Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Group for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

"On the Bright Side" by Anna Sortino is an engaging contemporary YA book that brings together themes of disability, accessibility, and romance. As a fan of Sortino's previous work, "Give Me a Sign," I had high expectations, and this book did not disappoint. In fact, it solidified Sortino as an auto-buy author for me. I really enjoyed the representation in this book. Not only is there Deaf representation in this book, but there is also MS representation, which is something I haven’t seen a lot in YA books, especially with a character coping with a recent diagnosis.

The story follows two main characters, Ellie and Jackson, who each navigate their own unique experiences with disability. Ellie is Deaf and has embraced her deafness, forming a strong sense of identity and community around it, especially after attending a Deaf school where she learned ASL. Her positive relationship with her disability is both inspiring and empowering. On the other hand, Jackson is newly diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), facing an unexpected and uncertain future. His journey of coming to terms with his diagnosis and its implications on his life is beautifully portrayed and filled with raw emotion. The perspective switches between Jackson and Ellie. I actually enjoyed Jackson’s POV more in this book, especially in the 2nd half.

Sortino does an excellent job of showcasing the range of disability experiences through these two characters. Ellie's confidence and acceptance contrast sharply with Jackson's confusion and fear, yet both characters share common frustrations and challenges that ultimately bring them closer. Their interactions highlight the importance of support, understanding, and the impact of others' reactions to one's disability. Jackson especially was my favorite character as he was always willing to learn. At the beginning of the book, he was a bit ignorant, but that never stopped him from asking questions and wanting to learn more about Ellie and Deaf culture, especially in learning ASL. He was just a genuinely nice guy. Ellie’s perspective wasn’t as interesting to me, though I really liked how she advocated for herself and her independence in her own family.

The book also delves into the theme of accessibility, particularly in the workplace and everyday life. Sortino subtly brings in discussions about how society often ostracizes those who are different and how crucial it is to create environments that accommodate everyone's needs. This theme is especially relevant and thought-provoking, making you reflect on their own actions and attitudes towards disability. I really enjoyed this line from Ellie where she pointed out to Jackson that you never know when you or someone you know may become disabled, and that is something that Jackson himself experienced, making the line hit hard.

The romance between Ellie and Jackson is sweet and well-developed, providing a heartwarming counterpoint to the more serious themes. Their relationship evolves naturally, rooted in mutual respect and understanding. The found family aspect of Ellie's story, along with Jackson's struggle for his parents' approval, adds emotional depth to the story. I found the characters to be really relatable and engaging. I do wish that Jackson had more of a support system with friends, like Ellie had with her found family.

Overall, "On the Bright Side" is a beautifully written, emotionally resonant book that is both enlightening and heartwarming, leaving me waiting for more from Sortino. I definitely recommend this book for fans of YA contemporary books as well as readers who want more disability representation in books, especially with Deaf and MS representation.

I received a copy of this book as an advanced reader's copy from Penguin Teen and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ellie is a Deaf girl whose boarding school for all Deaf kids has run out of funding and is closing, so she has to finish her senior year of high school at her local public school. She never really felt like she fits in with her family, who are all able to hear, and often feels like the reject child compared to her older sister Madison. While at Amber for her first week, the guidance counselor Ms, Lily partners Ellie up with Jackson, the cute, tall, soccer star who is incredibly friendly and kind as well.

Jackson had a hard time at the end of junior year when some random numbness in his legs cost him and the team the state championship title. After taking the summer to relax and try to feel better, Jackson feels slightly shunned by some of the guys on the soccer team, and in general just a little out of place. The only times he is truly happy is when he's spending time with the new girl, Ellie, and trying to learn sign language to be able to speak with her. Even though Jackson thought he was feeling better, halfway through Fall semester he starts having dizzy spells, where he can't get his bearings, and vomits repeatedly.

Was this story the best written piece of fiction I've ever read? No. Is the writing style maybe at times overly simple? Sure. Did I enjoy this story and it's characters thoroughly? Absolutely.

I really enjoyed Anna Sortino's On the Bright Side. It is a sweet YA romance full of disability representation and internal thoughts of the characters grappling with how to not feel less than especially in the uncertainty of a chronic, progressive illness diagnosis. I thought the things Ellie and Jackson have to work through with their parents felt realistic as well. And overall I enjoyed this story. If you are looking for something that is a quick read but has depth and heart, I'd recommend this book.

Cute story about accepting yourself how you are and found family.

