This is a Ana Sortino's sophomore debut and as someone who enjoyed Give me a Sign last year, I have high expectations for this one.

What I liked
First of all, the disability representation is always topnotch! I know everyone's familiar how rarely we can read books with specific disability being explored and on this one, we follow deaf main characters and their life as they try to start in a new school.

The writing style of Anna Sortino always works well with me as I manage to read this book in less than 48 hours. I love reading realistic representation and I believe the author achieved that by making sure that the research process is done well. There are also parts where sign language is being described and as someone who is planning to learn it soon, I enjoyed reading about that.

What can be improved for me is the establishment of the side characters. With this one, it felt like they were placed in this book to serve one purpose - to be supporting characters. I believe that there is an option to flesh out these elements given the ample time but if there will be plans to give them their own book soon, who am I to say no to that?

Love, 4stars!

Jackson's story touched me especially. I had immediate sympathy for him and everything he was going through. I knew it was all done out of love, even though his parents are a little over the top. I loved how Ellie and Jackson found new families while dealing with their difficulties. I really enjoyed learning more about the culture of the deaf through this wonderful story.

Thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for this e-ARC.

On the Bright Side by Anna Sortino is the story of Ellie and Jackson during a tough time.  Ellie’s deaf boarding school had to shut down, meaning that Ellie had to transition to a mainstream school for her senior year.  On the other hand, Jackson has been a star athlete in the same mainstream school that Ellie is transitioning to, when his legs start going numb for no apparent reason and right in the middle of a pivotal game. His senior year becomes one where he has to learn to live with a devastating diagnosis.  As they navigate the challenges of their senior year, Ellie and Jackson meet, and the chemistry is palpable. But with societal prejudices, personal insecurities, and the fear of losing each other, is it just the right place but the wrong time to meet, or can something more bloom?

I found Jackson’s story particularly moving. I felt instant compassion for him and all that he was going through. His parents are a little much, but I could tell it was all out of love.

Ellie is a little spitfire, with a fierce determination to succeed despite her hearing impairment. I respected her position in school and life, unwavering independence, and refusal to be pitied. However, she wasn’t as approachable and definitely wasn’t as sympathetic. To be fair, I doubt she would want mine or anyone else’s sympathy.

On the Bright Side is a profoundly authentic narrative that mirrors the real-life experiences of its readers. The story of Ellie and Jackson, their challenges, and their journey towards love and acceptance, is a testament to the human spirit. It is a story that will surely resonate with readers, leaving a lasting impression on their hearts and minds.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, more than i was expecting to! Sortino does a fantastic job with disability rep and i look forward to reading many more of her books.

Not quite what I was expecting, but it was still quite good. I read this in 2 sittings!

I thought this story was mostly going to be about Ellie and her trying to adjust coming from a deaf boarding school into a huge, regular, high school setting. But Jackson quickly the primary, in my opinion.

See, Ellie meets Jackson upon joining the hearing population of his school when a guidance counselor asks him to help Ellie out with learning where things are and adjusting to the school in general. Jackson's a very kind young man and does so, though it doesn't hurt that he finds her interesting AND he is avoiding his teammates and the heckling they are giving him for tripping on nothing their last match. Jackson, we learn is on a break from his sports team do to a perceived injury. Ellie continues to hang out with him, even when his strange injury symptoms remain despite all the rest he has gotten. Jackson tries to be there for her, even though he's not feeling well as she decides to make major changes in her life and makes a few blunders that effects their relationship for awhile. In fact, his symptoms start getting worse.

So what did I think?

I LOVED it. Definitely getting it for my work library. There is some excellent representation of potential effects of MS on a person and to some degree, deaf society/culture. The fact that there can be some wonderful support systems out there are both represented well.

Ellie is this kind but strong, independent young woman who knows that she shouldn't have to change/adapt herself in order to make her condition easier on other people, who are her parents and sibling mostly. The clashes she has with her parents are very unfortunate, but I know that this is probably the reality for a lot of people with hearing difficulties. The way her parents treated her, though they do love her, got an emotional response from me for sure. It's not that often I have fictional parents of a character I want to smack for being so...rigid, unthinking and insensitive.

