I was initially drawn to this book because the main character, Lilah, struggles with being deaf but still having some hearing, which makes her feel like she doesn’t fully belong in either world. It felt similar to my own teen, who is legally blind but still has sight, which is often misunderstood.

This book primarily takes place at a summer camp for deaf and blind children, where Lilah is a Junior Counselor. It was great to see so much representation of both blind and deaf people who were independent and in an environment where they could thrive. It also gave a lot of perspective about misconceptions of these people and the struggles they face in a world that is not accommodating, especially in scenes that take place outside the camp environment.

In the beginning of the book, Lilah wonders if she is “deaf enough” – she wears hearing aids and can lip read, but there’s still a lot she misses out on in conversations. She returns to the summer camp she attended when she was younger, and is able to become immersed in deaf culture, though it’s a struggle when she doesn’t know much ASL, which is how some of the other counselors communicate. With the patience of another counselor, Isaac, who is willing to help her learn, she is able to become more confident and comfortable with who she is.

There’s a romance element throughout this book, which I enjoyed a lot and I think adds to the charm of the story. I really liked the characters and the growth they achieve over the course of the story, even many of the more minor characters.

This book was written well and flowed beautifully. I was drawn in immediately and had a hard time putting it down. I basically read the whole book over the course of a day, I was that immersed in the story.

Overall, I thought this was a great read with a lot of great lessons that anyone, disability or not, can really benefit from what it has to offer. I will never know what it’s like to be like these characters, but I think it gives me a better appreciation for their experiences and ways we can make the world more inclusive.

I received a free advance copy of this book through NetGalley, but my review is voluntary and my own personal opinions.

Give Me A Sign by Anna Sortino, is a thought-provoking novel that delves into the complex experiences of Lilah, a deaf child growing up in a hearing world. Authored with sensitivity and authenticity, this book shines a much-needed light on the challenges faced by deaf individuals and the importance of embracing one's identity.

The story revolves around Lilah (and to a smaller extent) her younger brother Max. Lilah's parents struggle to understand and connect with their children’s deafness. In their attempts to integrate their children into the hearing world, they unintentionally overlook the significance of learning American Sign Language (ASL) and other adequate accommodations. This leads Lilah to feel like an outsider in both the hearing and deaf communities.

As Lilah's grades slip due to inadequate support and the embarrassment she faces, she finds solace and an opportunity for escape at Grey Wolf, a camp for the deaf and blind. It is at this camp that Lilah encounters a diverse group of counselors and campers who each offer unique perspectives on deaf culture and communication.

Sortino skillfully explores the complexities of Lilah's relationships at camp, particularly her borderline adversarial relationship with McKenzie, a hearing blogger who presents herself as an ASL interpreter. Through Lilah's interactions with McKenzie, readers are exposed to the nuances of ableism and the importance of genuine understanding and acceptance.

Additionally, the lifeguards, Oliver and Bill, provide a balance of fun and strict adherence to the rules, adding depth and dimension to the camp environment. Lilah's growing connection with Isaac, a camper immersed in deaf culture with supportive parents, further explores the themes of self-discovery and acceptance.

Throughout the narrative, Lilah's struggles with ASL and communication frustrations are vividly portrayed, evoking empathy and understanding from the readers. Sortino’s ability to capture Lilah's journey of self-realization, questioning her place in the hearing world, and her evolving relationship with Isaac adds layers of emotional depth to the story.

The plot takes an emotional turn with an incident outside of the camp, bringing the narrative to a climax which tests Lilah's resilience and forces her to reevaluate her perceptions of herself and her connection with Isaac.

"Give Me A Sign" is a poignant and heartfelt novel that raises awareness about the challenges faced by deaf individuals in a predominantly hearing world. With its richly developed characters, immersive storytelling, and exploration of identity and acceptance, this book is a must-read for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the deaf community and the power of embracing one's true self.

I love reading books with Deaf and hard-of-hearing characters. I want to read them and any that are recommended, I read. I do this because I want to see my experiences, my culture, within a book and relate to a character.

