Lilah often feels stranded between two worlds: the hearing world and the deaf community. One of the only places she’s felt at home is at Camp Grey Wolf, a summer camp for deaf and blind young people. But when Lilah signs up to be a Junior Counsellor at camp for the first time, things aren’t as simple as they were when she was a camper there. For one thing, the camp is struggling with fundraising, so they might not be able to continue for much longer, and for another, there’s Isaac, another counsellor and fellow ex-camper, who’s helping Lilah with her signing and who Lilah can’t help but wish would give her a sign he likes her back…

Give Me a Sign is a wonderful story of community, with a sweet romance subplot and incredible Deaf and disabled representation. I’m a hearing person but am disabled in other ways and consider myself pretty well immersed into disability culture and spaces, but I still learnt A Lot from this book. There were quite a few moments where it felt like the author was trying to teach rather than tell a story, but it all felt important to know and include and so I didn’t mind it as much as I might have in another story.

I do wish there had been more set-up at the beginning instead of leaping straight into the world of camp so that we could learn more about Lilah and gain more contrast between mainstream [Read: ableist] society and the community they create at Camp Grey Wolf. Lilah is an incredibly well-developed character in some ways – her struggle to work out where she places herself within different communities and how much or little of herself she wants to reclaim was all fantastic and so thoughtfully done – but I would still have liked to know a little more about her and her interests and hopes and dreams for her future. Additionally, the fundraising plot didn’t feel like that necessary a plot. It was resolved very simply at the end of the story, which didn’t feel particularly satisfying. I’d have liked for it to have been made more of an issue throughout and culminated in something more dramatic and grounded to the rest of the story arcs.

However, overall this is a real stand-out debut novel with deaf representation on a whole other level to anything else I’ve read before. I’ll definitely be getting the book in my library for my students, and I know the story will mean a lot to a great many people out there.

Give Me a Sign follows Lilah, who is struggling to find her place in the Deaf community and the world as a whole, by feeling not "deaf enough" for the Deaf community, but also not "hearing enough" for the hearing world. When she is hired as a junior counselor at Camp Gray Wolf, a summer camp for the deaf and blind, she is focused on improving her ASL and integrating herself more into her community. Unfortunately for Lilah, summer camp is more difficult than she remembers, and a budding romance could lead to disaster, or a happily ever after.

I just absolutely and completely adored this book. Lilah was a fantastic main character and it was such an open and honest portrayal of someone struggling to find a community they belong to, or feeling as though they aren't enough for their own community. I won't speak on the Deaf representation, as I am not deaf or hard of hearing, but I will say that I really appreciated the author providing so many different experiences for each of the characters. The Deaf community, like any community, is not a monolith and it was great to read about each character's story and identity. It was wonderful to see Lilah's confidence in herself grow throughout her time at the camp and through the relationships she made and rekindled. Her initial avoidance of advocating for herself to being able to express her struggles to her friends and family and ask them to make changes was amazing character growth. I loved seeing Lilah's relationships with all of the characters grow and evolve throughout the story. Her relationship with Isaac was lovely and made my heart happy, and I'm super pleased with the ending for the two of them.

I could gush about this book forever, but I'll just say, this is a must-read for YA fans this year, so definitely make sure to pick it up in July when it comes out!

Give ME a Sign was a very important book for me to read. My 15 year old daughter got hearing aids last summer when we found out she has a moderate hearing loss .We do not know what caused it (although it is likely hereditary) or if it will get worse as she gets older, so this book hit very close to home for me. It allowed me to see my daughter's hearing loss from her perspective a little better. I enjoyed the storyline of Lilah being a camp counselor, and I felt bad for her not feeling like she fit into either world. It was a great story because it had several characters that were very different from one another which helped to illustrate the vast difference in people with hearing loss or deafness. The relationship with Lilah and Isaac was a little annoying at first but I had to remind myself that they are teenagers and adults can't even figure out their relationships half of the time, and as time went on they got better at figuring things out. This was a really good book and I hope to see more from Anna Sortino in the future.

GIVE ME A SIGN by anna sortino is a sun-drenched novel about finding peace within who you are, falling in love at summer camp, and the breadth of experiences within the deaf community.

i highly recommend pre-ordering this brilliant debut before it releases this summer!! ♡

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

4.6/5
Release Date: 11/7/2023

It's about a girl named Lilah who's in the middle of two communities - the hearing world and the Deaf community. She's not quite sure where she fits in or where she wants to be. But through some tough times and a summer romance, she learns a lot about herself and the Deaf community.

