Give Me a Sign was such a warm, affirming, and quietly powerful read. It’s a YA romance, yes—but at its core, it’s a story about identity, community, and being seen for exactly who you are.

I absolutely adored Lilah. She’s funny, thoughtful, and trying so hard to find her place—not just as a Deaf teen navigating the hearing world, but as someone learning how to step into her truth without apology. Watching her join the summer camp for Deaf and hard-of-hearing kids was one of the most wholesome parts of the story. It felt like she was finally allowed to take a breath and just be. And honestly, I felt that too.

The romance with Isaac was super sweet and gentle. There wasn’t unnecessary drama or toxic tension—it was just soft and sincere, and I appreciated that so much. I loved how their communication was built on mutual effort and care, not just attraction. It made everything feel so authentic.

But what made this book stand out for me even more was the Deaf representation. Anna Sortino is Deaf herself, and you can feel the authenticity in the way she writes about community, culture, and access. I learned so much—without it ever feeling like a lesson. Instead, it felt like being invited into someone’s world with grace and honesty.

That said, the pacing was a little slow at times, especially in the middle. Some side characters could’ve used more development, but overall, that didn’t take away from how meaningful the story was. It left me smiling—and thinking—especially about how much it matters to have spaces (and books) where people feel seen, respected, and celebrated for exactly who they are.

Give Me a Sign is the kind of book I wish I had as a teen. Tender, inclusive, and quietly revolutionary in the way it centers a Deaf protagonist in a story that’s not about trauma—but about joy, friendship, love, and finding your voice, in every sense of the word.

What an excellent portrayal of a young adult’s experience with hearing loss and the deaf community! As someone who is not a part of the deaf community, I appreciated the explanations of terms, devices, and accommodations that were seamlessly woven into the narrative. I felt like Lilah was well fleshed out, as well as a lot of the side characters. I wouldn’t mind a sequel of Lilah’s experience as she becomes a senior counselor and/or her college experience in the future! I also appreciated all the Chicago references as a local. 4.5 stars!

The world needs more books like this one. It was hopeful and poignant at times and really stressed the importance of friendship and being able to have people in your corner. The relationships that were explored in this novel were amazing.

Anna Sortino's debut novel is a fun YA romance set on a backdrop of a summer camp for Deaf and blind kids, infused with so much sincerity. Honestly, this book became a 5 star read for me in the first chapter because our main character, a hard of hearing teenage girl named Lilah, has an Individualized Education Program (IEP) like I had all through school, and I've never read a book about a character who also had one. I mean, where was this book when I was 16?
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Anyway, Give Me a Sign follows Lilah as she is a junior counselor at Camp Grey Wolf where she used to attend, and when she meets fellow counselor Isaac, romance ensues. I loved the earnestness with which both Lilah and Isaac go into their relationship. Though romance is the main focus, I also liked the exploration of the relationships that Lilah forms with the younger girls, because it reminded me of the opportunities that I had as a teenager to mentor younger neurodivergent kids (at day camps, lest you believe my Italian parents ever let me go to sleepaway camp).
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I related a lot to Lilah in general, because I was also once a teenager who was disabled but still considered capable--my disability never stopped me from taking gen ed classes, considering (eventually pursuing) higher ed, or having friends, but I've still experienced a lot of the casual ableism that Lilah deals with here.
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This is probably one of the best disability reps I've ever read, and it's really fricking fun for good measure.
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I really liked the story telling of this book. The setting was fun and the deaf culture and representation were really well done. I think this is a wonderful YA read for someone to enjoy in the summer.

Lilah goes back to the camp where she went as a child. This time she is a camp councilor. She wants to improve her signing.

She finds friends and discovers a love interest.is exposed to difficult experiences as a person with disability. I'm glad that as a teen, she is able to overcome all that life has.

Was such a quick cute read. I loved learning each character.

I thought this was a very needed book that skews towards the younger side of YA. The representation of the deaf community is one that you don’t see often. I feel like there is so much I have taken away.
I loved Lilah and her self discovery. The embracing of all aspects of herself and learning to use her voice - even with those who she is very close to.
I thought the HFN made sense and I am hoping for and Isaac.