Jackson strikes me as a bit of a people pleaser, which isn't terrible, just different. He wants to please his parents and pushes himself too hard when feeling ill instead of really telling them, he's avoiding his teammates because he agrees that he let them down even though it was completely unintentional and beyond his control, he agrees to help the guidance councilor with a new deaf student, Ellie, and even though he likes her, he is extremely accommodating for Ellie. So much so he takes it upon himself to learn ASL so they can communicate better, aka not through text.

His struggles with the unknown symptoms of MS, the diagnosis and the 'fallout' from it are wonderfully written. Anna Sortino mentions in the author’s note that she has MS and its a diagnosis she’s still getting used to. That personal knowledge about what it is like to live, and be diagnosed with MS is clear throughout Jackson’s story. Absolutely well written.

Conclusion?

Anna Sortino did a great job writing On the Bright Side. I plan to get a copy in at my work and I personally plan to find some more of her books to read. It has great presentation and really shines a light on the fact that MS can hit anyone and gives the reader an idea what it might be like for someone with MS.

On the Bright Side-a standalone

By Anna Sortino-a new to me author

Format: E-book 319 pgs.

Thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for this E-ARC 💜! I voluntarily give my honest review and all opinions expressed are my own.


Rating: 3.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐½

Summary: Ellie's boarding school Grandview for the deaf is closing due to budget cuts and she has to go to Amber High, a public high school. She moves back in with her hearing parents and older sister Madison to a school with no ASL classes. Jackson thinks volunteering to help a new student will look good for college, but when he meets Ellie things get a little complicated. He starts learning ASL to communicate with her, and she is there for him when he faces a life changing diagnosis. With all the adversity, can they look on the bright side?

Eleanor "Ellie" Egan (18)+ Jackson Messina(18)

✔ YA romance
✔ opposites attract
✔ H and h have disabilities/illnesses
✔ found family
✔ mental health
✔ friendship
✔ coming of age
✔ clean romance
✔ Dual POV [1st Person]
✔ HEA

🤔My Thoughts:

- It's refreshing getting a disabled hero and heroine. Everyone isn't athletic, good at sports, or in perfect shape as hard as we try.

- Ellie's parents were clueless on how to be supportive and just let her live. They wanted to make themselves comfortable with her being deaf without thinking about her.

- I loved the found families Ellie and Jackson find in dealing with their disabilities. Ellie has the "deaf house" and Jackson has his support group. They also have each other with Jackson learning ASL and Ellie driving him around.

- Ellie's ex Cody was pretty one dimensional and I didn't think he was necessary. If more happened with Ellie, her roommate Kayla, and Cody at the boarding school I would have been more invested.

⚠️Trigger Warnings: depression, parental neglect, ableism

This was a beautiful story and I loved getting to know more about deaf culture. I loved the writing and the characters. This was a great read for the summer, I flew through it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It was my first time reading about a deaf main character and it was a very refreshing change. I appreciated the representation in this book, especially the life changing diagnosis. As someone who has an autoimmune disorder, it’s hard to find others who truly understand and it was nice to see that here. I’ll definitely be adding Sortino’s other book to my reading list!

Thoughts and Themes: I was excited when I heard about this book and was very pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed it from the moment that I read it. There was a lot that I really enjoyed about this book.

I appreciate this this book takes you through two difference disabilities and the process that each person goes through with their own disability. I like that Ellie and Jackson both navigate their disability in different ways and that Ellie is patient with Jackson as he is newly diagnosed.

Characters: In this book you are introduced to our two main characters, Ellie and Jackson, along with some of their friends and their parents. I really enjoyed getting to know both of the characters and see them interacting with the others.

I appreciated the relationship between Ellie and Jackson, and how they both benefit from the relationship. I liked how their relationship develops and how it goes throughout the book. I was a bit worried when things were not resolved, and it was getting near the ending that it would wrap quickly, and I wouldn't be satisfied. I was pleased that this isn't what happened, and it gave us the ending that I wanted.

Writing Style: This book is told in first person with dual point of views going back and forth between Ellie and Jackson. I liked being able to read things from both of their perspectives because we got to understand their feelings apart from each other. I appreciated getting to see Jackson process his diagnosis on his own and then get more perspective when he got to talk with Ellie.

I love Anna Sortinos writing. I love the ASL conversations written in ASL grammar and the descriptions of hand shapes and signs. I didn’t realize this book was so personal until the final authors note.

