From the bestselling author of Give Me A Sign comes another novel with a deaf protagonist and all the YA feels. Brimming with teens desiring for their place in the world, On the Bright Side by Anna Sortino is a must-read!

Anna Sortino has officially become an auto-buy author for me!! I loved her debut novel GIVE ME A SIGN and this book was just as amazing! I really appreciated the disability rep in this book and felt like I learned so much about some of the different experiences people have when both living and getting diagnosed with a disability or life-altering illness.

On top of the heaviness that this book deals with, it also has its moments of levity and has most of the same nuances that other YA books have: fitting in at a new school, getting over an ex, dealing with a new crush, family drama, and fears about college/the future. However, through it all there is the message that although your life may seem to be over and the world may be against you, there is always hope and if you surround yourself with the right people, then your life can be bountiful and fulfilling even with the curveballs life throws at you.

Overall, this YA book was heartwarming and enlightening into the world of disability and disorders and I highly recommend it!

*I received an ARC from Penguin Teen in exchange for my honest opinion.

What a cute book! I know it’s a very privileged statement but I never considered there being a book like this with a deaf MC. Ellie & Jackson were adorable & I really felt for Jackson as he dealt with his MS diagnosis.

Anna Sortino's sophomore novel is yet another stunning, authentic look into the experience of being a teenager with a disability. At its heart, though, this is a story about navigating and coping with major change that I think anybody could relate to. The book follows Ellie and Jackson, who are seemingly so different but whose paths cross anyway: when Ellie's school for the Deaf is shut down, she's forced to attend her local public high school and Jackson gets roped into being her "tour guide". Ellie deals with a lot of frustration at the hands of people who don't want to make an effort to understand her, and I liked how Jackson made such a sincere effort to connect with Ellie and get to know her as a person. Growing up disabled, I just wanted to be treated like a typical kid and Jackson really does treat Ellie like a "normal person" which is evident in the natural progression of their relationship. They both make the same slip-ups and feel the same way all teenagers do in relationships.

As this is going on, Jackson receives a life-changing diagnosis. This ends up giving us a sort of contrast in what it's like to be born disabled vs. what it's like to acquire a disability. I was born disabled, so Jackson's confusion and at times outright fear gave me a lot to think about. Sortino also explores how this diagnosis impacts Jackson's and Ellie's relationship, and I just loved how supportive they were of each other through it all (I might have cried a little bit).

Anna Sortino’s sophomore album is a beautiful tale about the importance of care & understanding while dealing with monumental life changes and the isolation of disability.

A must-read for all – nondisabled folks will find a tender love story that might help them understand others’ life experiences, and disabled folks will find characters who faithfully represent themselves.

Although I am not d/Deaf and do not have MS, I am disabled and found so much of this book deeply relatable. If I had this book as a teen I likely would have been given the courage to ask for help sooner rather then later.

Absolutely loved the representation we got in this book, and think we need more of it in the genre in general, but I did struggle with the pacing of the plot and the overall natural chemistry (aka how the characters clicked on page) were a little lacking.

I loved the concept of this book, because I teach Deaf students and incorporate a lot of ASL into my teaching. A secondary main character with multiple sclerosis is also something I’ve never seen before—Sortino is breaking a lot of boundaries by writing this! However, the plot was unrealistic and the pacing was confusing. The characters were fun and I liked their relationship. It was a sweet novel, but not anything I’d read again.

Ellie's deaf and after her boarding school shuts down she return's to her hearing family and finds herself in a hearing public school. I enjoyed learning more about being a deaf teenage and how Ellie learns to navigate her new world.

I just finished reading On the Bright Side by Anna Sortino, and I’m so excited to share my thoughts with you!

This book is an uplifting and heartwarming story that beautifully captures the essence of finding hope and joy in challenging times. Sortino’s writing is both comforting and inspiring, making it a perfect read for anyone in need of a little positivity.

One of my favorite moments in the book is when the protagonist, Nina, organizes a surprise picnic for her friends to lift their spirits. The scene is so vividly described—you can practically smell the fresh grass and taste the delicious homemade snacks. Nina’s thoughtfulness and the joy she brings to her friends during this picnic is a perfect example of how small acts of kindness can make a big difference. This moment perfectly encapsulates the book’s central theme of finding happiness in the little things.