If I take it book and solely review it on is it a true representation of a Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing character, it is an excellent book. During reading the book, I found myself constantly nodding my head, signing "that, that, that," and feeling validated that my experiences are in the book and I could fully relate to the character.

I loved the synopsis of the story.

I didn't love its moralistic aspect.

The author, Anna Sortino, does a wonderful job showing different forms of ableism including a rough scene with a BIPOC deaf boy and the police. Additionally, throughout the book, it is a constant dialogue of "hearing creators shouldn't be teaching ASL" and "hearing creators are only using ASL for clout." There is absolutely a valid point to this discussion. This is a big issue within the Deaf Community. I don't want the drama of real life constantly forced in my face in the book. This reads very preachy. To top it off, at the end, when Camp Gray Wolf is trying to raise funds and needs to get a message out, the Deaf campers/counsellors go to the hearing creator and ask her to promote the camp, which was hypocritical to me.

The story is promising but overall, the writing felt rushed on the story and seemed simplistic (making the character read younger than they are) and yet continuously brought up large issue topics within the Deaf community. The summer camp romance story is a common trope and this story simply had disabled characters (Deaf and Blind) added into the regular trope. Finally, the representation was a constant discussion of the struggles, rather than showing.

If you would like to read and see accurate representation of the Deaf culture and experiences, then this book would be good for educational purposes. However, for pleasure and escapism reading, this book fell flat and didn't feel like it was a real story.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me access to an early copy of this novels for an honest review.

Stuck between the deaf and the hearing world, Lilah gets a summer job at a camp for deaf and blind children where she can improve her signing skills but once she gets there she finds so much more. Not only is there a community of people she can bond with but she might just have a little summer romance as well. This book is more than just an engaging story permeated with cute romance and touching found family vibes. It also provides great insight into what it's really like to be a deaf or hard-of-hearing person in a hearing world. Thus, it is not only an entertaining read, but an extremely enlightening one as well.

I thought this was an interesting perspective from our female lead. I think it's a really great topic for young adults and shows how ostracizing your community can be when you don't fit in. Lilah showcases this often by not feeling in with the hearing world where she can't hear well enough, but also in the deaf community by not being deaf enough. It highlights the importance of putting in effort in your relationships so that every one feels worthy of the group!

This was such a cute read and I highly recommend this one if you're looking for a sweet YA romcom!

The perfect summer read. This book had be invested from the first chapter and I couldn't put it down. As a hard of hearing individual, I don't think I have ever seen myself represented in a young adult book, let alone a romance! The romance was so adorable and sweet, while also exploring the joy of D/deaf culture and community. This is an easy 5 star must read, summer book!

I hyperfixated on sign language in middle school/early high school, so when i saw this on netgalley, I was so excited. And it definitely did not disappoint! I loved this little camp and all the people involved.

I appreciated that it tackled some of the more difficult topics surrounding ASL and deafness in general. It was really nice to learn some things and also have an entertaining story to read along with it. While I don't relate to any of the struggles that these characters were facing, it's definitely enlightening to read about them.

It did seem like it wasn't as detailed as I would prefer for a story like this, but it did span a whole summer and have an ensemble of characters, so I understand why it felt that way. It would be difficult to write in detail about all of them all summer long. I guess it just means that I would read so much more about these kids if I could.

I loved this book, and I would recommend reading it!

Thank you so much to the publisher for sending me an early copy of Anna Sortino’s debut novel! I’ve been waiting eagerly for this book and I can thankfully say it did not disappoint. This might just be my new favorite summer read!

Summary: Lilah is stuck in the middle. At least, that’s what having a hearing loss seems like sometimes—when you don’t feel “deaf enough” to identify as Deaf or hearing enough to meet the world’s expectations. But this summer, Lilah is ready for a change so she becomes a counselor at a summer camp for the deaf and blind. Her plan is to brush up on her ASL but once there, she also finds a community and sparks fly with a dreamy Deaf counselor. Romance was never on the agenda, and Lilah’s not positive Isaac likes her that way. But all signs seem to point to love. Unless she’s reading them wrong?

