GIVE ME A SIGN is the perfect summer read, following Lilah’s return to her childhood summer camp, now as a junior counselor. The story is a great introduction to the Deaf Community and about finding yourself through a community, and what that’s like when you feel completely stuck between two worlds.

As an audiobook listener, I loved the way the production interpreted moments where Lilah’s was missing communication, as well as the additional sounds to background the signing dialogue, the same way TRUE BIZ did. It made the experience even more immersive and accessible, and an all around joy to listen to. I loved this one dearly, and I can’t wait to read what else the author has in store!

Give Me a Sign by Anna Sortino is a book I think everyone should read & experience. This is the perfect summer read ripe with the adventure of summer camp, full of teenage angst & romance & tied together with community, growth & love. My favorite part about this book is the fact it has lots of incredible disability representation & takes place at a summer camp for the Deaf & Blind.

I am disabled & I always appreciate the chance to gain more education, understanding & experience about other disabilities. This book did a wonderful job of sharing how being hard of hearing can often feel stuck between the hearing world & the Deaf community. The variety of summer campers & counselors displayed a range of disabilities, which I think is vital. This was a great introduction to Deaf culture as well as just a lovely story of all a young adult balancing a job, summer camp, life changes & the quintessential summer romance with all the vibes that come with it. If you no longer get to go to summer camp, this gives the best kind of nostalgia & memories of it.

It’s cleverly nuanced in the ways for which it displays different types of ableism in society & how that affects the disabled community. It brought forth a realistic situation in regard to the safety & security of disabled people in public, which is scarily put in jeopardy. I think this book did a brilliant job of allowing the reader the opportunity to realistically experience the world through the viewpoint of a disabled person, which includes the pain, the complexity, the confusion, but also the mundane, the joy, the humor, the support & of course, the love.

This is the type of stories the world needs more of & I will cherish the fact that I was able to read it. I sincerely hope that there is more on the way.


Massive thanks to NetGalley & G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers for the gifted arc, which I voluntarily read & reviewed.

Lilah has always struggled with her identity; she has hearing loss but doesn’t feeling “deaf enough” to identify as Deaf, but she’s also not hearing enough to fit into the world’s expectations. But this summer, Lilah wants to change.

When she gets accepted to be a junior camp counselor at the Deaf and Blind Summer Camp she went to as a kid, she’s excited to brush up on her American Sign Language (ASL). Once there, she finds the community she’s been searching for, and then some. Like the two British lifeguards, an Interpreting Student YouTuber who’s just a little too desperate for views, the campers Lilah’s responsible for (including one who’s practically glues to Lilah’s leg), and the dreamy Deaf counselor helping Lilah with her signing.

Romance wasn’t ever on the agenda for the summer, especially since Lilah isn’t positive Isaac likes her the same way. Everything points to yes, but maybe Lilah is reading the signs wrong?

I’m always curious to read books with Deaf or Hard of Hearing characters, especially written by authors within the Deaf Community. I’ve studied American Sign Language (I have a Minor in ASL), but I am nowhere near fluent, and unfortunately I don’t always have the ability to practice as much as I would like. There weren’t books with Deaf or Hard of Hearing characters as a main character while I was growing up, so I read them any chance I got.

This book gives a lot of insight to the Deaf Community and what it’s like for those with a range of hearing loss. Of course, cochlear implants were discussed for a variety of reasons, including someone from a Deaf family getting one (a lot within the community frown upon the procedure). There is also an incident with someone who is Deaf who has a confrontation with the police.

This book will be high up on my list for recommendations, especially those who enjoyed books like The Words in my Hands by Asphyxia, The Silence Between Us by Alison Gervais, and True Bix by Sara Nović.

4.5/5*s
Thank you to Netgalley for providing this ARC!
This book was super cute & I absolutely loved reading it. I don't know a whole lot about deaf culture but thought the book did a really good job of representing it. It was a little slow in certain spots. I thought the character development in this book was really good and would have liked to see more of a development with Blake. Absolutely adored the characters and the story overall!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for this arc!

Unfortunately, I am DNFing it about 20% in. To me, the writing style just didn't match my preferences and it was hard to get through. Although, this book has wonderful representation and if the author's voice is a style you enjoy, I'm sure you will really like this book!