What I love most about On the Bright Side is its genuine and relatable characters. Nina’s journey of self-discovery and her efforts to spread positivity are both inspiring and heartwarming. The book is filled with touching moments and valuable lessons about resilience, friendship, and the power of a positive outlook.

If you’re looking for a book that will lift your spirits and remind you of the beauty in everyday moments, On the Bright Side is a must-read. Trust me, you’ll be smiling from start to finish!

4.5

OMG this book was absolutely amazing. I LOVED Ellie and Jackson. I am a sucker for seeing characters become friends slowly before starting a relationship and this did it so well. I loved going along with Jackson through his journey. I kind of wish it was longer, I would watch a whole TV series of this honestly. I don't know what else to say other than I absolutely loved this book, I read 70% of it in one night.

Feeling out of place, overwhelmed by changes in your life you have no control over, finding your people, and facing an uncertain future are all touched on in this beautiful story. I’m going to try to write this review without spoilers, but there may be a few small ones.

The story is told in alternating point of view between Ellie and Jackson, and it works really well for this story.

Ellie has always felt separate from her family, they expect her to fit into their hearing world, without taking the time to understand her deaf world. But they did send her to a deaf boarding school where she was completely immersed in the deaf community. Coming back home and going to a somewhat unaccepting high school for her senior year is a huge challenge. Her parents make the situation more difficult, but Ellie herself is a little obnoxious about the whole thing as well. To be fair, I am 100% on her side when it comes to her parents making an effort to understand her, and that entire dynamic really made me angry, but she went into everything with a bad attitude to begin with.

Jackson comes across as a little bit of a people pleaser to me, but he is a really nice guy who has a whole lot of his own issues happening. All of these weird, seemingly unrelated medical things keep happening to him, his parents are super into health and exercise and think he just needs to push through. He’s not comfortable hanging out with the soccer team anymore because a health issue cost them the state championship. And he just wants to know what is happening to him.

Ellie and Jackson find each other and are drawn together, becoming friends, then more. Jackson makes an effort to try to learn ASL so he can communicate better with Ellie. She ventures into some situations outside her comfort zone to spend time with Jackson. Together they navigate their growing relationship, their parents, Jackson’s diagnosis, and Ellie’s desire for understanding.

I loved getting to know both characters and felt with them as they navigated all of the drama. I loved the way they both found community to help them deal with their disabilities and find their way toward happiness.

Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book through Net Galley on behalf of the publisher for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book was a lovely YA story about a Deaf girl struggling to find a place in her parent's home and new mainstream school during her senior year, and a boy who loves everything sports and active, who suddenly gets diagnosed with MS. They make a wonderful pair, helping each other feel more comfortable in their new situations, and actually help each other feel understood. The story was very sweet, and I for ONCE the third act "break up" actually makes sense!!! Loved it.

I really enjoyed Anna Sortino’s debut novel GIVE ME A SIGN so I was thrilled to receive an early copy of her second novel ON THE BRIGHT SIDE. Thank you to the publishers.

ON THE BRIGHT SIDE has dual disability representation based on personal experience. The book follows Ellie, a Deaf teen whose Deaf boarding school was just shut down, forcing her to live with her hearing parents and attend mainstream public school, and Jackson, a soccer player at her new school who has been dealing with mysterious health problems that his friends and family are eager to ignore.

I really loved Jackson and Ellie’s unique identities and experiences with disability. You can really tell it’s based on personal experience and real emotions. Their connection is unique, sweet, and emotional. I especially related to Jackson’s experience as he undergoes a diagnosis of MS, but I wish that there had been more time devoted to his journey post-diagnosis.

In a perfect world, I think this book would be a duology so the plot could’ve been more fleshed out with time to breathe. However, even with the short page count, the author packs in a lot of character work and moving reflections on disability.

