What a touching and wholesome book this was!

Two struggling souls finding each other in the middle of the choas... this was really beautiful. This book reminded me of "Fault in our Stars" & "Five Feet Apart."

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I liked Ellie and watching her grow and branch out on her own.
I liked her friendship with Jackson and how it grew and changed as they did.
A great look at what it's like to be deaf and making the life that you want.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

Thank you Penguin Teen for the #gifted ARC and thank you PRH Audio for my #gifted listening copy of On The Bright Side! #PRHAInfluencer #PRHAudioPartner #PenguinTeenPartner #OnTheBrightSide


𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐎𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐒𝐢𝐝𝐞
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐚 𝐒𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐨
𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬: 𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐡 𝐑𝐨𝐛𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐬
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝟐, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒

𝟓★

I was already a fan after reading Give Me a Sign last year, but I will tell you that I will be reading EVERYTHING Anna Sortino writes from now on. I can’t tell you how important it is to me to support authors who write books with such a wide range of disability representation in their books, and I applaud Sortino for once again hitting a home run with this one. I was drawn to this book because my nephew wears cochlear implants, and while he is probably not the intended audience for this book, I know he will think it is amazing that a character on the cover has a cochlear on, just like him. This book was nothing short of spectacular and is one I recommend for both teen and adult audiences.

I loved everything about Ellie and Jackson and their relationship and how they both lean on one another so much at such a pivotal time in their lives. Ellie, who has embraced her life with a disability, and Jackson, who finally gets a MS diagnosis after experiencing many symptoms, are able to support one another. There were so many great discussions that could be had as a result of this book, and I think this would make a great book club for young adults.

🎧I alternated between the physical book and the audiobook, narrated by Jesse Inocalla and Elizabeth Robbins. I thought both Inocalla and Robbins were absolutely perfect and loved my time listening to them bring Ellie and Jackson to life. At the same time, it was nice at times to visually see some of the text conversations in the book. However, it was easy to follow along in the audio and would still highly recommend the audiobook if that option is available to you!

Posted on Goodreads on July 3, 2024: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144922955?ref=nav_profile_l
**Posted on Instagram - Full Review- on or around July 3, 2024: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Amazon on July 3, 2024
**-will post on designated date

First off, I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

As soon as I saw this book on NetGalley and read the premise, I requested it. I’ve been wanting to read Anna Sortino’s work for a while, so I was very excited when I was approved for this arc! This story is about Ellie and Jackson, who fall in love while also navigating life as disabled teens and the challenges that pop up in their lives.

At first, I was not sure how to feel about the way the relationship was developing. Ellie and Jackson were cute, but it also felt fairly quick. It threw me off a bit. I wasn’t sure if I would eventually get more into the story. Then, their individual stories drew me in more at first than their relationship. But eventually, the romance started drawing me in more as well, and I was really rooting for them!

I sympathized with Ellie – she had to start going to a mainstream school after having attended a Deaf boarding school for five years and move back in with her family, none of whom are understanding or accommodating. Her sister was not too present since she was away at college, so we mainly saw how her parents interacted with her, especially her mother. Ellie’s relationship with her parents was very complicated, and there were many times where I wanted to just yell at her parents to try to understand Ellie. By the end of the book, I liked how it was all resolved. The situation was getting very out-of-hand and took a turn that I was not expecting, but everything worked out for the best. We also were able to see through her story how important community is. She has a lot of Deaf pride, which was really cool to see. I loved how her circle grew and she created her found family!

Jackson’s story is probably the story I have resonated the most with all year. He suddenly starts experiencing symptoms that he cannot explain, which eventually leads to several hospital visits and getting diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. While I do not have MS, I also have an autoimmune disease. I saw so much of my own journey reflected in his as someone who was also diagnosed at a relatively young age — putting on a brave face for your parents, feeling different from your peers, the casual ableism, the anxiety about flare-ups, etc. Reading about Jackson also going through all the complicated feelings that come with becoming disabled compared to how Ellie feels about being Deaf shows the difference between having been disabled your whole life and suddenly becoming disabled, which was interesting to read about. We got to see the importance of community through his journey as well. There were multiple times where I got emotional reading from his POV. There are moments in life where you realize how powerful representation can be, and this was one of them for me.