- Oh, GIVE ME A SIGN is so lovely. I adored being at Camp Gray Wolf with Lilah as she worked to figure out how she wanted to approach life with a disability.
- The varying experiences of the kids at the camp show just how broad a term "deaf" is, and the book gets into the many nuances of Deaf culture, which was so wonderful to see in a YA novel.
- As a hearing person reading this book, it really struck home for me how exhausting moving through everyday interactions with hearing loss can be. The book wasn't delicate about any it, ranging from how Lilah's hearing friends and family didn't do super basic things to accomodate her, all the way up to a terrifying interaction with police who didn't understand either.

A really cute YA book! Definitely had me thinking about the ways I interact with people who do have a disability.

I felt as though a lot happened in the book concerning different sorts of conflict that our MC faced. So many things were being thrown at me and it felt like I was on some sort of carnival ride that spins and people were throwing things at me??? I understood why they were in there - if it was for the purpose of providing awareness but it may have been better to be selective and really flesh those other issues out.

✨ 4 STARS ✨

“it’s not hearing loss - it’s Deaf gain.”

this was a super easy, sweet teen summer romance. lilah is a seventeen year old girl living in a hearing world, struggling with her identity on the world of disabilities. she is too deaf for some, and not deaf enough for others.

lilah attends camp gray wolf, a summer camp for teens with hearing and visual impairments. here she practices her ASL and gains confidence in herself and who she is. she meets new friends with similar experiences who understand her and her struggles, and has a sweet summer romance with a boy named isaac who communicates solely through sign.

i would spend my entire summer perfecting another language to communicate with a cute curly haired dominican baseball player too, so i get it

this was an adorable, quick summer read. it’s perfect for the young adult + teen audiences and also has a lot of insight on the deaf community, which i really appreciated and enjoyed to read about.

4 Stars

Give Me A Sign is a heartwarming and delightful story about finding your identity and community. Lilah’s journey to self-discovery was a joy to read as we see her struggle with the feeling that she’s “not enough” for the deaf and hearing community. It reflects a struggle that many young readers experience regardless of if they are part of the deaf community.

It was lovely to see Lilah immerse herself into the deaf community while at summer camp and her determination to relearn ASL. To see her character growth, from making mistakes to then being able to have confidence in herself and the skills she developed was executed wonderfully.

At times the story tended to be a bit heavy handed on conversations and controversies within the deaf community, but I didn’t have too much of a problem with this compared to how other readers may feel. I’m not a part of the deaf community myself, but I learned a lot about the culture and community.

It was interesting to learn about the concepts of learning from the deaf community if you’re wanting to learn ASL, the differences between the types of hearing aids, inaccessibility, and identities within the community. Give Me A Sign highlights the importance that being deaf doesn’t equate to one specific criteria and the importance of advocating for yourself in a world that doesn’t understand.

The budding romance between Lilah and Isaac had me grinning from ear to ear the entire time. From their interactions alone, you could really tell that the two of them cared about each other. I do wish that we got more characterizations and interactions from the other camp counselors. Sortino gave us glimpses into her diverse group of camp counselors each with their own ways of communicating, but I would have loved to learn more from their characters.

Give Me A Sign captures a “summer camp feeling” while highlighting the importance of finding your identity and community. Sortino brilliantly manages to introduce the reader to the deaf community through thoughtful and well-written commentary.

This was one of the best YA books I have ever read. I loved everything about this book. Lilah is such a great main character and I felt so connected to her while reading. This was incredible!

“I know who I am. I don't need to be more hearing or prove my deafness.
I can bring both worlds together. Just being myself, I'm complete.”

God I have no words to express how amazing this book was!

This was such a wonderful story that opened the boarders to a conversation that I didn’t know there was more to. I loved educating myself in this topic and I’m very excited to continue my studies in ASL.

I loved how flawed Lilah was but I also loved how she was very passionated about stuff, I can’t imagen what being deaf is like but I couldn’t speak English when I first got to the USA and I remember those barriers. I do wish we had seen more of her friendships and Isaac but again it was such a good story.

Truly the romance of the year! What an incredible story

I got an ARC of this book.

This is the second book with a Deaf character I have read this year. Everything the last book got wrong (looking at you Babysitters Club), this book got right. The character that even tried to be like the other book was shut down repeatedly. It is not surprising a book by a Deaf author is going to do better on this.

I loved the camp. I loved how the kids got to be themselves. Summer camp is often not accessible for a lot of kids, so seeing these kids get to actually enjoy their summer was amazing. Add in that the counselors wanted to be there, it wasn’t just a job. That camp is lifechanging.

