This is such a beautifully written book, full of heart and hardships. It gives lots of insight into deaf culture and accessibility, and really opened my eyes to how we need to make the world more accessible for everyone, particularly deaf people. Lilah's story touched my heart so much. Her constant struggles in both the hearing world (not being able to hear everything) and deaf world (not being able to sign fluently), and her own identity in the midst of it all, really sends a strong message to everyone. Whether you're a deaf or hearing person, I believe this book is definitely worth reading and learning from.

Best things about this book for me are the summer camp setting, cute romance, and new friendships. Most of all, I love the main takeaway from this book—be confident and happy with who you are, with the knowledge that you are complete as you are ❤️

What I Liked;

-Sortino did a great job of weaving in sign language, Deaf culture, and information into the novel without it feeling clunky.

-Some of the side characters were really nicely developed.

-I liked that Lilah and Max had a positive sibling relationship.


What I Struggled With:

-The plot was lacking. While the romance plot between Lilah and Issac had some ups and downs, you could tell how it would end. And the plot of getting enough funds to save the camp felt a little bit like an afterthought. It popped up here and there. Overall, the stakes didn't feel super present.

-I couldn't keep track of how old the campers were supposed to be. Also, the passage of time was really hard to keep track of, though that might have been semi-intentional since Lilah herself commented on that.

-The novel was a little coarser than my personal preference. There was fairly frequent swearing/coarse language sprinkled throughout. The casual treatment of underage drinking and fake IDs bothered me.


Final Thoughts:

Give Me a Sign gives an insightful look into Deaf culture and what life is like for the Deaf and hard of hearing. However, from a literary standpoint, there are some weaknesses in the novel, mainly with the plot.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Teen for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was such a heartwarming debut novel! I loved that the author included a wide spectrum of Deaf characters. I learned a lot as a reader about Deaf culture and the different prejudices they face from the hearing community.

All the characters were great and distinct from each other. Lilah, Ethan and Isaac were probably my favourites though. The camp aspect also brought a lot of shenanigans and made the story even more charming. The romance and the friendships that were formed during camp were so cute as well.

All in all, I had a great time reading this and it would be a perfect read for the summer!

I did not want this book to end.

Lilah is heard of hearing and struggling to figure how where she fits in between both the Deaf and hearing community. She been struggling with school and even with peer and doesn't know how best to advocate for herself.

Oh a whim, she decides to apply to get a job where she felt she always fit in the most, Camp Gray Wolf.

While she is there grow and learns to not only step up and advocate for herself but feels like she finally belongs.

I love watching Lilah and all the the side characters were amazing. And this also being a romance book, I think Lilah and Isaac were perfect for each other.

I must read for everyone.

Thanks to netgalley and publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review. All thoughts are my own.

I absolutely loved this book. I am a hearing person and found it not only a joy to read but very informative. I really learned a lot by reading about Lilah’s struggles with her accommodations (many times they were ignored or not followed), her family not learning ASL since they want her to be hearing passing, her mainstream school friends not considering her needs, and more. I also appreciated Lilah’s concern about going back to camp, since she didn’t remember a lot of ASL, and was so glad (but not surprised) the other counselors were so patient and understanding. I adore stories about people finding their tribe, and I believe Lilah did.

I am a very character driven reader. In this book, all of the characters had their own unique and well developed personalities. I loved her fellow camp counselors. The lifeguards were hilarious, Isaac was the most adorable love interest ever, and Mackenzie…I appreciated her growth through the book. And oh, the campers were something else, too. Honey vs Blake really kept Lilah on her toes. I couldn’t put this book down.

I truly hope that everyone out their picks up this stunning debut novel. Solid five stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group for an arc of this book.

such a great, easy, and important read! as a hearing reader, i learned a lot about the Deaf and HOH (hard of hearing) community in an easy and accessible manner. i loved seeing lilah become more comfortable with who she is, and that she owns up and learns from her mistakes when she meets them. this book has a good balance of information & actual story/plot very well. i can’t wait to read more from this author!

thank you to penguinteen for the arc!

An easy easy 5 stars. I never went to summer camp growing up but this book really made me regret not going!

First off, I thought the romance was too cute. Isaac is the sweetest, little golden retriever MMC. Lilah did annoy me at times but I came to love her! And I especially loved all her commentary and thoughts about being Deaf, Deaf culture, and how she fit in.

The part with Isaac and Lilah at the supermart made me so anxious and worried!! But I knew everything would be okay.

I definitely think everyone should read this book, we can all learn something important about Deaf culture AND you get a cute YA romance along with it too :)

Terrific story, well told. I didn't want to stop reading! I appreciate that it was a clean romance (kissing only) and that there was minimal swearing. The author did a good job showing where dialogue was signed rather than spoken--this is a challenging thing to do in written work and I thought her solution was clever. The story was a good exploration of both the challenges that people who are Deaf or have hearing loss face in the world in general and with each other, and the various ways they can choose to communicate, without being heavy-handed. I was inspired to think more about how I respond to people with hearing loss, and how I can do better. I'll look for more by this author. (Netgalley review)

4.25/5⭐️ I’ve been wanting to read this because of the disability rep and overall it was pretty good! Deaf rep is definitely lacking in books, so it was nice to see it in this and i thought it was pretty good. Overall a cute read!