Something to take away from this book is to chase after your happiness. One of my favorite quotes from this book is, “‘Don’t limit your happiness now because you’re afraid of what the future might be.’” There are so many things to worry about. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t still try to be happy. This book had all of the challenges that Ellie and Jackson went through, but it also contained a lot of hope.

I think that this book will mean so much to so many people. I know it did for me. I’m looking forward to reading more of Anna Sortino’s work! 4 stars!

This was a solid 3.5 to 3.75 star read for me.

I enjoyed the story overall, and it was entertaining.

I wasn’t as invested in the MC’s relationship as I normally am, but I think that’s because I felt like we moved fast. I just wish we got to see more of their development and that we could have gotten a deeper understanding of both, especially since they each have a disability.

I’m sure there will be plenty of other readers who will absolutely love this story because it really is good. I wasn’t bored while reading it, and I also didn’t think it was dragging on. The plot overall was enjoyable as well. Some more development into the MC’s would bring this up to a 4 star for me. I do, however, still think others should read this story. The message of the book is a good one.

Thank you to NetGalley for the digital ARC, I enjoyed the book.

When Ellie's Deaf boarding school shuts down, she dreads returning to her hometown - her family doesn't speak ASL and she has to have an interpreter following her around school all day. She's also leaving her boyfriend behind, and she tries to ignore that he's acting odd when they're saying goodbye. Jackson is ignoring the symptoms in his legs that caused him to lose feeling in legs and lose an important soccer game - he's also ignoring his friends. When Ellie's guidance councilor pairs her with Jackson to help her transition into her new school, Jackson and Ellie become friends.

Unfortunately, I didn't get to finish this book before release day, but I had a great time reading what I've finished so far. I am a huge fan of Anna Sortino's first novel "Give Me a Sign", so I added this one to my library to-buy cart immediately. I will definitely be recommending this book :)

What a great story that everyone needs to read, especially parents, teachers, or anyone who spend a lot of time around kids! As an able-bodied person myself, reading this story helped me to reconsider a lot of my everyday interactions, particularly how I set up my classroom and accommodate my lessons and teaching for my students. I absolutely LOVED Ellie's strong-willed personality as she bonded with Jackson and encouraged him to stand up for himself and live his best life.

Some parts of the story felt a bit rushed and some of the adult characters a little over the top, but overall this was a cute, eye-opening story that everyone needs to read for empathy and perspective!

This is not a followup to Give Me a Sign, although one character from that book is mentioned in passing. Ellie has to go from being immersed in Deaf culture to being the odd one out at her school, and the transition is not an easy one. Living with her parents and sister again is also difficult, as her parents are very reluctant to make any changes in their home to accommodate that their daughter can’t, you know, hear.

For Jackson, the problem is his super competitive, health-conscious family. He’s a leader on the soccer team, and one of those go-to kids every school seems to have that are always willing to help out.

When he’s assigned to help Ellie in her transition into the mainstream high school, he at least tries to learn some ASL and finger spelling, and even though he’s not that good at it, she appreciates the gesture. They make plans to hang out, but Jackson has a health emergency that results in his going incommunicado. Of course, Ellie is crushed and tries to shake it off.

As Jackson comes to terms with his diagnosis, Ellie is able to return some of the support that he gave to her. It brings them closer. She also finds the strength to deal with her less-than-optimal home situation, making a bold choice to do what is best for her.

Possible Objectionable Material:
Parent conflict. Serious and lasting illness. LGBT+ characters. Cursing. Kissing.