Rating: 5 stars!

I absolutely adored this read! The dual POV was fantastic in aiding the story along. The characters are each dealing with their own difficulities in tough environments that do NOT make me miss high school. I laughed with the characters, cried with the characters, and rooted for them the entire way!

Thank you NetGalley and APENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

On The Bright Side surprised me in a very good way. It shined a bright light on the accomodation of disabilities in a way that wasn't preachy or condescending. Hopefully it will make people who've never really thought about the subject aware of how little is being asked of them to accomodate someone with a disability, compared to the difficulties that person faces in everyday living. The other important message in the book is that no matter how healthy you are, medical issues don't discriminate and can hit anyone at any time.

Ellie is deaf and has been boarding at a school for the deaf since middle school. In her senior year of HS, she's suddenly faced with the closure of her school, having to mainstream in her hometown HS, and going back to living with a family that barely even acknowledges her deafness. In the past, they've refused to learn even the most basic ASL or even to make an effort to face her when they are talking so she can read their lips. Her mother won't even text her. Instead she calls her on the phone, which Ellie can barely use even with her hearing aids in. Although Ellie projects confidence and strength my heart broke for her, stuck with parents so lazy and uncaring of their child's needs.

Jackson is truly a nice guy - a teen who wants to get along with everyone without asking much for himself and volunteers for anything and everything around school. When he's asked to help Ellie get settled in at school he doesn't hesitate, little knowing that he will soon face his own medical crisis and that Ellie will turn out to be the one person in his life who can truly understand what he's going through as he faces a life changing diagnosis. His initial denial of a serious problem, then confusion, then slow acceptance of his new reality was wonderfully and sympathetically written.

Although it dealt with some heavy subjects, the book itself was a page-turner and had plenty of hope and joy. Ellie and Jackson are both 18 and on the cusp of adulthood. They both move forward in their lives, make changes, become more independent and start laying a solid foundation for the future both separately and together. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

This was a perfect read for Disability Pride Month - but honestly, I'd recommend it year round! I recently read and loved Give me a Sign by this author, and this was even better! A Deaf student whose deaf school shuts down gets teamed up with the injured soccer player at her new high school. This YA romance manages to be cute while also exploring disability in a way I have never seen done successfully in a book!

Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for granting me access to an ARC!

ALL the feels while reading this book!!! I read and loved Anna's debut novel, so I had high expectations for this one, and they were met and exceeded. The characters, their struggles, and their joys all felt so authentic, and I loved their journey and self-discovery.

Anna Sortino’s "On the Bright Side is an enchanting and deeply moving novel that delves into themes of resilience, connection, and unexpected love. The story follows Ellie, a Deaf teenager whose world is turned upside down when her cherished boarding school shuts down, forcing her to adapt to a mainstream public school. Ellie's journey is portrayed with authenticity and sensitivity, offering a genuine glimpse into the experiences of Deaf individuals navigating a hearing-centric world.

Ellie’s introduction to Jackson, a fellow student tasked with helping her transition, marks the beginning of a poignant and transformative relationship. Jackson, dealing with his own challenges after a sports injury leads to unexplained symptoms, initially sees his role as a way to distract himself. However, their growing friendship reveals the profound impact they have on each other's lives.

Anna skillfully explores the importance of community and support through Ellie and Jackson’s evolving bond. Ellie's struggle to find her place in a new environment and Jackson’s battle with his health issues are depicted with depth and realism, making their journeys relatable and compelling. The story highlights the significance of empathy and understanding, showcasing how meaningful connections can help individuals overcome their fears and uncertainties.

The budding romance between Ellie and Jackson is tender and beautifully developed, adding an extra layer of warmth to the narrative. Their relationship unfolds naturally, demonstrating how love can flourish in unexpected circumstances and provide strength during challenging times.

On the Bright Side is a beautifully crafted novel that leaves a lasting impression. Anna Sortino’s writing is both heartfelt and insightful, making this book a must-read. It’s a touching story that will break your heart and gently piece it back together, reminding readers of the beauty and strength found in unexpected places.