My thoughts: This was a wonderful book that I couldn’t put down. Lilah is a relatable main character that you want to protect and fight for. I’ve never been to summer camp myself but I enjoyed living vicariously through Lilah’s experiences as she went through a journey of self-discovery. Her feeling of living between two worlds was compellingly portrayed.

I do wish it had been a tad bit longer with more introspection and character development in the last third. It would’ve been nice to see more of the younger campers and side characters. For a debut writer, I think the writing was solid but needed more fleshing out.

The ending was both satisfying and realistically open. The message of belonging, identity, and first love was really poignant. I’m very excited to see what the author writes next and I need everyone to go out and get this book!

Content warnings: ableism, police brutality.

Anna Sortino’s Give Me a Sign is a beautiful coming of age story that focuses on belonging and identity.

Lilah lives in a hearing world, with hearing parents and friends, attending a mainstream school. Lilah is hard of hearing, but she isn’t comfortable claiming deafness as part of her identity. When the opportunity arises to return to her beloved childhood Deaf and blind camp as a junior counselor, Lilah jumps at the chance to brush up on her ASL. The summer brings more than ASL growth as Lilah learns more about Deaf culture, has a swoony first romance, and journeys toward no longer feeling like she isn’t deaf enough to be part of the community.

As a hearing person, reading this book taught me a lot about Deaf and blind culture. However, since I’m not a member of those communities, I can’t say whether this representation is accurate or not. I will say that I enjoyed these characters and their diverse experiences. This isn’t an issue book, nor is it meant to be a lesson for hearing folks on Deaf issues. It is a beautiful story, with likable characters, a summer romance, themes of identity, belonging, and coming of age, all in a fun summer camp setting. Lilah encounters many issues that are universally applicable — like wondering if that girl is really just friends with Lilah’s crush, or not quite totally getting along with her co-counselor and all their campers.

The characters are well developed, interesting, and likable. They deal with realistic problems, like overprotective friends, jealousy, and pushing back against rules like curfew. Friendships are tested, all within the tight confines of a summer camp where these characters are together all the time, all summer long.

Summer romances are their own trope, but I’m here for it. Lilah sorting through her feelings and navigating that fresh-crush landscape brought me back to my own high school days. The summer before senior year, all her uncertainty about the future– so relatable. Having friends across age groups that graduate at different times made this particular friend group even more relatable.

Lilah’s struggle of feeling like she’s enough to belong is another universal, relatable aspect of her character. Her search for belonging, uncertainty about her identity and life plans, and strong voice leave the reader feeling like their good friend is giving them all the details from their epic summer.
Give Me a Sign will be available July 11, 2023.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Penguin for an advanced e-ARC such that I could share my honest opinions.

My review on “Give me a Sign” is on the link below! My review is in ASL with captions. I had the opportunity to read this as a ARC reader.
There were some things I liked about the book.
1. Good representation of Deaf and hard of hearing characters with their experiences/life/family.
2. You can tell the difference of voiced and signed dialogue.
3. Mentions of Deaf experiences that I could relate to, for example, the audiologist appointment, hearing devices, struggling to lip read/understand the conversation, etc.

There was some things I didn’t like about this book, some experiences mentioned seem to be personal real life experience that I disagreed and that didn’t make sense at all.
But the most thing I didn’t like was how repetitive and preachy to the reader. Little bit of drama, not the kind I want to read. As a reader and a Deaf person I was frustrated throughout the book. I read to escape reality and this was not what I expected. I expected a fantasy summer love story. The synopsis of the book what drew me in first and i felt like it didn’t match the book after I finished reading.