Who Might Like This Book:
Those who want to learn more about Deaf culture. And anyone who just likes a good high school coming of age romance.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book is also reviewed at https://biblioquacious.blogspot.com/2024/07/lets-start-july-with-bang.html

3.5 stars

A fine story. I appreciated the representation of deafness and multiple sclerosis. The author did a really great job at showcasing certain aspects of chronic illness and disability that I think often get overlooked or other authors are afraid to touch too heavily on. There is a ton of discussion about how much a diagnosis sucks and how people can struggle to live with that reality for the rest of their lives. Jackson felt like such a relatable character. Sure, there is often an appreciation for getting a diagnosis in regards to finally having a name to what you have been feeling and experiencing but it can also come with really dark feelings of anger, depression, and isolation from other people. I really appreciated the representation that you can, ultimately, have pride in being disabled and living your life but that you also don't have to *like* being disabled and/or chronically ill and all the shitty things that come with that. You don't have to like having to adapt to a completely unexpected way of living. That's okay.

I also thought that we got interesting conversations surrounding deafness and what it is like for those who are deaf and living with families that are all completely hearing. Ellie's parents were completely infuriating to me with their complete lack of interest or care in learning sign language so that they could communicate with their daughter. I also didn't buy their redemption arc when they agreed to do better because of the forced intervention situation with other parents. It felt a little off to me but I could see what the author was trying to accomplish.

The book really lost some steam with me towards the end, after Jackson's diagnosis, when the author did start to tread a little into inspiration porn territory. The commentary on disability and living life started to get pretty heavy handed, especially when spoken of in tandem with the character's romantic relationship. Speaking of which, I didn't ultimately love the romance in this book although it did feel incredibly real and relevant when she explored the way chronic illness impacted their relationship.

I think that this is an important book for people to read because representation is always a crucial thing to have. This might not have been a perfect story and I would have liked a bit deeper of an exploration of the ableism in the book and less inspirational platitudes but it will open up a lot of discussions for young adults and adults alike. Also a great read for July and disability pride month.

TWS: Difficult familial relationships, ableism, vomiting, hospital stays

ARC provided by Penguin Teen (thanks!) Ellie Egan is devastated when her boarding school, Brandview School For the Death, closes permanently. Ellie must now navigate a public high school, along with living at home full-time with her hearing family.

Jackson Messina immediately takes a liking to Ellie after the guidance counselor asks him to show her around. The two become even closer when Jackson begins to experience worrying and debilitating medical issues, but when he receives a life-changing diagnosis, his life becomes more complicated than he could’ve ever expected.

On the Bright Side is a YA contemporary novel that explores disability along with its social complications and implications within home and school. Sortino did a great job of acknowledging that while Ellie may experience difficulties in a world that was not built for her, she’s ultimately proud of her disability and fights to live authentically among able-bodied people.

Jackson’s story gives us an entirely new perspective. As opposed to Ellie, who has lived her whole life with a disability, Jackson must adjust to a whole new way of life and reshape his future around his disability.

The book also gives us a more authentic portrayal of disability. Both characters are angry in the face of mistreatment and refuse to be pitied. They’re just so tired of being talked down to, but they’re able to lead full lives nonetheless.

After reading and loving Sortino's debut, “Give Me A Sign” I understood that her character development, focus on disability experience stories (specifically Deaf representation), and sweet romantic relationships would make her a strong and fresh new voice in YA.

Ellie and Jackson are normal high schoolers, but with a ✨disabled twist✨ . Ellie's Deaf school has shut down, her family doesn't repsect her Deafness, and she can't find her place in the new school. Jackson is a student athlete whose health has taken a mysterious turn for the worse. As the both of them navigate their Senior year together paired up, they learn to support each other. Jackson learns ASL for Ellie and Ellie supports Jackson as he finds out he has a life-changing diagnosis. Their relationship starts off as friends but then grows into something more. Both Ellie and Jackson are put through the wringer and grow each step of the way. There are also great discussions of deaf children born to hearing families unwilling to raise a child in their Deaf identity. As an ASL Interpreter, I also found Ellie’s interpreters interesting case studies lol. One scene specifically gave me chills in thinking how amazing it would be if more parents were educated in a similar way! Another scene I loved was Ellie and Jackson's discussion of disability pride.