The MC was a great lead for this book. She was learning so much about Deaf culture with the reader that it wasn’t like the reader was being lectured, even when it was clear I was. She was just being allowed to experience her world. She had been denied that by her parents, who listened to doctors (and I am not going to start my rant about doctors who think “fixing” someone is more important than autonomy, accessibility, or support). The kids ranged in support needs, because not every Deaf person experiences the world the same. Things I shouldn’t have to be happy to see in a book, but this is wildly new for fiction it seems.

Most of the plots were the same basic save the summer camp plots. There was romance. There were fundraisers. There were camp games. It was a basic summer camp story, but the campers were Deaf. I could have done without the plot to the love interest at the grocery store. It felt too much for the story. I can see why it was added, it also helped show how awful the one side character was for faking being Deaf to get creepy guys away from her. But it just didn’t fit the summer camp, fun in the sun, coming of age vibe the rest of the book had. Plus, I didn’t want to see bad things happen to Isaac. He is so sweet and I want the best for him all the time.

Overall, this was a really fun book. It had Deaf culture 101, a small taste of blind accessibility, and a cute romance to boot. My main complaint being that the same joke was used a over and over in the beginning doesn’t compare to everything else.

I have been looking for titles with characters with disabilities, particularly deafness, for a long time. It is unfortunately hard to find Deaf main characters or novels that aren't contrived, pitying, or unrelatable to students. This one has it ALL -- a dimensional and thoughtful MC, a sweet summer love story, and addresses many issues Deaf people face. I will absolutely be adding this to my library! To me Give Me a Sign does for Deaf culture what Dear Martin did for Black culture -- Dear Martin has a beautifully written, thoughtful, compelling MC and also addresses many issues people of color face and Give Me a Sign has an equally beautifully written and compelling MC and addresses so many issues Deaf people face. This one is a can't miss.

This YA novel was such an eye opening story told in a very relatable way. Everything I expected from being at summer camp (meeting new people, having new experiences, wanting to go back to familiarity, and falling in love) was there but this added the entire layer of deaf representation and how things can be very different for each individual person put in the same environment. There were so many ways of communication happening all at the same time which was so fun to read and almost experience as if the reader was there. The supermarket portion of the book made me completely anxious and frustrated for the characters but it is reality for the deaf community. Overall, this was a good read for a different point of view and for the summer.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the ARC, this is a voluntary honest review.

The summer camp, this story helped the girl gain self-confidence and understand that she is who she is. This book is full of nice characters, helpful people, warm thoughts. also this book awakened in me memories of childhood, summer and summer camp. It was a good slow-burn romance, that was absolutely adorable, wonderful and cute. there were hard moments in this book there were also very sweet carefree moments that melted my heart I highly recommend this book to everyone and will re-read it in the future. Also, I really like this pretty cover.

I was initially drawn to this book because the main character, Lilah, struggles with being deaf but still having some hearing, which makes her feel like she doesn’t fully belong in either world. It felt similar to my own teen, who is legally blind but still has sight, which is often misunderstood.

This book primarily takes place at a summer camp for deaf and blind children, where Lilah is a Junior Counselor. It was great to see so much representation of both blind and deaf people who were independent and in an environment where they could thrive. It also gave a lot of perspective about misconceptions of these people and the struggles they face in a world that is not accommodating, especially in scenes that take place outside the camp environment.

In the beginning of the book, Lilah wonders if she is “deaf enough” – she wears hearing aids and can lip read, but there’s still a lot she misses out on in conversations. She returns to the summer camp she attended when she was younger, and is able to become immersed in deaf culture, though it’s a struggle when she doesn’t know much ASL, which is how some of the other counselors communicate. With the patience of another counselor, Isaac, who is willing to help her learn, she is able to become more confident and comfortable with who she is.

There’s a romance element throughout this book, which I enjoyed a lot and I think adds to the charm of the story. I really liked the characters and the growth they achieve over the course of the story, even many of the more minor characters.

This book was written well and flowed beautifully. I was drawn in immediately and had a hard time putting it down. I basically read the whole book over the course of a day, I was that immersed in the story.

Overall, I thought this was a great read with a lot of great lessons that anyone, disability or not, can really benefit from what it has to offer. I will never know what it’s like to be like these characters, but I think it gives me a better appreciation for their experiences and ways we can make the world more inclusive.

I received a free advance copy of this book through NetGalley, but my review is voluntary and my own personal opinions.

Give Me A Sign by Anna Sortino, is a thought-provoking novel that delves into the complex experiences of Lilah, a deaf child growing up in a hearing world. Authored with sensitivity and authenticity, this book shines a much-needed light on the challenges faced by deaf individuals and the importance of embracing one's identity.