The book is well written and have good mentions of experiences, how the characters interact with their families that sign or doesn’t sign, explained how hearing devices are different. Also mentioned how hearing people shouldn’t teach ASL online (which is a very hot topic now on Deaf community) but I felt conflicted at one point where they confronted the hearing character not to teach online and then asked her to please help promote the camp and fundraiser through her social media due to followers. That felt hypocritical to me. Surely Lilah and Ethan and Isaac would have found another way to save the camp without the hearing character help. This book is not my favorite, but I will say it’s better than the books I’ve read that has Deaf/HH characters! If you want to read “Give me a Sign” it launch today on July 11th. 🤟🏻

First, thanks to penguin teen for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. And honestly, I loved this! This book follows Lilah who is “hard of hearing” and is struggling with not feeling deaf enough for the Deaf world and not being able to hear enough to fully fit into the hearing world. This story had me hooked from the very beginning. Lilah decides to take a job as a counselor at a deaf and blind camp that she used to go to as a kid. She has many insecurities about not knowing much ASL to be able to lead other campers but she decides to take the leap anyway. We follow her through the struggles she has with communicating and finding her place in her own world. I think this book gave a fantastic look into a community that I know very little about and it gave a lot of insight in how I can be more mindful and inclusive in the way I live going forward. This book was funny and sweet and at some points very heavy but overall, it was a perfect summer read! I was excited to dive back into this summer camp world every time I sat down to read! I am so glad I got this one as an ARC, it was great!

3.5 stars. I wish I would've had this book to read as a teenager. I had a couple friends who were deaf or hard of hearing. There's so much more I could've done to communicate with them. I love how well this book puts into perspective what someone with a hearing disability is experiencing in a world where they are the minority. Give Me a Sign was about Lilah, who is hard of hearing, and becomes a counselor at a summer camp for the blind and deaf. She hopes to improve her ASL, but along the way she learns so much more about herself and finds good friends.

I found it hard to connect with some of the character and get through the book at some points, but overall I liked it.

If you enjoy summer camp, a diverse cast of characters and sweet romances, this book might be perfect for you.

Lilah has a hearing loss but isn't completely deaf, so she feels like she's in the middle of two worlds and part of neither. She has hearing parents, hearing friends and goes to a school for hearing kids, so she has to make an effort to be part of a world that she can't hear and that doesn't listen to her. But this summer things are gonna be different, as she decides to return to the Gray Wolf camp, a summer camp for deaf and blind childrens. There she will find a community, a place to feel safe and normal, to improve her ASL and learn about deaf culture, and also a place to find friendship and love.

Give me a sign is a charming story about accepting your identity and finginding a community, with a wholesome and sweet summer love. It has a good balance between happy and fun moments — with summer activities and secondary characters that are very funny —, and others that are more tense and sad — with the problem of not being able to communicate very well and all the problems and struggles this can cause.

It is so important to me that books, especially those for young people, have diverse characters with good representation, so that each person (especially kids) can feel identified with the stories they read. I don't consider that the book seeks to educate anyone, but it is a good introduction to deaf culture and makes visible the struggle and effort that they are forced to make in order to communicate with a world that doesn't care on trying to communicate with them.

I absolutely adored this book. I haven’t read a book about a summer camp before and it just put me in all the feels.

Having just gotten hearing aids recently, my interest in this book zoomed even higher than it had been. (My son made friends with a Deaf teen when he was a teen, and as a result, got into ASL studies.) I found this to be a terrific read--full of passion, as seventeen-year-old Lilah goes to summer camp for deaf and blind students as a student counselor.

Lilah has been poised between the Deaf culture and that of the hearing, as she hears partially, and wears hearing aids. Which are not perfect by any means. Her younger brother, also with hearing issues, is being nudged by their hearing parents toward getting a cochlear implant, while at age eleven.

Lilah's experiences at camp run the gamut of what deaf and Deaf (and blind) kids can run into. It can be frustrating, and it can be horribly scary when the hearing world just doesn't get it, or won't get it. At times the story stopped so that Lilah's first-person narrator could lecture the reader a bit, but those rants are short, and resonant with authenticity. Then the story picks right up again, with an interesting collection of young adults and young kids.

It's a quick, engaging read--I really enjoyed this book. I hope to see more with Deaf main characters coming out!

Ahh, loved this! It was a bit more infuriating than I was expecting just because ableists going to ableist, but ultimately what a wonderful celebration of Deaf pride. I loved so many of these characters and even found the romance very cute.

This was such a wonderfully delightful book! I knew little to nothing about Deaf culture before reading this book and now I feel like I’ve learned so much but not in an overly preachy way. This is also the perfect time of year to read it because it takes place at a summer camp so it has those nostalgia vibes too! I loved the story and the characters and the cover of this book is also lovely! Highly recommend.

