Absolutely lovely middle grade with an excellent voice. I will definitely be reading more from this author!

As an autistic person, reading this book was a very interesting experience. I found it interesting that the author notes in the endnote that they had several teachers and therapists do some sensitivity reading—why not ask sound sensitive reviewers directly? I related to many of the things in this book, but I feel conflicted about it as well. I thought the part where a stranger thought the MC had autism was strange. While the stranger was being ableist, I also get a little anxious when the reaction to being perceived as autistic is so abrasive to people/characters (the mother). Sometimes I feel like these novels about sound or sensory sensitivities seek to distance themselves from the spectrum as if autism is some bad, scary thing that is related but in no way the same as their situation. That’s the main thing I look for and have been thinking of with this work. While I think this book will be helpful to a lot of kids, I wonder if the narrative of pushing kids to abandon their aids and seek to see more of the wonder of an able-bodied/neurotypical world does more quiet harm than good.

At first glance, this plot seems pretty straightforward: Amelia is misunderstood by her peers and by her mother, all of whom become frustrated when she is overwhelmed. As the book progresses, though, we begin to see the complexities. It's hard for people to understand how difficult it is for Amelia to cope with noise. Her father is perhaps a bit permissive in his desire to make things easier for her, thus he never challenges her to expand her comfort zone. And Amelia herself is quick to dismiss people and ideas. If something isn't easy right away she gives up. It ends up being a book about recognizing your limits but being willing to try had things and to fail on occasion. Amelia is a charming if not entirely likeable protagonist. She's a bit standoffish, difficult for the average reader to relate to, but still worth the read.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for the eARC to read and review!

"Muffled" is a fantastic book that exceeded my initial curiosity. I fell wholeheartedly in love with the story and its main character, Amelia.

Amelia is a bright girl who I immediately connected with. She’s also a bookworm who also loves Alanna from Tamora Pierce’s Tortall universe, so that was a huge bonus.

As someone also with sound sensitivity, I think the author does a great job depicting what it’s like to be a kid with - in the case of this book - sound sensitivity. Gennari’s personal experience and research about sound sensitivity really shows. Amelia has always relied on her noise-cancelling headphones. It’s protected her from the worst sounds until she's forced to go without at the start of 5th grade. In "Muffled," we see Amelia’s life at school/home/public places as well as others’ (her parents, teachers, classmates) perspective about her.

Readers can still relate to Amelia and her desire to fit in. She wants to be like everyone else but it’s hard and the world is too loud. I like the inclusion of coping mechanisms - counting and breathing - when she’s experiencing sensory overload. The purple earmuffs are her first step in existing despite sounds.

Middle school is such a tough time socially and being different is often seen as something bad. I think just seeing Amelia try, fail, and try again will go a long way in helping others understand themselves and embrace their differences. Which is why Madge (a classmate) is the perfect antithesis to Amelia’s character. Madge is the opposite of Amelia but is also everything Amelia wants to be: seen, happy, and accepted. I loved watching their friendship blossom.

"Muffled" is very much a character-driven story. I loved Amelia’s character and teared-up several times during her struggles. I felt a certain kinship to her. "Muffled" is a quick but complete story-wise that you can read in a day. I recommend reading the back matter. There the author provides suggested resources and information about sound sensitivity, and what inspired her to write this book.

I enjoyed the story a lot and would read more books by Gennari. I would definitely recommend this diverse read to others.

Fifth grader and Boston native natigates her noice sensitivity in school and her community gaining independence and strength in understanding and empowerment. Friendship and school bullying as well as coming of age are explored sensitively. She discovers her strengths inclusing a love of the trombone as her family and school community growth in acceptance.

I read an advanced copy of, Muffled by Jennifer Gennari. Amelia is in 5th grade and is 10 years old. Kids are not very nice to each other. Its especially hard your your different. Amelia is very sensitive too noise, and noise is everywhere. She promised not to use her noise cancelling headphones this year, and he dad got her some purple earmuffs. I loved the character of Amelia, such a great kid, who tries to live in a noisy world, which hurts her.

I know my students with SPD would have loved meeting Amelia and reading about how she navigates her day-to-day world, with the challenges of sensory processing, while trying to fit in with her peers in middle school. I am glad this book will be out later this year and plan on buying copies for my special education teachers and the school library. The more students with specialized needs see themselves in the pages of books, the more it helps them feel connected and other readers can learn more about SPD and develop empathy for those that face sensory challenges.

A good addition to neuro-atypical lit, with a likable character, parents who sometimes struggle to understand their daughter, peers who vacillate between compassion and mild bullying, school staff trying to find the balance between accommodation and the requirements of 5th grade. Realistic portrayal of an issue that will resonate with many kids who get overwhelmed with the noise of modern life.

I'm always somewhat ambivalent about stories focused explicitly on differently-abled protagonists/plots written by people who have not had either no or only observer live experienced of the specific condition. In this case the author notes that while she does not herself have a processing or sensory sensitivity, her spouse and their family line does. I feel a bit...hinky, then, rating this book highly as I am not sure if it's accurate or not. The story itself is fine, even enjoyable, and it seems to deal well with issues of being different, fitting in, and accepting both yourself and others. I just wish I knew if this was an accurate representation of this life experience.

I enjoyed the different style of writing in this book. I liked how this book tackled sensitive ears. I've never read a book about that before, so I enjoyed that perspective in this book. I liked how Amelia and her new friend Madge go through ups and downs just like real friends. It was life like and the characters were well developed. I really enjoyed this story. This is perfect for readers ages 7-10.

Muffled is a sweet story about a young girl who suffers from sound sensitivity and wears a pair of earmuffs in order to cope with loud sounds in school, on the subway, and in her everyday life. I think it is important for my fourth grade students to read books about kids who are different from them so they can grow in empathy and understanding. Ironically, in my school a “noisy” classroom is encouraged through active collaboration and group work. However, I’ve always believed that this learning style does not work for everyone. I loved Amelia’s trips to the library and the references to some of her favorite books and female protagonists. The incorporation of music was a great way for Amelia to grow and develop as a character and begin to overcome her aversions. The scenes with her parents and all the kids at school portrayed a realistic representation of how others might react to Amelia. While I was reading, I was thinking to myself she should wear small ear buds to avoid the unwanted attention the earmuffs caused so I was pleased when this was a solution at the conclusion of the book.