Hear Me

I don't usually read middle-grade, but am familiar with this author and her personal struggles, so was very interested in reading this book. Rayne is a beautiful character. Cerra really nails the issues that hard-of-hearing students experience in a hearing world. I loved how Rayne fought so valiantly against her parents wanting to railroad her into cochlear implants. Music is something very important to Rayne, and she can't imagine never hearing it "properly" again if she has the surgery. Cerra paces this book perfectly with the escalation of Rayne's distress over her dwindling ability to hear and the pressure from her parents to "fix" it. The voice is perfect, the characters interesting, and I would highly recommend this book to anyone, even if you're not a middle-grade reader. It's relatable no matter what your age.

This is the story of 12 year old Rayne, who, in the last year has experienced substantial hearing loss. She struggles to hear her friends, family and teachers. As a result her grades and relationships have begun to suffer. Raven can read lips pretty well and so she is managing. But the decline is rapid. Her parents have conducted a lot of research and consulted with professionals and are adamant that she get Cochlear implants, a kind of permanent hearing aid. THEY feel the implants will help her to not fall behind in school or pull away from her friends more than already is happening. Rayne sees it quite the opposite.

Rayne is adamant that she’s not ready for this radical move. She wants to explore all her other options, especially new scientific breakthroughs in stem cell research. Her parents just won’t listen to her and surgery is scheduled. Taking matters into her own hands, Rayne runs off and tries to prove that stem cells are worth it, but along the way, she discovers something that might be even better, for new life, and her parents. When Rayne is on her own and trying to navigate the transportation system and the city with impaired hearing, I felt quite anxious for her welfare.
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This is a story of learning to love oneself and self discovery, because even if those around you truly and unconditionally love you, it can be hard to see yourself in that same positive light. Especially when viewpoints differ.

The writer gives the reader a glimpse into the world of the hearing Impaired by replacing some conversation words with asterisks. These such words are ones with softer sounds as s, sh, th, n and m harder for the hearing impaired to interpret. I found it frustrating but also revealing.

Hear Me is a powerful story about a young girl, Rayne, experiencing hearing loss. Her parents feel that cochlear implants offer her the best opportunity at having a "normal" life, but Rayne is hesitant to jump into surgery. Cerra does an incredible job of showcasing the difficulty in dealing with hearing loss and deciding on what path to pursue. Rayne is really wonderfully portrayed, and she has so much nuance and character which can be difficult to portray in younger characters.

Cerra clearly put so much thought into this book and the way to show Rayne's hearing loss, as is shown in the author's note, and it was so wonderful to see that depth done easily and masterfully. The incorporation of asterisks in dialogue to show what Rayne is missing was so clever, and I really liked how she showed all of the ways hearing loss impacts your life and how limiting it can feel even if others are trying to help you.

It was a wonderful read, and it is such a great option for a book to use in the classroom or for kids struggling with hearing loss or wanting to learn more about it.

I think this is the first book I have read in first person with someone who is deaf or going deaf. I loved this book so much! The author puts your right into the main character’s shoes with missing words in dialogue as she tries to guess at words she has missed. If you ever want to *feel* how hearing friendly the world is designed, read this book.

SPOILERS NEXT

At first I wasn’t sure how to take Rayne’s internal dialogue about her shame in being deaf in the beginning of the book bc most deaf people I know are very proud of how they saw the world. But I loved how the ending showed her progression toward her own acceptance of her condition and the emotional process behind getting to that point. I loved the progression of her family dynamic, going from insistent that Rayne gets cochlear implants, to understanding her fears about getting them and working with the idea that they needed to all come together to arrive at a decision regarding how to move forward with her hearing loss.

All in all, this book is wonderful for anyone curious about hearing loss and understanding about aspects in the world that are ableist. I also loved the adorable first love plot line and the loyal and supportive friends Rayne has. Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc copy, I enjoyed and appreciated every moment in this book!

I received a free digital copy of "Hear Me" by Kerry O'Malley Cerra in exchange for an honest review of the book.

Kerry O'Malley Cerra's middle grade novel "Hear Me" follows the challenges faced by Rayne as she comes to terms with her hearing loss. Rayne has high expectations to fill: straight As, and her upcoming re-election as 7th grade student body president. But with her grades slipping and hearing deteriorating, Rayne feels as though it's not only her hearing that's slipping away, but a big piece of her identity. To "fix" her hearing and give Rayne a chance at a "normal" life, her parents sign her up as a candidate for cochlear implants. Rayne is against the surgery and wants to explore other options. Rayne doesn't feel heard by her parents, especially concerning decisions about her own ears. To blow off steam, she surfs off the Florida coast; it's one of the few places she can still make decisions for herself. But Rayne's hearing difficultly also means balance problems, and when she falls off her board and into the waves, she wonders what she would do if she lost surfing too.

"Hear Me" is told from Rayne's point of view. Rayne's dialog is always clear and exact. To convey how much Rayne pieces together on her own, O'Malley Cerra replaces undeciphered words with asterisks. This asks the reader to do some piecing together themselves. From this, the reader can better sympathize with Rayne and feel her frustration, disappointment, and joy. The narrative voice is believable as a 7th grade girl with realistic interests, desires, and impulses too. In the ending author's note, Kerry O'Malley Cerra describes her own journey with hearing loss and how her understandings changed as she wrote Rayne's journey.

I would highly recommend this book to any middle grade reader. I would place the reading difficulty at upper elementary level, but the conflict can be heavy at times. Rayne is a character that I believe many readers would relate to, with or without hearing loss. "Hear Me" is an opportunity for readers to see themselves represented as a main character, or provide a window into someone else's world.

Rayne is quickly losing her hearing. That would be tough for anyone but particularly for a seventh grader navigating through the middle school years. Rayne tells everyone – even herself – that she is fine, but she is lying. She can not come to grips with her lack of hearing. She is tired of her parents trying to fix her without listening to what she wants and decides to take matters into her own hands. O’Malley Cerra has done a great job of capturing the twelve-year-old psyche and her actions and reactions are so believable. Even though her decisions are often not the best, they are typical of those made by the middle grade set when faced with what in their minds is the most important problem or circumstance of their lives. The use of *** in dialogue to show words Rayne misses when someone speaks to her was masterful. Sometimes it was easy to figure out, sometimes not. I could totally empathize with what Rayne went through on a daily basis. As I read, I cringed, I laughed. I cried. But in the end I was so proud of Rayne finally figuring out who she was and realizing that was enough. Thanks to Netgalley and Carolrhoda Books/Lerner Publishing for giving me and advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. Highly recommended.