I do think the school trip scenario was completely unbelievable. High school kids get supplied a bus and hotel room in a different city and do not need any form of permission and have super low, if any, supervision. I feel like the setting for that scene could have been moved to keep the realism.

I'd also like just once to read a book where the hearing parents of a deaf kid actually supported the kid and tried to communicate in a way that works for the kid, not just what's easiest for the parents.

CW: ableism (some from parents), mention of being anti-vax, hospitalization, illness

I was excited for the opportunity to read this book, but still didn't expect to love it as much as I did! I read it in one sitting because I could not put it down. Both of the main characters were extremely likeable, and I could understand where both of them were coming from at various points of the story. The conflict between the Ellie and Jackson never felt contrived or took away my enjoyment of both characters.

The story addresses some of the challenges people with disabilities face in society, but also from family that might not understand their disability. There's also an interesting component of seeing how characters that were born and raised dealing with a disability adjust compared to someone who becomes disabled later in life. Both experiences come with their own challenges, physical and mental, and it was great to see these experiences given validity and space in the literary world.

4.6

Thanks to Penguin Group and Netgalley for providing me an ARC of this title! I read Give Me A Sign, Sortino’s debut novel, around a month ago last year and am delighted to be reading her sophomore novel this year! Sortino handles writing about disabilities, both invisible and visible — gracefully, crafting characters with a unique sense of depth to them that makes you want to know what their next steps are. In On The Bright Side, our protagonist Ellie is forced to move back home and attend a traditional public school after her private Deaf boarding school is shut down due to budget cuts. After a spat with her interpreter, she’s partnered up with Jackson, another student to help with her acclimation to the school. I loved how tastefully Sortino handled the dichotomy of someone who’s spent their lifetime having a disability versus someone who’s only recently been diagnosed with one, grappling with the notion that one can become disabled at any time. Jackson and Ellie were super sweet, making me and I’m sure other audiences want to root for them through their struggles. I’m giving this book a 4.6 out of 5 and I cannot wait to see what kind of characters come in Anna Sortino’s third novel!

Thank you Net Galley and Penguin Group Penguin young readers group for the arc of on the bright side. I had never read a book with a protagonist with a disability. I found this book to be an easy read for the most part, but I could not stand Ellie's parents. I think that was the point. I did enjoy this book, but I wish there was more romance between Ellie and Jackson. It was so close to 4 stars to me, but there wasn't enough build up for me and one too many conflicts. I did enjoy the writing and would definitely check out another book by Anna Sortino.

Thank you to PRH Audio for the ALC and Penguin Teen for the ARC of On the Bright Side by Anna Sortino. All opinions are my own.

On the Bright Side is a great coming of age story with romance and an exploration of disabilities.

As an adult, I am not the target audience for this book, but I do think I still got a lot out of this book. If I had read it as a teenager, I might have loved it more though.

I really appreciated the dual points of view in this story because Ellie and Jackson had such different upbringings and situations they were going through. I think I enjoyed reading from Jackson’s POV a little more though because he was just so sweet and likable.

I didn’t dislike Ellie, but I found her a bit irritating at the beginning of the story. She acted as if everyone was against her without even knowing people very well. I do think she grew as a character throughout the story though.

Ellie’s family was terrible, and I felt bad for the lack of support she received at home. No one should ever feel lesser than because of their disabilities.

Jackson’s parents were a little better, but I hated how they kept dismissing Jackson’s health problems. It did such a disservice to him, and it made it feel like they didn’t know their son at all.

I appreciated the friendship between Ellie and Jackson. I liked that they didn’t let other’s opinions affect their opinions of each other. Even though they had such different lives, I think they really complemented each other.

In the past, I’ve read several other books with deaf protagonists. While there are definitely similarities to those books, I liked the author’s approach in this story and how she talked about disabilities as a whole. The stigma associated with various disabilities was discussed, and I found it interesting to read about someone who was new to their disability versus someone who was used to it.

I listened to the audiobook version of this book and really enjoyed the narration. I also appreciated the sound effects that denoted when a character was signing versus speaking verbally.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys YA contemporary stories.

This is a book that needs to be put in the hands of every Young Adult ASAP!
Representation: Deaf Awareness, Multiple Sclerosis
Thank you Penguin Teen for an early digital copy of this story!
Rating: 4.5

As a family member of someone with MS, this book represented the illness beautifully. The author fully encaptures the trials and unexpected hardships of someone with the symptoms. As someone working in the school system who loves advocating for equal education, the awareness the characters bring about hard and loss of hearing is eye-opening for every reader.
Now let's talk about the light-hearted part: the romance! I loved watching the relationship unfold between Jackson and Ellie. They were so sweet together and had such a unique but fresh romance. However, the mid-story conflict Ellie created for everyone had me (as well as Jackson) super frustrated. I was almost at a 5 stars but the conflict took me out of it for a second so I have gone to a 4.5! I have rounded up on Goodreads and other platforms because this author deserves it for gorgeous storytelling.