I have to say, the representation for both the hard of hearing and blind communities in this book was incredible. Which is perfect for learning more about them. It really warmed my heart to see such great representation.

Big thank you to Penguin Teen, Anna Sortino, and NetGalley for this amazing ARC.

I finished this book two days ago, and while I typically review a book right after, I decided to wait a bit to gather my thoughts. I absolutely ADORED this book.

My exposure to deaf characters in media has been limited to Freeform's Switched at Birth and Daniel Durant competing on Dancing With the Stars last season, so I was excited at the chance to read Anna Sortino's debut novel. The characters are extremely likable and relatable, and so much was put into the book without making it feel overwhelming. I feel like there were so many educational aspects to the story, and it didn't take away from the entertainment value. I've had hearing problems since I was a child, and last year, I got my first hearing aid. I only have mild hearing loss, but I enjoyed getting to see the Deaf representation in Give Me a Sign.

After I read the synopsis, I thought the book would just be a light read about two Deaf teenagers' romance at summer camp. But there was so much depth to the story and characters. It tackles topics like ableism, police brutality, and cochlear implants.

I cannot wait to see what Anna Sortino comes up with next. This was a fantastic debut novel. I can already tell it will be one of my favorite reads of 2023.

I absolutely loved this book. The writing made it so easy to make this book fly bye. The use of sign language was so immersive and educational, while still making the book fun and lighthearted. I loved the balance between the way comedic everyday camp activities and societal issues were brought up. Speaking as someone who isn’t very educated or immersed in deaf culture in. h everyday life, I definitely learned a ton from Give Me a Sign and it has made me even more interested in learning more about it!

The characters were all so unique and really displayed the diversity in the Deaf community. I loved the way each character big or small had an impact on Lilah and helped shaped her views throughout the book. The plot itself was very well paced and the romance was absolutely adorable!

I really loved this book, and learned so much while reading it. Anna Sortino was gentle in her teaching about the deaf, hard of hearing, and blind communities. She also wrote very realistic dialogue for teenagers who are undergoing the same developmental milestones as those without hearing or sight loss. There's love, there are misunderstandings, there are squabbles and apologies, and very sweet friendships. I also liked the setting of the summer camp. I particularly appreciated the discussions of the why and how of cochlear implants, and the usage of sign language. This is a world I do not know, and I needed the window through which to see it. I also think teachers should definitely read this book because there's so much more thinking that we need to do around how schools treat those with hearing loss. There isn't a blanket solution for everyone, and students and families are dealing with so much more than we know.

Thank you NetGalley for the digital ARC of this book.

Give Me a Sign was really a “trying to figure myself out” story for Lilah. She’s hard of hearing but struggles feeling she doesn’t fit anywhere: too hearing for the Deaf community, too deaf for the hearing community. So she’s actively trying to make a change by working as a junior counselor at a summer camp for deaf and blind kids.

I really felt for Lilah. She’s behind on her ASL because her family doesn’t use it. They just rely on her hearing aids and her lip reading; and I definitely can understand how exclusive that feels, like she can’t even communicate in her own home. I also thought Give Me a Sign did a great job showing the difficulties the Deaf community can have when trying to do basic tasks in the hearing world.

But the romance in the story felt pretty contrived (instalove, anyone?). And there was a lot of virtue signalling; I almost felt like I was being lectured about how terrible hearing people can be. Despite that, I thought Give Me a Sign was a really cute story and I enjoyed it. I’m always glad to see more diverse representation and I’d be happy to read more from Anna Sortino.

Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group for the review copy.

Thanks so much Penguin Group and NetGalley.

This is a cute, fuss free summer camp romance novel involving the deaf/ hard of hearing community. Such an easy read with wonderful characters, and I appreciate a book for its representation! What a great debut from this author.