My Dad’s dad shared Jackson’s diagnosis, but unfortunately passed away before I could meet him. Watching Jackson’s journey from pre-diagnosis to post-diagnosis life was difficult but necessary. I learned a lot about the illness, its symptoms, and its challenges. And gained a lot of compassion for those who live with the illness and those who care for them.

Thanks to Netflix and Penguin Young Readers for an Advanced Reader’s Copy. All opinions are my own.

1 Sentence Summary: Ellie’s Deaf boarding school just shut down and now she has to start senior year in a mainstream public school; to help her adjust, the guidance counselor pairs her with Jackson, the school’s star soccer player who has problems of his own and is keeping the strange new numbness in his legs a secret; despite a rocky start, Ellie & Jackson soon become friends and even more, a safe place for the other to lean on during difficult times.

My Thoughts: The representation in this book was so wonderful! I loved the nuanced exploration of different experiences with disability—we have Ellie who has been Deaf her whole life and then Jackson who gets a sudden diagnosis later in life.

I loved the Deaf representation and all the challenges presented of growing up as the only Deaf person in a hearing family and a largely hearing world. Also, I know ASL so it was cool to read the descriptions of the signs and know what they were.

My only complaint is that it could be a bit more developed; for example, the side characters were all pretty one dimensional and the romance wasn’t super fleshed out. Some conflicts got resolved too easily as well.

This was an enjoyable read and I think it’s so important especially for young people to have positive disability representation like this, which I haven’t seen very much in YA books.

Overall, more of a 4.5 stars, but I’ll round up to 5!

Recommend to: Anyone who wants to read a cute YA coming-of-age romance with fantastic disability representation!

(Warnings: swearing)

🤟🏼🤟🏼🤟🏼🤟🏼🤟🏼. This book has some of my favorite things featured in it: Strong Deaf character, friendship, teenagers, advocacy, family drama and a little romance!! This is the second book I have read by @annaksortino ! I love how the main character, Ellie is strong and passionate!! She makes a great role model for Deaf teenagers. She is honest and real with her family who doesn’t sign. The author did an amazing job making the dialogue between her family real and believable! This book will be out July 2 — preorder your copy now!
Thank you @netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC! I will recommend this one to the deaf students I work with. It will be amazing for them to have a main character that understands their disability and the challenges they face at school with interpreters and peers!

This was such a sweet book. On the Bright Side is about Ellie who attends a deaf boarding school that is now getting shut down. Due to this she is required to go back home and attend public school. She meets Jackson, a student who was assigned to help her. Jackson has been recently getting symptoms that is greatly impacting his health greatly. I thought it was very kind that he did his best to learn American Sign Language to communicate with Ellie and make her feel welcomed. Jackson is so attentive, thoughtful, and kind. Ellie made sure to check in on Jackson and let him know she was there if he needed anything. I really liked that it was dual pov because you get to see their perspectives on what they each go through.
I loved seeing how Jackson and Ellie’s relationship developed. The found family with Ellie’s new friend was also incredibly heartwarming. Jackson and Ellie are so cute together and supportive of one another.

Thank you for the arc!

Ellie’s school for the Deaf has closed and she is forced to return home and complete her senior year of high school in mainstream classes with hearing kids who don’t sign. Her hearing parents never learned ASL and don’t understand her feelings or her Deaf culture at all, nor do they seem to want to. Jackson, a kind, talented athlete with wealthy, health and fitness obsessed parents, is experiencing strange health symptoms that he can’t explain. He is paired with Ellie for a high school tour and is immediately intrigued by her. They slowly navigate their new friendship which then develops into more all while dealing with Jackson’s new reality as he receives a life-changing diagnosis.

I liked Give Me a Sign quite a bit more than this one. The first half was a struggle to get through as both of the main characters’ parents are self-absorbed and can’t relate to their kids at all. Jackson’s teammates (especially Liam) and Ellie’s ex boyfriend Cody and overbearing interpreter Pamela are pretty terrible. Jackson really stood out to me as a character and the depiction of his diagnosis and coming to terms with how his life may turn out differently then he planned was very interesting to read.