Love the inclusivity!

On the Bright Side is a YA romance that beautifully captures the highs and lows of having a disability.

Ellie has lived the majority of her life at her Deaf boarding school. But, when the school unexpectedly shuts down, her life and future plans become uncertain.
Forced to move back home to her unsupportive family and to be mainstreamed into public school, she is feeling more and more isolated.
That is until the school guidance counselor assigns her to Jackson, to help her adapt to her new school.

Jackson is a soccer player but after losing feeling in his legs and costing his team the championship, he is avoiding his teammates at all costs.
When the opportunity arises to help the new girl at school, Ellie, he happily accepts.
But when he’s faced with a life changing diagnosis, he is torn between wanting Ellie by his side and pushing her away.



I cannot say enough great things about this book. I absolutely loved how inclusive it is.
I love how through Ellie we get to see the struggles she has being deaf in a hearing family. I love that stands up for herself, and ends up finding a community to support her.

I also absolutely loved how the author wrote about Jackson’s struggles before, during, and after the events leading up to his diagnosis. It was so relatable.

I was not a fan of the parents of Ellie or Jackson. While they were well written, and all were driving forces for various purposes in the novel, I just personally did not like them and I truly felt awful for both Ellie and Jackson. As a mother of two young boys with disabilities, I cannot imagine making my child’s life more difficult because I refuse to accept a diagnosis.
That much being said, I did love that the characters were able to overcome the difficulties that both sets of parents had with their respective disabilities.


I’d like to thank Penguin Publishing, Anna Sortino, and NetGalley for the early copy of On The Bright Side in exchange for my honest thoughts and feedback.

Super cute story! I wanted to read this because of the cover, which perfectly encapsulates the vibes of this book. Ellie and Jackson have different perspectives on disability, but they are both done extremely well. This would also be a super helpful introduction to some common disability studies concepts.

This book is a love story, first and foremost. But not just the young love that blossoms between Jackson and Ellie—the love of community, of pride, and of self in a world that excludes or judges you for things outside of your control. As a HoH, chronically ill reader, both sides of this story spoke to me immensely and Anna Sortino does a beautiful job of giving voice to the experiences of people in these communities without either minimizing or generalizing them.
I would love to see more authors follow her lead and tell love stories between disabled leads without the inspiration porn BS.

Wow, this was definitely an interesting book! On the Bright Side is written by Anna Sortino and it was cool to read a book that featured a deaf FMC. I wasn’t sure what to expect but I ended up enjoying it.
Ellie and Jackson were both intriguing characters. I liked how you got to know them throughout the book, you saw their struggles and their perseverance. It was sweet to read about them connecting with each other and learning to help each other.
Ellie had to grow on me, she had strong feelings. Her relationship with her family was strained because they didn’t know how to interact with her since she was deaf. It was interesting to read about her family dynamics. Ellie had to learn to see others and let others in.
I really liked Jackson, he was just trying his best. Jackson was figuring out how to navigate life but things were more complicated then he thought it would be. I felt for Jackson as he tried to figure out what was going on with his body. I liked how he tried to look out for others.
On the Bright Side was an enjoyable read. The character grew on me and I wanted to see how Ellie and Jackson would overcome their obstacles. I liked how it has characters with disabilities and showed the different sides of disabilities. This was more of a coming of age book but it did have some romance. On the Bright Side is a closed door YA novel.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher through Netgalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, a positive review was not required.

This was such a heartwarming read. Dealing with their own physical issues holding them back, Jackson and Ellie find a way to navigate the cruel world together.

Another great book by Anna. I love the disabled representation and I can't wait to see what else she writes.

I loved the author’s previous book, Give Me a Sign, and had high hopes for this one. On the Bright Side was a hopeful and cute coming of age YA novel. I really appreciated the deaf and MS rep and I thought the author captured the teenage highs and lows very well. These characters make mistakes and stumble, but they also find themselves and grow.

The romantic subplot between Ellie and Jackson fell a bit flat for me, but what really intrigued me were the relationships they had with each of their families and friends (for better and for worse). I loved Ellie’s found family friend group and how supportive and understanding they were. The book is overall very hopeful, but there are some somber moments as well. I thought the ending was very fitting and I liked that it didn’t try to wrap everything up in a tidy bow.