First, I just need to say how much I absolutely love this book! Anna Sortino packs so much heart into her debut novel. I’m already a sucker for a good summer camp novel, especially one with a cute romance, but it is the Deaf / deaf / HoH experiences at the center of this story that truly set it apart. I loved really every character in this novel, but Lilah and Isaac in particular stood apart to me. From the sweet moments, to the miscommunications as Lilah worked to improve her ASL, to the big climactic moment later in the story that truly put the realities of deafness in a hearing world that doesn’t even try to accommodate it, Sortino creates a nuanced and engaging read that I hope allows deaf / Deaf teens to see themselves, and opens up the beauty and also sometimes painful realities of this experience to folks who aren’t as familiar with it. This is a book that should be a part of all high school curriculums, in my opinion! I look forward to reading this author’s future books.

Thank you to Anna Sortino, Penguin Publishing and NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

It was a cute, almost fuss-free, romance.
I really liked the storyline, the environment in which the characters evolve, and the introduction to deaf culture. I'd never read a novel where it was so well explained. It's almost easy to forget that deaf people have it rough and some scenes showed this very well (the scene with the officer was hard to read).

But, I found it hard to get into the story, hence my rating. The plot is worth a 4 and, despite my rating, I recommend it to anyone who wants to discover deaf culture.
However, it's the characters that made it difficult for me, especially Lilah (and Mackenzie). First of all, the story is in the first person singular, and I find it very hard to get into the story with this style of writing. But Lilah's often whiny and some of her actions don't make sense.
Maybe, like some readers, I'm too old for YA romance. On the other hand, I really liked some of the other characters, like Phoebe and Ethan.

I'll say it again : it's a good novel, especially for a debut, and I'm proud of the author for writing such a book. I think it's important for the deaf community to have good representations of their community. Nevertheless, there is room for improvement with the characters, whom I failed to find endearing.

A heart felt summer romance about a Deaf girl connecting to her community and learning sign language as a counselor at a summer camp for Deaf kids. Filled with a swoon worth friends to lovers romance, incredible commentaries on the alienation of deaf people, and how good it feels to find your people.

Plot: 4/5
A coming of age story that takes place over the course of summer camp. The story built on itself really well. The main outside struggle in the plot was that the camp was running out of funds and was courting some new donors. Which lead to all sorts of ableist conversations and difficult interactions. There were a few awkwardly done plot points that took me out of the story a little bit.

Characters: 4/5
Lilah is in the middle of two communities. She fairs okay in the hearing world and knows a little bit of sign to pass in the deaf world. But she doesn’t know where she fits best or where she wants to be. Her character growth is transformative as she learns about the Deaf community and where she fits in it.

Isaac was such a great character, his dynamics with Lilah and the other counselors were well developed but, because of their limited conversation ability for most of the book, we don’t get a lot of his backstory.

Some of the interactions with campers were kind of cringy. I know these are just slightly older teenagers, but they weren’t really the best at dealing with difficult children.

Writing: 4/5
Sortino has a style that fits with YA contemporary books really well. She puts a powerful message in an easily digestible format. The choices she made to communicate sign language and finger spelling in the text were clever as well. Though I am curious how it would translate to an audiobook.

Overall: 4/5


The representation for both the hard of hearing and blind communities was incredible. It warms my heart that this book will be on shelves for everyone to read and experience. Even though the book wasn’t perfect for me, it will be for many readers and there is a lot of value to be gained from it. There were aspects of both disabilities I’d never considered and it was a really eye opening experience that I’m so glad I got to have.

I dnf’ed at page 276.

The concept and execution of the premise is well done. And it’s eye opening. While by no means a catch all for what the deaf community goes through, it offer some insight.

But there was no sense of urgency. There wasn’t really anything the characters were fighting for.

Lilah and Isaac kinda get together in the middle. Then have a reasonable spat. Then are back together. And there’s still 50 pages left.

The same is true of the camp funding plot line.

This is the second book I've read in the past two months of a girl dealing with feelings of not being accepted in her community because of her deafness and I'm thoroughly delighted to have another book speaking about deafness . Lilah attends a deaf/blind camp as a junior counselor. She discovers a community and culture that accepts her deafness and gives her self esteem. While revealing to us the thoughts of Lilah and the difficulties the deaf in a hearing world the story has the regular drama and of course, romance, to keep the reader entertained.