🪵Book Review: Give Me a Sign🪵

“We wouldn’t know our limitations if people didn’t keep telling us.”

Book: Give Me a Sign
Author: Anna Sortino
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: YA Contemporary/Romance

Let me start off by saying, that this is one of the most important books I’ve read this year.

The book introduces us to 17 year old Lilah, who struggles in her day to day life as a Deaf High schooler. Everyone expects her to adapt into the hearing world, but they themselves don’t want to put in any effort to accommodate her. She also struggles with the feelings of not being „Deaf enough“
Thankfully she lands a job as a junior counselor at a summer camp for the Deaf and Blind, called Gray Wolf. It’s the perfect opportunity for her to connect and learn from & with others who are just like her. And hey, if there’s a cute counselor named Isaac, that’s just a plus 😉

➕I haven’t read many books where the MC has a disability and damn it feels nice to relate to someone in regards to that. I’m not Deaf, but I’m wheelchair bound and it gets so exhausting sometimes to try and fit into the „normal“ world.
I absolutely loved almost all the characters and the romance was so cute! Seriously, I haven’t shipped two characters like that in forever.
I loved Lilah‘s character arc and I especially loved how confident she got towards the end.
I loved learning more about Deaf culture and ASL.
The setting was very nice! I’m a big 80‘s horror fan, so this gave me Friday the 13th and Sleepaway Camp vibes. (In a good way, not in a de*d way obviously)

➖Nothing really.
It got a bit preachy from time to time, but even that’s needed sometimes!

I wish I had this book to read when I was younger. I literally want everyone to read this book!💕 Which you can, since it comes out today!

Thank you to #Netgalley & Penguin Group for this e-arc! All opinions are my own!

I received an unedited version, so the quote could have been removed since.

Synopsis
Lilah is a partially deaf teenager who is stuck between the land of the hearing and the deaf. She isn’t “deaf enough” to be submerged in the ASL world, but she struggles to keep up in the hearing world. After a long school year, she has decided to apply for a job as a counselor at her old deaf and blind camp. She always enjoyed being there and was able to learn more ASL.

Once she is there, she gets to see some of her old friends, as well as make new friends. There is a super cute British life guard, Oliver. There is Issac, another cute counselor who she happens to have night duty with. Mackenzie ,the you-tuber who makes a living teaching ASL online, and many other personalities that really make the story feel like a found family over time.

She begins to learn more about deaf people and the ASL community and the hardships they encounter. She even gets to find a summer romance, and someone to help her get better at her ASL.


Thoughts
This novel brought me so much more insight to the struggles of the hearing impaired. I wish that I had read it before I started teaching to understand my students' perspective better. I really enjoyed the love triangle, and not really knowing which direction Lilah was going to go at first. I loved her internal thoughts and how she really grew throughout the novel.

I am recommending this to all of my teacher friends, to help get more insight to your students!!! This book offered such great insight for not only understanding the deaf community, but the internal struggles of teenagers as they try to navigate life.

Read this book if you love:
-YA Romance
- Summer Romance
-Single POV
- Deaf Rep

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC.

Give Me a Sign follows hard-of-hearing Lilah as she struggles to find her place in the Deaf community, during a summer where she is a counselor at a camp for deaf and blind kids.

I can't think of many books that I've read with a Deaf character, and this is certainly the first I've ever read with a main character who is part of the Deaf community. In Give Me A Sign, Anna Sortino does a spectacular job of representing the vast spectrum of deafness within the community, as well as the obstacles folks often encounter both in the Deaf community and in a world that caters specifically to hearing individuals.

I loved both the heart and the authenticity of this book. he characters were rich and multifaceted, and I loved watching Lilah grow over the course of the book. There were some hard moments, most especially the police encounter, but I really appreciated Sortino's effort to represent the difficulties of navigating the world with a hearing disability.

In all, I thought this was a lovely read that has genuine and valuable Deaf representation that I am so excited about and hopeful to see more of in the YA space.