I mainly listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the narration by Jesse Inocalla and Elizabeth Robbins. Both gave emotional performances and Elizabeth Robbins was especially fantastic as Ellie.

Audiobook Review
Overall 4 stars
Performance 4 stars
Story 4 stars

CW: ableism, collapsing/loss of mobility, hospitalization and medical tests, multiple sclerosis, grief, strained/estranged relationship with parents/family

*I voluntarily read and listened to an advance review copy of this book*

This author did a great job of putting the reader in the shoes of the Ellie and Jackson. With this author’s writing, I was able to get some idea of what it is like to be death with Ellie and have MS with Jackson. I thought that Jackson’s part was particularly great to see representation for because the book followed the process of him realizing something is wrong, getting the diagnosis, and then learning to live with his disability and still truly live.

Thank you G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

**CW: Multiple instances of ableism.

I’m so thankful I discovered Anna Sortino. Her debut novel Give Me a Sign was an adorable Deaf summer camp romance, filled with silly camper hijinks, sweet counselor camaraderie, and plenty of flirting via sign language. The book served as a solid introduction to Deaf culture, with a likeable heroine at the helm. Sortino’s second novel On the Bright Side goes one step further, exploring two different disabilities in two different teens.

Ellie is Deaf. She’s been at an all-Deaf boarding school since she was 12, only to be thrown into a mainstream high school for her senior year. She doesn’t feel welcome there, much less in her actual home with her hearing parents. Enter Jackson, a charming soccer player who makes a real effort to befriend her. Though communication can be awkward and at times, downright difficult, they have a comfortable rapport in which their personalities shine. But all this time, Jackson is experiencing changes in his body that he doesn’t understand.

Honestly, it was frustrating seeing the people in Jackson’s life basically telling him that he should just “walk it off.” His school friends I sort of get, but his parents? Ugh, I wanted to shake them. Eventually, Jackson is diagnosed with MS (multiple sclerosis), an autoimmune disease that causes a lot of pain and fatigue. Since there’s still research going into MS, Jackson’s future is suddenly looking cloudy. I could feel his festering fear, and his growing concern for Ellie as they become more romantic.

What I liked the most about this book and its characters is how real everything is. Like, with Jackson, his grief is… eerily quiet. Inside, he’s spiraling, but there’s also this sad acceptance. It’s hard to explain, but I found it surprisingly relatable. And with Ellie, she’s harboring a lot of anger and resentment being torn away from her Deaf community, and it feels very justified. Sortino definitely knows how to write teen emotion, and how to make it sound genuine rather than whiney and empty.

Ellie and Jackson are fantastic characters individually, and I enjoyed reading both POVs. Reading from the mind of someone who’s been disabled her entire life and from the mind of someone who’s hit with a disability later in life. Ellie and Jackson as a couple? Oh, they’re just lovely. I was smiling so hard every time they made up an excuse to spend time together (which was A LOT). Through the romantic hurdles, the life hurdles, they were consistently compassionate and mature. And you don’t always get that in YA, heh.

Highly recommend for the representation, the friendships/found families, and of course, the romance. Instant fav for me.

thank you to the publishers and netgalley for the ARC of this book. all opinions are my own.

I wish I could put into words how much I enjoyed this. What a great book. Highly recommend.

Anna Sortino is such a bright, fresh voice in YA.

On the Bright Side is an incredibly poignant and sweet tale, in line with Sortino's debut novel, Give Me a Sign. Her perspective on disability -- and the way she explores her own experiences through her writing -- makes this such a heartfelt and nuanced story. Ellie and Jackson were wonderful characters, and the overarching message feels so healing, as someone with onsetting chronic illnesses of my own.

I am so grateful for Sortino's work each and every time I read it.

Another amazing book from Anna Sortino! I’m a fan of her debut GIVE ME A SIGN, so it was a must to read the upcoming ON THE BRIGHT SIDE out on July 2nd. I might be biased, being deaf myself but it is SO nice to read more books with deaf characters! I could so relate to the main character, Ellie who had to go to a new school and be mainstreamed. Ellie meets Jackson, who we also meet as the book is told in alternating POVs. While I understood and felt the pain that Ellie faced in her challenges as a deaf person, I did learned something new (Jackson’s diagnosis). The friendship between them is powerful as they maneuver through their journeys of being disabled. I will devour anything Anna Sortino writes — it’s a must read! Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for Young Readers for the ARC. All opinions are my own.