This book is an amazing debut! Lilah's journey as a teen counselor at a summer camp for Deaf and Blind children is a great way to introduce readers to the diverse spectrum of Deaf, deaf, and hard of hearing individuals.

The book skillfully depicts the nuances of their identities and the varying prejudices and attitudes they face from within and outside their community. Lilah, who has hearing loss and wears hearing aids, struggles with her identity and where she fits in the middle ground between the Deaf and hearing worlds. Despite growing up with hearing parents and not knowing much ASL, she desires to be around more people like her. Throughout the summer camp, Lilah grapples with her identity and relationships, and the story provides a realistic and heartwarming account of her journey. The book is a delightful blend of language and identity exploration, new friendships, and summer romance.

As a student of ASL, I absolutely loved this book. As a Hearie, I can also recognize that sometimes (often) we are the problem.
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Lilah is HOH (Hard of Hearing) due to a congenial condition that causes progressive hearing loss. She has hearing aids and reads lips and has a little bit of ASL vocab.

Camp Gray Wolf is a summer camp for the Deaf, HOH, and visually impaired where they can go and be among friends from across the country, and just be a kid in an environment that’s specifically built for and caters to them.

Lilah has a unique position being that she has hearing aids but also can’t hear perfectly. Throughout the course of her summer as a junior counselor, she learns to love both sides of her — her Deafness doesn’t invalidate her hearing abilities, and he use of hearing aids doesn’t make her any less Deaf.

——————
Also. I loved when Lilah and Natasha put Mackenzie in her place about “pretending to be Deaf in public” and claiming that she is an ASL interpreter (when she’s actually a student).

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Big thanks to PenguinTeen for the ARC!

I really enjoyed this book because I haven't gotten to read much about deaf and blind people. reading in Lilah's perspective was really interesting because it dealt a lot with this "outsider" feeling and really explored the ableism experienced from family, friends, and society around her. There were a lot of moments that talked about coming to terms with identity and standing up for yourself.

I loved each of the characters and especially the found family and friendships Lilah created throughout the book. It was so cute the way Isaac and Lilah's friendship (and more?) blossomed!

I do think that the pacing of the book felt a little patchy at times where it felt like time jumped really quickly or certain things happened kind of suddenly that threw me off just a little, but overall this was a fun summer camp coming of age sort of story that I would highly recommend!

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

I love the representation that was presented in this book! This book has such as great representation of the deaf community and the importance of ASL. Issac is so cute and so sweet and loved his character and how he interacted with Lilah! Let me tell you, the author really knows her stuff and her research around the deaf community as well as medical devices to help deaf patients (cochlear implants, etc.) is well written. If you want to understand the feelings as well as the experiences of someone with hearing loss as well as deafness then I recommend this book. There is TW associated with this book! Thank you Penguin Teen and Netgalley for this e-ARC

4 stars!

A wonderful book with all the camp nostalgia, summertime love, and representation that’ll make Deaf and HOH readers feel seen. I loved getting to be a part of Lilah’s journey in growing and finding herself and the sweet romance was picture perfect. So excited to read more from Anna Sortino!

Oh, my heart. I taught myself ASL and am a huge advocate for Deaf culture, and I'm so glad so many books are coming out with this representation, especially from an author who actually knows what she's talking about! With the romance and the camp setting, this is the absolute perfect read for your summer vacation. I really felt for Lilah and her struggle with being in between and so admired her desire to learn more about a culture she was only partway inaugurated into. Isaac was a total sweetheart and I loved finally being able to put my ASL skills to use by following along with him and Lilah's conversations! The campers were pretty adorable too. Overall, this is such an important read if you don't know much about the HoH struggles, Deaf culture/community, or even if you want to learn more about the issues with hearing aids and cochlear implants! I really encourage everyone to pick this up if you are at all interested in a community that is (hopefully) becoming more integrated in society.

What an important book for teenagers! I found this book so helpful for getting a glimpse into people's experiences being deaf or hard of hearing, especially as teenagers. It's interesting how they all have to find their own identities both in the hearing world and as part of the Deaf community. This book balances story and education on this subject really well.

I liked watching Lilah grow and find her place throughout this book, and I loved her interactions with others. She makes mistakes, but she's quick to own them and try better. The romance with Isaac is cute too, especially with the backdrop of summer camp. I wasn't completely satisfied with the ending, but overall I think this book is a great debut novel. I'd highly recommend for anyone looking to gain understanding and empathy for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 4
Plot/Movement: 3
Character Development: 4
Overall: 4

Thank you, Penguin Teen, for the arc!