As a Sibling of Deaf Adult (S.O.D.A.), my interest was piqued upon learning that the storyline revolved around a young adult romance set in a deaf/hard-of-hearing camp, featuring a deaf boy and a hard-of-hearing girl. The incorporation of sign language into written text intrigued me, given the visual nature of the language.

Lilah is stuck in the middle. At least, that’s what having hearing loss seems like—when you don’t feel “deaf enough” to identify as Deaf or hearing enough. But this summer, she is ready for a change. When she becomes a counselor at a summer camp for the deaf and blind, she plans to brush up on her ASL. Once there, she also finds a community. There are cute British lifeguards, a YouTuber who’s just a bit desperate for clout, the campers Lilah’s responsible for—and then there’s Isaac, the dreamy Deaf counselor who volunteers to help her with her signing. Romance was never on the agenda, and Lilah’s not positive Isaac likes her that way. But is she reading the signs wrong?

The portrayal of the two main characters, Isaac and Lilah, was particularly engaging. Lilah's journey as she navigated between the hearing world and the deaf/hard-of-hearing community at the camp was quite captivating. The depiction of some counselors' interactions with the hearing world, notably in scenes at the bar and convenient store, provided valuable insights. This portrayal shed light on a form of ignorance that I had not previously encountered while accompanying my deaf sibling. It was unbelievable to realize that such narrow-mindedness exists in the world towards the deaf.

The story resonated with me on a personal level, as it delved into the complex decision-making process that many in the deaf community face regarding cochlear implants. The narrative highlighted the contrasting perspectives of individuals contemplating this life-altering choice, shedding light on the profound impact it has on their lives. Personally, when my sibling became deaf, my family and I promptly embarked on learning sign language to effectively communicate with them. Commencing this journey at a young age has ingrained sign language into my being, fostering a deep connection with the language.

The debut work of this author offers an engaging and captivating reading experience. There has been a notable absence of young adult romance literature set in the deaf community, making this book a particularly welcome addition to the genre. It provides a compelling insight into the world of young adult romance within this context. Following this, readers are encouraged to explore the author's subsequent work, 'On the Bright Side'.

As someone who is hard of hearing, it's always refreshing to see myself (or someone like myself) in a book. This was just what I needed to see, and wished I had access to as a younger person.

Give me a sign by Anna Sortino is a Teen novel about Camp Grey Wolf, a camp for hard of hearing/deaf children and also compromised eyesight. I was rooting for Isaac and Lilah throughout the whole story. Elizabeth Robbins was the narrator of the audiobook. The stand outs for me were Lilah, Isaac, and Oliver. There were parts where Lilah couldn't hear what people were saying, and it was purposely muffled on the audio-a great way to experience what Lilah did. I enjoyed the deaf and blind representation, very inclusive and important.

Huge thank you to Penguin Teen and Anna Sortino for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Lilah feels stuck in the middle. At home, she's "too Deaf" with her parents refusing to learn ASL, dragging her back and forth to the audiologist to be poked and prodded and, well, pitied. But when she's with her hearing friends or at her hearing school, she doesn't feel "Deaf enough" to speak up for herself in regards to accommodations or what she needs to be able to communicate with her friends.

When a summer job as a junior counselor opens up at Camp Grey Wolf, the Deaf camp where she went as a kid, she leaps at the chance to be back in a world surrounded by peers in the Deaf community. But her lack of ASL knowledge, her partial ability to hear with her hearing aids, and a fellow counselor who seems to be using Deaf culture for clout make things cloudy and a little confusing. And then there's Isaac, the gorgeous Deaf senior counselor who offers to help her with her ASL...and might just be wiggling his way into her heart too. But the signs are confusing-literally and figuratively-and Lilah isn't quite sure where she fits in all of this. But finding herself, a little romance, and her place in her own community might just be on the summer agenda after all.