Thank you to Penguin Teen for an early copy of this book in exchange for a review! 😊 Ellie is deaf and has to go to a normal high school after her school for the deaf is shut down. She meets Jackson who has his own health struggles and challenges he is dealing with. I loved how these characters were able to help each other through very real struggles! The opposites attract, found family, and overcoming challenges in this book were unlike things I’ve read before. I’m partly rating this 5 stars because as a SPED teacher I found the disability representation in this beautiful! This was a really fast, enjoyable, and great read for me!

Ellie’s Deaf boarding school closure forces her back to her hearing family and a mainstream school filled with hateful rumors. Paired with Jackson, a lonely senior with mysterious symptoms, she finds an unexpected ally. Together, they navigate the fear of the unknown, discovering community and a poignant romance that heals their hearts.

The feeling of this book is utterly heartfelt and uniquely hopeful. The characters are dealing with typical teenage struggles—worried about college, strained parental relationships, fitting in—but their diagnosis add such a mature depth to their understanding of life and others. I loved their charmingly romantic moments ☺️ She’s bookish—loves libraries and knitting (but I promise that point wasn’t over-emphasized)—and he’s a wealthy star athlete. Though the stories elements are completely different, this book had a similar feeling to Red String Theory by Lauren Kung Jessen- warm, heartfelt, & nuanced.

Perfect for you if you like:
Nuanced discussions about disability
Teen characters that feel equally their age and grown up
“Tender, honest, and utterly human”

Similar to:
Red String Theory by Lauren Kung Jessen
The Fault in our Stars by John Green
Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

⛔️closed door romance (kisses only)
⚠️explicit language (very infrequent), disability diagnosis, strained relationship with parents, ableism

4 stars. On the Bright side is a YA contemporary romance between Ellie, who is a deaf girl attending a non-deaf high school for the first time, and Jackson, a senior at that high school (typical all American jock, golden retriever type) whose life gets turned upside down with an MS diagnosis. Both characters undergo huge emotional journeys, and Jackson also undergoes a physical one as well. As someone who has had a significant medical diagnoses that changed my life, I related a lot to Jackson as he was dealing with his diagnosis and what it would mean for him in the long run. I loved that this book had a lot of important conversations about ableism, but also about disability pride and just in general, what it means to have a disability. And I loved that the book also showed characters with disabilities be independent and thrive. The relationship between Jackson and Ellie was sweet, but for me, the more compelling relationships were those that Jackson and Ellie had with their parents-- especially Ellie's parents, who had a difficult time understanding deaf culture or the importance of her found family. A couple of the story lines wrapped up a little quickly for my liking (or felt like they were just dropped completely), but overall, I REALLY enjoyed On the Bright Side. This is my first read from Sortino but I can absolutely see myself reading Give me a Sign (or any future releases). I really appreciate the disability rep, and honestly, this was a super quick read that I did not want to put down. I absolutely recommend.

Thank you so much to Sortino, Penguin Teen, and netgalley for the eARC as well as physical copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book was fantastic! I adored Ellie and Jackson. I'm usually quite selective when it comes to romance in contemporary YA, but Anna Sortino truly excels at it. Ellie’s found family and new home were incredibly moving, and the intervention was spot on. Jackson’s diagnosis and his mixed emotions about the present and future felt very authentic. I appreciated the representation of chronic illness and the depiction of life's unpredictability when symptoms unexpectedly arise. I think I enjoyed this book even more than Give Me A Sign. I'm excited to see what Anna Sortino writes next!

I enjoyed the author’s first book Give Me A Sign, but this was even better in my opinion! Not only is this a YA contemporary about deaf pride, this also deals with MS and the diagnosis’ physical and emotional journey. I can’t speak for MS specifically, but seeing Jackson’s life change so fast after being diagnosed was very relatable and would be for anyone with a chronic illness.
Besides the rep, this was a super cute YA high school romance!