"On the Bright Side" is a heartfelt young adult novel that skillfully intertwines themes of deaf pride and living with multiple sclerosis (MS) within a touching contemporary romance. Written with empathy and insight, the story follows young adults navigating love and life's challenges, all while grappling with physical limitations.

I loved the portrayal of a strong independent, and deaf protagonist striving to find her place in a predominantly hearing world. This perspective offers readers a glimpse into the daily realities and triumphs of living with deafness.
The portrayal of MS adds another layer of complexity, highlighting the resilience required to navigate relationships and personal aspirations in the face of chronic illness.

I found "On the Bright Side" to be an engaging read that held my attention from start to finish. It not only entertains but also educates, making it a great addition to young adult literature. Representation matters, especially in literature aimed at young adults. Hats off to the author for achieving that goal so well. 4 stars!

Note: In terms of suitability for younger readers, "On the Bright Side" contains mild language and romantic scenes such as kissing, but overall maintains a clean plot focused narrative. Parents can feel comfortable recommending this book to teens, noting its positive messages and thoughtful handling of sensitive topics.

This book is such a delight! I read Anna Sortino’s debut in practically one sitting and wasn’t surprised when the same happened here—Ellie and Jackson are wonderful characters, and their story had me turning the page again and again.

4.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Finished this book in a day! I could not put it down. I absolutely loved Ellie and Jackson so much! Their interactions and easy banter felt so organic, and I love how easily they slipped into each other’s orbits.

Ellie having to go to a completely different high school for her senior year is brutal, and the lack of support and understanding she not only got from the school but from her family made my heart so soft for her. Having so much constant conversation about blatant ableism or wanting her to wear her implants at all times and dismiss that she cannot hear what they are saying at some points and being dismissed was so frustrating. I loved that she was able to make such close friends with Shay and the other girls that welcomed her with open arms into their little found family. I love that Shay was such a great friend to help Ellie spread her wings and use her independence in such a healthy way, especially creating some distance and boundaries with her family.

Jackson’s process to finding out what has been happening to him and receiving his diagnosis had me so stressed. I have a few people in my life that struggle with chronic illness/pain and have still not received clear diagnoses. When Jackson finally gets a clear diagnosis, he explains that it’s a relief to finally know what’s been going on with his body and why so much has been out of his control. I also love how he took charge of his health and chose which treatments he would be doing, instead of allowing his parents to pick and choose for him when they would’ve gone against what Jackson originally wanted to do.

I think Sortino was able to be so vulnerable in her writing these two sweet characters, their struggles, and their love story. Watching them struggle both internally and externally with their issues and disabilities created such a safe and organic space to read and be a part of. This is my second book I’ve read by this author, and I cannot wait to read more!!!

CW: ableism, chronic illness, medical content, bullying, vomit, injury/injury detail

I really enjoyed reading this book,
& I felt it was very well written.

On the bright side is a YA contemporary novel about Elle who is deaf and has to go back to a normal school where she meets Jackson, who’s life changes when he finds out he has MS. It did a great job portraying the ups and downs of what it’s like when you have one of these disabilities and also being proud of who you are no matter what. 💕

Definitely a cute read with Y/A high school romance! I Highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley & Penguin Teen for the ARC

ellie’s deaf boarding school just shut down, and now she’s forced to return to her hearing family and a mainstream school. she’s paired up with jackson, who’s meant to help her adjust to the school. jackson is going through changes of his own, though—his soccer team lost an important match after jackson tripped on air, and now he’s avoiding his teammates. he’s intrigued by the new girl, and she quickly becomes the person he wants by his side the most when his strange symptoms start to heighten.

i loved these characters so much. on one hand, we have ellie, whose confidence i deeply admired. unfortunately, her hearing family never wanted to learn ASL, so she feels isolated as soon as she gets home from boarding school. on the other hand, jackson’s parents are a bit too involved, and not in ways that are always helpful. in the story, he finds out he has MS. anna sortino mentioned in the author’s note that this is a diagnosis she’s also getting used to, and i think she showed throughout the book how personal jackson’s story is.

i loved give me a sign, so i was really excited when this book was announced! i’m not going to try to figure out which one i liked better, because they’re different books and i enjoyed them for different reasons. with that said, i would say that anyone who enjoyed give me a sign is likely to enjoy this one, and vice versa. i can’t wait for whatever’s next from anna sortino!