4.5⭐️
Rep: deaf, MS
Thank you so much to Penguin Teen for an e-ARC! 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!
The only negative thing I have to say is that Ellie’s character annoyed me a bit, especially in the first half.
Other than that, I really enjoyed this one, and I’m excited to see more from this author!

This was a decent read! I had loved Give Me A Sign and I do think this one is a little bit of a step down from that. The development in both the characters and the relationship fell a little flat for me.

That being said, I loved Ellie and Jackson! They both changed so much in the book and their romance was cute!

There is deaf rep and MS rep in this book. I'm not in the position to comment on the rep but wanted to make people aware of it.

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

On the Bright Side does not come out until July of 2024, so this review is definitely early! After reading Sortino's debut novel, Give Me a Sign, I was excited to see that she was already coming out with another book, On the Bright Side. I immediately requested it, and as soon as the request was approved, I immediately downloaded the widget so that I could begin reading. One of the things that I love about Sortino's books is the representation that they have. OTBS (On the Bright Side) has disability and deaf representation, and both of these show that living life with these disabilities is not a monolithic experience. Ellie's Deaf school, Brandview, has been shut down, and now she must return home for her senior year of high school and live with her parents again and go to a mainstream school. Jackson is also a senior and star athlete, but when he starts experiencing various symptoms that make even walking nearly impossible, he is forced to confront a very scary and sobering diagnosis that will leave him wondering what his future will even look like. Jackson and Ellie probably seem like an unlikely pair from the beginning, but they soon find out that they have a lot in common and become friends. Overall, I thought this was a pretty good book. I ended up giving it 3 out of 5 stars, unlike Give Me a Sign, which I gave 5 out of 5 stars. I think this one fell a bit flat for me at some points because some parts of the book/story felt repetitive. I also kind of wish Jackson's actual diagnosis was revealed sooner in the book because there was a lot of build up about what was actually wrong with him. Like I said, however, I enjoy the representation and I can't wait to see what Sortino comes up with next. If you are a fan of these books by Sortino, you should check out the movie CODA with Daniel Durant and Marlee Matlin, or the TV show Switched at Birth, which Durant and Matlin are also cast in. Thank you to the publisher for giving me a chance to read an early digital copy of this book!