This book was so cute! I’ve been going to summer camp myself since I was 8 and I was so excited to have a book with that setting! This book taught me so much as well, this will sound ignorant, but I am hearing and never really thought about how much deaf people struggle with their identity and how hard it is for them. It really opened my eyes to others’ experiences and I will forever hold this information in my mind. I think everyone, hearing or Deaf, should read this book! ❤️

I was so excited to read this book and did not disappoint! I read YA from time to time, as I'm always a little hesitant of the way characters and plots are usually written but I can 100% say this book was so endearing, with every charactering having its own strengths and flaws, but you end up loving them all nonetheless. I enjoyed the entire storyline, all the friendships, the lessons learned and progress in each of their lives. It was all so beautiful to read. In terms of the representation of deafness, I am in no position to comment on its execution as I am not part of it. However, I can say that although this book is not meant to be a guide to ASL or communication within the deaf community, I was able to learn so much about their experiences and preferences. It made me appreciate the beauty they have found in communication and the support that comes with it. This was a wonderful read, thank you to Penguin and NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book in exchange of an honest review!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

𝙅𝙚𝙣𝙣𝙮 𝙃𝙖𝙣 𝙢𝙚𝙚𝙩𝙨 𝘾𝙊𝘿𝘼 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙞𝙜-𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙔𝘼 𝙙𝙚𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘿𝙚𝙖𝙛 𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙖𝙩 𝙖 𝙨𝙪𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙧 𝙘𝙖𝙢𝙥.

📍 Read if you like:
• Summer Camp
• Diverse Characters
• Friends To Lovers
• Deaf Culture Rep

This may be a Young Adult book, but oh man, it was beautifully written and I loved the representation of the Deaf community. It made me want to learn ASL immediately.

It also has a summer camp setting which was so fun. I’ve only been to summer camp once in my life and this book brought back so many memories. I enjoyed it so much more than I was expecting to.

There’s such a diverse cast of characters, which I always love. They’re also very lovable and you end up rooting for them the whole time. Fitting in is something this book discusses and I think it was done perfectly.

There’s also a friends-to-lovers trope, which isn’t a trope I gravitate towards, but I think it was so intriguing in this one. I loved Lilah & Issac (and all the side characters).

This book is definitely worth the read. It does read juvenile at times, but it is YA so makes sense! I loved the setting so much and the characters! The representation of the Deaf community and finding your community is done so well! The storytelling is worth the read!

Thank you so much NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy in exchange for my honest review!

•𝗧𝗪/𝗖𝗪: Ableism

I was very excited to read this book because of the deaf representation that is so hard to find in literature, however the format of the arc is very hard to read as it appears to be uploaded as just a scanned PDF so the file on the NetGalley app is zoomed super far out and does not let you make the text bigger and the file on Kindle/download is not formatted at all. Due to these reasons I was unable to read the book, but I hope to be able to purchase a copy once it is published!

Oh man. This book. Where do I even begin? Beautiful, eye-opening. Sweet and heartfelt.

Selfishly, this book has made me miss ASL. As life happens and friends move away, I largely stopped using it, stopped learning. Even though the experience of learning a language, learning THIS language, was like nothing I could have ever imagined. I haven't jumped back into it yet, but I've thought about and in ASL often during and since reading.

The glimpse into the deaf community, how they view themselves, their hearing loss, their culture, was such a gift. So often, it's hard to be an outsider. You forget that it can be just as hard being part of a group, a culture, and feeling like you don't belong either.

Lilah is hard of hearing, a fact she feels is taken for granted when she can pass as a hearing person with her hearing aids. So often, people forget that she missed things, that she has to work to fill in the gaps to follow a conversation. That she can't hear if she can't see a person's lips to lip read. She's never learned ASL fluently, nor has her family offered to learn for her.

When she gets the junior counselor job at Camp Grey Wolf, she's excited. The camp is for kids who are deaf and blind, and she remembers the sense of belonging she felt when she went as a kid. Lilah worries though that she won't be able to help enough. Will she be able to communicate fully with her campers? Is she deaf enough to really have a place at camp? And is the guy she's crushing on actually into her as well?

A nice balance of romance, and finding your place in the world. A book that will resonate well with everyone, but (hopefully) especially in the deaf and hard of hearing community. One that gives those of us without hearing loss a glimpse into the other side, opening awareness of what life can be like for those without one of their senses. And now it's not something to be pitied, and can be a strength in some ways, but also makes you more understanding and aware at the same time. I would love to see more books like this, with deaf or hard of hearing main characters, and I can only imagine how much more so people who relate more closely to those MCs would feel.

Definitely give this book a try!