The story revolves around Lilah (and to a smaller extent) her younger brother Max. Lilah's parents struggle to understand and connect with their children’s deafness. In their attempts to integrate their children into the hearing world, they unintentionally overlook the significance of learning American Sign Language (ASL) and other adequate accommodations. This leads Lilah to feel like an outsider in both the hearing and deaf communities.

As Lilah's grades slip due to inadequate support and the embarrassment she faces, she finds solace and an opportunity for escape at Grey Wolf, a camp for the deaf and blind. It is at this camp that Lilah encounters a diverse group of counselors and campers who each offer unique perspectives on deaf culture and communication.

Sortino skillfully explores the complexities of Lilah's relationships at camp, particularly her borderline adversarial relationship with McKenzie, a hearing blogger who presents herself as an ASL interpreter. Through Lilah's interactions with McKenzie, readers are exposed to the nuances of ableism and the importance of genuine understanding and acceptance.

Additionally, the lifeguards, Oliver and Bill, provide a balance of fun and strict adherence to the rules, adding depth and dimension to the camp environment. Lilah's growing connection with Isaac, a camper immersed in deaf culture with supportive parents, further explores the themes of self-discovery and acceptance.

Throughout the narrative, Lilah's struggles with ASL and communication frustrations are vividly portrayed, evoking empathy and understanding from the readers. Sortino’s ability to capture Lilah's journey of self-realization, questioning her place in the hearing world, and her evolving relationship with Isaac adds layers of emotional depth to the story.

The plot takes an emotional turn with an incident outside of the camp, bringing the narrative to a climax which tests Lilah's resilience and forces her to reevaluate her perceptions of herself and her connection with Isaac.

"Give Me A Sign" is a poignant and heartfelt novel that raises awareness about the challenges faced by deaf individuals in a predominantly hearing world. With its richly developed characters, immersive storytelling, and exploration of identity and acceptance, this book is a must-read for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the deaf community and the power of embracing one's true self.

I love reading books with Deaf and hard-of-hearing characters. I want to read them and any that are recommended, I read. I do this because I want to see my experiences, my culture, within a book and relate to a character.

If I take it book and solely review it on is it a true representation of a Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing character, it is an excellent book. During reading the book, I found myself constantly nodding my head, signing "that, that, that," and feeling validated that my experiences are in the book and I could fully relate to the character.

I loved the synopsis of the story.

I didn't love its moralistic aspect.

The author, Anna Sortino, does a wonderful job showing different forms of ableism including a rough scene with a BIPOC deaf boy and the police. Additionally, throughout the book, it is a constant dialogue of "hearing creators shouldn't be teaching ASL" and "hearing creators are only using ASL for clout." There is absolutely a valid point to this discussion. This is a big issue within the Deaf Community. I don't want the drama of real life constantly forced in my face in the book. This reads very preachy. To top it off, at the end, when Camp Gray Wolf is trying to raise funds and needs to get a message out, the Deaf campers/counsellors go to the hearing creator and ask her to promote the camp, which was hypocritical to me.

The story is promising but overall, the writing felt rushed on the story and seemed simplistic (making the character read younger than they are) and yet continuously brought up large issue topics within the Deaf community. The summer camp romance story is a common trope and this story simply had disabled characters (Deaf and Blind) added into the regular trope. Finally, the representation was a constant discussion of the struggles, rather than showing.

If you would like to read and see accurate representation of the Deaf culture and experiences, then this book would be good for educational purposes. However, for pleasure and escapism reading, this book fell flat and didn't feel like it was a real story.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me access to an early copy of this novels for an honest review.

Stuck between the deaf and the hearing world, Lilah gets a summer job at a camp for deaf and blind children where she can improve her signing skills but once she gets there she finds so much more. Not only is there a community of people she can bond with but she might just have a little summer romance as well. This book is more than just an engaging story permeated with cute romance and touching found family vibes. It also provides great insight into what it's really like to be a deaf or hard-of-hearing person in a hearing world. Thus, it is not only an entertaining read, but an extremely enlightening one as well.

I thought this was an interesting perspective from our female lead. I think it's a really great topic for young adults and shows how ostracizing your community can be when you don't fit in. Lilah showcases this often by not feeling in with the hearing world where she can't hear well enough, but also in the deaf community by not being deaf enough. It highlights the importance of putting in effort in your relationships so that every one feels worthy of the group!

This was such a cute read and I highly recommend this one if you're looking for a sweet YA romcom!