and incredibly mad at the circumstances each person faced.

This book is written so well and it will make you feel all the feels, I promise. The cover is a bit deceiving in that it looks like a rom-com, but it really isn't. There's no romance and there's no easy problems or solutions. This book is full of ethical dilemmas that left my head spinning, in the best way. It deals with some intense and heavy topics such as religion, ADA laws and unfair treatment of the deaf and blind, and emotional and physical abuse and mistreatment.

Overall, The Sign For Home is an incredibly well-written and super captivating novel. It's not an easy beach read so just be prepared to dive into your feelings.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Atria/ Emily Bestler Books for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

To say that I loved this book would be a massive understatement. Everything about it was so hard to imagine and analyze from my perspective, a perspective that was blatantly ignorant of Usher Syndrome Type 1. Oh, you don’t know what this is either? Pick up this book and become informed while you are being entertained and then amazed at how proficient the DeafBlind can and have become in a sighted world. Learn about what the ADA law is lacking and how it needs to be amended so every DeafBlind person can have access to the world and the human rights they are owed and deserve.

This book is filled with information which is neatly integrated into the story and I feel as if I now have an understanding, slight as it may be, of what the Arlo Dilly’s of the world have to contend with while depending on the assistance of the hearing-sighted for much of their needs. I now know about Tactile ASL, Protactile expression, the importance of and ethics of correct interpretation and translation. Imagine for just one minute a person who may have no understanding of “sound, meter, rhyme” and especially being deprived of “nuance” in the spoken word, sentence, paragraph and then imagine relying on the proficiency of your translators/interpreters. Mind boggling. Throw into the mix the ETHICS of a translator/interpreter who is bound not to reveal discussions they had with their clients or knowledge of their client with a third party without the client being present and part of the discussion - should the translator/interpreter err on the side of “ethical rigidity or empathetic advocacy”.? Not a pleasant dilemma.

Besides an education there is a wonderful story that can engage all your senses and emotions and once again I am praising this book to the sky and beyond. Thank you NetGalley and Emily Bestler Books/Atria/Simon & Schuster for a copy.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read and review this book. Ooof this book is so good but also not one everyone will like (unfortunately its realistic soooo). I appreciate the writing style that the author presented of both of perspectives of the interpreter and the DeafBlind main character. I read the author's note too and its amazing that she is an interpreter as well so I loved learning the jargon appropriately. I also thought that the religious aspect was a fantastic addition (even though not everyone is going to like it) because it presents the internal struggle between letting someone advocate for you or being afraid to try. The only issue I had was that yes I got closure for the ending, however I wanted more information (this is though me being nitpicky and not a reflection on the book).I wanted more detail on what happened at the end. Because of these points, I have to give this a 4.5 out of 5 stars.

The Sign for Home has a large cast of vibrant characters that kept me entertained from start to finish. The book focuses on two point of views: one of Arlo Dilly, a 23 year old DeafBlind Jenovah Witness and Cryril, a gay DeafBlind interpreter. However, A Sign for Home is about so many other characters. I was thoroughly charmed, educated, and entertained with this book! I didn’t love the writing at places (mainly the difference in narrative style but I understand why the author made this choice) and pacing but other than that I have no other complaints!

Oh my goodness, this was a GEM! I had some idea of what this was about, but did not realize how heartwarming and absolutely perfect it would actually be. This is a story about Arlo, who is DeafBlind, and many years ago he met the love of his life, but tragedy struck and their love was lost forever. He has been trying to find a love like that again but is under the guardianship of his controlling uncle which makes the odds almost slim to none. However, he has a new gay interpreter that helps Arlo understand his rights under the ADA and from that moment on Arlo begins to challenge what he has known to be ‘true’.

I loved this story, and cannot say enough about how great it is. It is maddening at times because I am sure a lot of what is in here happens in real life to folks with disabilities, but I learned so much and the outcome was fantastic. I cannot recommend this one enough, trust me, you want to add this one to your list!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the digital copy to review.

Loved the representation! Some chapters made me laugh, and some made me cry. This was just a really well written, feel-good story! I would read from this author again for sure.

As an SLP, I am interested in the Deaf Community and ASL. So I was so thrilled to be given the chance to read A Sign for Home- thank you NetGalley and Atria Books in exchange for an honest review.

Arlo is a DeafBlind 23 year old Jehovah’s Witness who leads an extremely sheltered life. His new interpreter, Cyril, slowly (and unintentionally) starts to show Arlo about all the resources and possibilities he can have despite his disability. Arlo begins to push back on his sheltered ways and runs away to find the girl who got away.

I thought the book was too long and actually debated DNFing several times. I cared about Arlo and Cyril’s characters, but I didn’t itch to pick this book up when I had a minute. I appreciated all the insight into DeafBlind communication and really loved the deep dive into the culture of the Deaf community (ex. Many people feel that requiring parents of deaf children to learn sign language should be enforced).

I didn’t love much else. The main action of the book started at 75% of the way through the book. That’s insane. There was also a lot of talk about masturbating and teen boys that I didn’t need details of. Even though I think some JW beliefs are a little out there, I identify as a Christian and this book felt like it was bashing organized religion left and right.

It also it much more of a coming of age story than the romance it’s marketed as.

This was a good novel about a fascinating subject I’d never read about before: a DeafBlind man and his interpreter. Told in alternating viewpoints, the novel follows Cyril’s relationship with his client, Arlo. Arlo is not only DeafBlind, but he has a complicated past and, as a Jehovah’s Witness under the guardianship of his controlling uncle, he lives an extraordinarily sheltered life. Cyril, a gay man who takes a temporary job as Arlo’s interpreter, soon finds himself crossing professional lines to become Arlo’s advocate and friend.

I really enjoyed learning so much about the DeafBlind community and all the ways they can communicate and navigate the world. 🧏🏻
A DeafBlind Jehovah Witness named Arlo wants a new interpreter. His current one, Molly, is also a JW, has a long history with Arlo, and overall close minded and not looking forward to working with someone new. Arlo and his companion Snap are excited about someone new🧏🏻 🦮
Enter Cyril. A single, middle aged, gay man who is definitely not a JW and starting to feel a little lost in life. Arlo enrolls in a writing class, and with the help of Molly, Cyril, and Cyril’s bold friend Hanne, he must dig deep into his past memories, which trigger all sorts of emotions and new revelations. 💙

This books is wonderfully quirky, witty, and just a lovely read. 💙 These characters are true joys to read about. The growth that Arlo goes through is amazing and will have you feeling so proud.
💙💙💙💙.5/5

Thanks to @netgalley for the copy!