I wasn’t always the biggest fan of some of Ellie’s decisions, but I understood her hurt and resentment just like I understood Jackson’s fear, confusion, and grief. I just wish she had owned up to her mistakes a tad more, but with limited page count there just wasn’t enough time for the characters to develop, in my opinion.

Even while wishing for more pages, I highly recommend this book for those of you looking for a sweet romance and authentic, profound disability representation. It’s definitely going on my favorites of 2024 list!

'On the Bright Side' is a book about unlikely friendship (or even more) between a jock and a deaf girl. Ellie has just trasferred from a deaf school to a normal one and is seen as a weirdo being the only deaf kid in the school, while Jackson is a popular athlete who does a lot of voluntary work at his free time. One day Jackson is asked to show Ellie around the school and this is how they meet. At some point Jackson fails to deliver at the most important game of the season and he is being diagnosed with MS which he thought would completely destroy his life but now that he knows Ellie he understands that being disabled is not the end of the world. By accepting and growing feelings for Ellie he is more prepared to deal with his own fortune,
I really love the book especially because it is written from both Ellie's and Jackson's perspectives. It gives you the real inside view of the way teens with disabilities feel especially if they are misunderstood by their own family members.
I find the facts about both deafness and MS accurate and enlightening.

Thanks to NetGalley and his publicists for the advanced copy of this book.

The depiction of health problems in this book is very well done, the main characters were very interesting, and overall, it is a very good book.

An attention-grabbing, fast-paced story that I truly enjoyed!

This book truly surrounds disabilities and the feelings behind them. I absolutely loved following along int he story where it was dialogue using American Sign Language (ASL). Having this included in the book was a very nice touch.

Throughout this book, we got to see the feelings of how being diagnosed with a disability feels. With Ellie, we see that she doesn’t treat her disability the way that Jackson does. After learning of Jackson’s diagnosis, we see him spiral almost saying that this was the end for him which is so not the case. We get to see owning the disability and living life which is so important for representation!

These teenagers felt so much older which happens when you’re forced to grow up quickly. I would recommend this book as it has a lot of important topics and it’s so fast-paced that you don’t even realize you’re at the end of the book until you’re there.

*Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group for letting me read an ARC of this book through NetGalley!*

On the Bright Side
Overall Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ (3/5) or 6.42/10 overall

Characters - 6
I wish the characters in this book had more growth. For a while they felt very cohesive and reasonably relatable, but in the last 25% of the book they became much more stagnant.

Atmosphere - 7
The atmosphere was pleasant but nothing to write home about. I can't say it really stood out to me, but it was there.

Writing - 6
The writing was fairly consistent. It wasn't bland, but it wasn't the most attention-grabbing either.

Plot - 7
The plot was good until it wasn't. For a while, everything made enough sense and was reasonably spaced out but then suddenly it was like time-jump central and the characters were making questionable decisions. Suffice to say, the ending did not satisfy me. :/

Intrigue - 7
I was decently intrigued by this book. The cover looks amazing and the description sounded unique, but the hype died down a bit for me the further I got into the book.

Logic - 6
There was enough logic to make the book passable. I would've liked a bit more explanation/description here or there though.

Enjoyment - 6
I enjoyed parts of this book. It was nice to see the main characters slowly realize that they are in control of their own lives, not their shitty parents. I was hoping for a bit more from the story, but it was still interesting enough.

This one feels like maybe it's trying a little too hard. There is plenty of discussion of hat you might call accessibility privilege, the narrative is frustratingly blind to financial privilege. It gets props for trying and for giving us believable characters but it isn't complex enough for a deep read.

I thought that this was a very sweet, honest YA romance.

It seems to have accurate depictions of different teenagers' experiences of being deaf and one teenager's experience of MS.

It is a heartfelt novel that helps the reader gain more perspective on the lives and struggles of both Ellie and Jackson. Both characters are learning to find their place in the world as seniors in high school while grappling with the big changes they each faced that year.

I think this novel depicts just how sweet and full of care young love can be, even when there as challenges as tough as the ones faced by Ellie and Jackson.

I feel very lucky that I was given the opportunity to read this ARC. I hope that this novel gets the attention it deserves!

cool romance with some great rep and very well done attributes in my opinion. would recommend again!