This book was ABSOLUTELY AWESOME. It was written in such a way that you knew when someone was speaking with their mouths vs signing with their hands, with gaps where understanding wasn't fully had, which made entering into Lilah's word through the written word very insightful. I am hearing, but as a disabled person, the abelistic way that disabilities were addressed and spoken about by so many of the able-bodied people in this book was SO incredibly validating and relatable. These characters felt real, like I wanted to hang out with them in real life. This book pulled no punches when it came to dealing with the experiences of Deaf individuals in a hearing world as well-hard to read but incredibly important.

This is an "own voices" book written by a Deaf author who wanted more representation of Deaf characters that weren't just elderly and played for laughs, and my god, was she successful. I can't wait to get my hands on other books by this author. This was a charming romance outside with a chewy center made up of representation and acknowledgment of hard topics in the Deaf community written beautifully. Anna Sortino has a new fan in me after this book!

Thank you to NetGalley for this free online copy in exchange for an honest review. I found this book just ok. While I definitely felt for the main character and her struggles to communicate and advocate for herself, the book itself didn't keep me super engaged. It did give me additional insight into the deaf and hard of hearing world especially if parents can hear and how that can add to the issue.

I read Give Me A Sign on an airplane trip. I'm one of those people that usually sleeps instantly on an airplane... but this book kept awake, and that says a lot. The representation of the dead community and needs and is expressed wonderfully. It has all the elements you want in a good book, drama, friendship, love, and human beings coming together sorbet stronger in the face of obstacles.

Super cute YA camp romance! I truly enjoy Anna Sortino's diverse reads and would read more of her stories!

This was such a cute read! I know ASL so I am always interested in books with Deaf or Hard of Hearing representation. This was a smash hit for me.

This was a nice self discovery romance book! I kind of wanted more from the romance department but I enjoyed it nonetheless

Our protagonist, Lilah, is caught in the in-between: too hearing to be deaf and too deaf to be hearing. Like anyone, she craves belonging. When she comes across an opportunity to be a junior counselor at Camp Grey Hawk, a summer camp for the deaf and blind, she can't pass it up. As a former camper, it's bound to be easy enough to catch on, right? ...Right?!

Lilah goes on to have a summer chock full of love, laughter, friendship, and ultimately, self-realization. In this tale of teenagehood, we see all the things we related to as teens, but under the scope of disability. It's an excellent foray into acceptance, both of the self and of others, and really showcases what it means to come into yourself and learn to love everything about you.

A sweet romance with a deaf main character with some hearing, struggling to figure out where she fits in the intersection of the deaf and hearing worlds. I learned a lot about deaf culture.

I am proud to say that both of the ASL teachers at my school are Deaf. My school also has the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program for our entire area, and our ASL teachers are fierce advocates for their students, making sure that videos created at our school are captioned and accessible.

Additionally, one of my speech and debate students made it to nationals with a persuasive speech raising awareness of Audism—and she signed parts of the speech.

All this is to say that, although I am aware of some of the issues facing the Deaf community, and have been exposed to Deaf culture, I learned a lot more from this book. And I never felt as if I was being preached to.

Primarily, this is a story about a teenage girl finding herself and overcoming some of her self-doubts. The fact that she hard of hearing is just part of the story—an important part, but, for me at least, the story is about HER, not just her deafness.

Sometimes, Lilah messes up, usually because of her self-doubts, not because she’s Deaf. But she learns, and does better, and really begins to find her place as the story progresses. Watching her gain confidence—in her abilities with ASL, as a counselor, and in her relationship with Isaac—is satisfying and heartening.

Possible Objectionable Material:
Conflict with parents. Some teenage hijinks. Kissing. One camper gets sick and throws up (ew). LGBT+ representation. Cursing.

Who Might Like This Book:
People who like summer camp stories, coming of age, and teen romance. And, of course, those who want to learn more about Deaf culture.

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

This was such a good read! Deaf rep is something my shelves are lacking, and this representation was incredible to read! Give Me A Sign is a coming of age story of Lilah finding herself and who she wants to be, and this romance was adorable! Simply loved it.