Trigger/Content Warnings: deafness, blindness, and hard of hearing, and all the prejudice and uneducated words and actions of others that comes with that; accusation and wrongful police arrest; kisses

Rating: 5⭐️

Thank you to Putnam Young Readers and Penguin Random House for providing me with an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book! I am not deaf, but I have always been interested in learning more about Deaf culture and have even taken some sign language classes at university. This book really shows the struggles and isolation of Deaf people within the hearing world. Lilah represents how many kids with disabilities are expected to fit into society and adapt to the world around them. While this book is really good at highlighting the struggles Lilah faces, it also gives so much information on how others can help accommodate Deaf people. There are facts about Deaf culture and explanations of how to sign some things, which is a very fun element. Lilah is surrounded by Deaf people who can speak fluent sign language, but she also meets people like her facing identity dysmorphia, all of whom she learns from. Her fellow counsellor, Isaac, helps Lilah with her ASL while at the camp and through their friendship, a romance blooms.

I loved Lilah and Isaac’s relationship throughout the story. Isaac’s patience with Lilah was adorable. They had immediate chemistry and could joke around so easily with each other, which helped Lilah fit into the Deaf community around her. There were moments when Lilah would sign something incorrectly and Isaac would help her correct it, after teasing her a little about her mistakes first. Lilah’s friendships with the other characters were so wholesome. I especially loved Bobby’s humour. As a blind counsellor, he made many sight jokes that were pretty funny. It added humour to such a serious topic. As a side note, I grew up going to a summer camp and this made me reminisce about my time as a child at summer camp which was so fun to read about.

So much miscommunication can come with trying to learn a new language, especially one that doesn’t usually involve talking. There are some parts of the book that showcase that and it is so important that people understand what deaf people have to endure on a daily basis in the hearing world. I like that different communication forms were introduced, including ASL, hearing aids, and cochlear implants. This is a story about learning to love yourself and finding where you belong in your world. I think everyone who enjoys YA books should read this book since it discusses a very important topic, it reads very easily and would be appropriate for younger readers as well.

I'll cut to the chase: This book is my heart.

I am not Deaf, but I am hard of hearing, and I've never read a book with Deaf or HoH characters at the center. So, when the author posted about ARCs, I jumped at the opportunity.

Lilah is 17, wears hearing aids, but doesn't feel completely comfortable in either the Deaf or hearing community. But that changed for her every summer when she embraced her Deafness at Camp Graywolf, a camp for the Deaf and Blind.

And now, the summer before her senior year of high school, she's a junior counselor at the place where she is her most authentic self. During this summer, she practices ASL, experiences both external and internal ableism, learns to advocate for her wants and needs (related and unrelated to her Deafness). She advocates for her Deaf younger brother re: cochlear implants being his decision (rather than their parents'. )

Oh, and she falls in love with another counselor 😍

This book took a while to read because it took my heart on a journey of my own camp experience: Camp Burnt Gin in Wedgefield, SC, a camp for kids, teens, and young adults with disabilities and chronic illnesses.

Like Lilah, I was a long time camper and returned as a counselor years later. Like Lilah, I had a learning curve in the transition from camper to counselor. Like Lilah, I experienced internal ableism. And like Lilah at Camp Graywolf, I was my most authentic self at Camp Burnt Gin.

All that to say, this book was a week long bear hug. I highly recommend it. For anyone teen on up, who wants a story of growth, ache, finding your community and yourself, and the challenges of summer love.

This book (which I pre-ordered) releases on July 11, 2023

CW: internal and external ableism, appropriation, from acquaintances, friends, and family. All condemned by this author, who is Deaf herself.

Thanks to @netgalley , @penguinteen and Anna Sortino for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you enjoyed last year's book, True Biz by Sara Novic, you should definitely check this one out. Don't let the fact that it is YA deter you from giving this one a go. One of my favorite things about this book is that it shows that being deaf is not a monolithic experience. There are many different levels of hearing loss, and each person who is deaf or hard of hearing experiences the world in different ways. Lilah is hard of hearing and wears hearing aids. However, her hearing aids are not a "cure" or "fix all" for her hearing loss. She still struggles in mainstream school with friends who often forget she is hard of hearing. She applies for a job as a summer camp counselor at a summer camp for deaf/blind children that she attended when she was younger. Her summer at Grey Wolf is filled with ups and downs, but Lilah learns a lot about herself over the course of the summer. She even has a romance that she wasn't expecting. Give me a Sign also shows what it is like to navigate being deaf or hard of hearing in a hearing world, and the lack of accessibility and ignorance that these characters face is heartbreaking and ridiculous. I read this book in one sitting, and these are characters that I won't soon forget. I wouldn't mind if this book got a sequel.. This is Anna Sortino's first novel, but I have a feeling that we will be seeing more of her. Thank you Penguin Teen for the digital ARC.