Give Me A Sign is a wonderful introduction into the Deaf community for YA readers! Lilah is hard of hearing and has always felt out of place - her parents have pushed her to fit into the hearing world and never had her learn sign language growing up. She has hearing aids and struggles to try and be a normal hearing person. Her sanctuary growing up is Camp Grey Wolf, a Deaf camp where she's picked up sign language and found a place where she belongs. This summer, she's a junior counselor at Camp Grey Wolf and is ready for the best summer ever. She has a little bit of a rough start but finds a community again at Camp Grey Wolf and loves the freedom of being a counselor. What she didn't expect at camp this summer was finding love, but camp has a way of bringing people together. A wonderful novel of the Deaf community, coming of age, summer time and fitting in. 4.5 stars from me!

The cover is beautiful!!

This is a wonderful coming of age story for Lilah, she just finished up her junior year of high school and is wanting to get away for the summer. She is stuck in a world where she doesn't fit in, she feels like she is in the middle, like she doesn't fit in with the hearing world or the deaf world. She is tired of trying to adjust to accommodate everyone else. She remembers a time when her life was easier, when she was at Camp Gray Wolf, so she decides to apply to be a camp counselor.

When Lilah gets to camp, she meets Isaac, at first Isaac and Lilah have a hard time communicating since Lilah's doesn't know ASL quite as well as she would like too. The longer Lilah is at camp the more she feels like she belongs in the deaf community, and she has found her place in the world. Isaac is so sweet and kind to Lilah and makes sure she understands what he is signing. Isaac and Lilah's friendship blooms in a beautiful relationship.

As a hearing individual, this book really opened my eyes to things I didn't quite fully understand about the world around me to individuals with hearing disabilities. The author really put her heart and soul into this story.

This is a heartwarming, relatively low angst (except for one tense moment involving police) coming of age story as Lilah learns to embrace Deaf culture while working as a camp counselor for Deaf and HOH kids. Despite the cover, there is some romance, but it's not very central to the story. Lilah spends much more time with an ensemble cast of characters, all of whom have a different perspective on deafness and disability, rather than with the love interest.

Mostly this book spends a lot of time explaining and describing Deaf culture. I think this book is very important for both hearing and Deaf kids who have hearing parents from a representation standpoint.

Unfortuntely, the book falls short on storytelling. It felt more educational than really plot or character driven. We learn very little about the characters outside of their Deaf identities, including the main character, which makes them feel very one dimensional. There are also many details that seem unnecessary and don't move the story forward, like Lilah describing how she gets some specific but irrelevant item out of her backpack, etc. It felt like a lot of filler.

Overall a decent debut novel and an ownvoices story, hopefully the author will grow with future works.

(My review is for an ARC courtesy of Netgalley, not the final published work.)

Thank you Netgalley for this arc!

This debut novel follows Lilah as she becomes a counselor at summer camp for the deaf and blind. I really enjoyed seeing Lilah becoming more comfortable with herself. Lilah spends time connecting with other campers and I really enjoyed seeing her opening to others. I hope more people will be able to read this book. While this book was cute and fluffy, it does explore a serious situation which involves the police. While the author does handle the issue fairly, I wished there was a trigger warning. Otherwise, this book will have an impact on its readers through its discussions of dealing with the hearing world, the improvement of accommodating people with disabilities and different reactions to people's disabilities.

The biggest and most important aspect of this book is about deafness and with it being set at a deaf camp. I really enjoyed reading and learning more about this disability. It’s a charming, fun, informative book about a young girl finding comfort in her own body and flirting with a fellow camp counselor who’s a real sweetheart. This was all around a very wholesome story.

My main critique is it reads fairly young for the age the characters are supposed to be. So at times the dialogue felt a bit off and Lilah had me rolling my eyes at some of her comments/inner thoughts. But it still was a fun read and definitely an informative ya book that isn’t just about a cute summer romance!

My rating is really a 3.5!

Loved this!!! First off I love ASL it is such a beautiful and fun language. So this representation was wonderful to read about. This story had amazing characters and a very cute love story! I really enjoyed it and I cannot wait to read more books by this author

I was so sad that this book ended. I wanted more to read! But isn't that what we want from good things?

The main character from the beginning shows her resilience and strength, as well as the problems she faces with her disability in the real world. This is because, then we are taken to the Summer Camp, where everyone is welcomed and the campers feel accepted and included, even despite the communication barriers.
It is a place where the characters feel strong about their disabilities and where they discover and form their identities with them.
It's really nice to see the characters gain confidence in themselves.
And then we are presented with the contrast of the world outside the summer camp, the difficulties they face and the problems that occur because of poor communication and the world not making the effort to accommodate people with disabilities.
It is very beautiful to see her at the beginning having problems understanding herself, feeling in the middle of those who hear and those who are deaf. But in the end appreciate getting a little bit of both to be able to connect other campers to each other.
I felt her growth.
And all the other characters were exceptional, they brought a different perspective on deafness. It gave us a broad view of what this disability is and showed us the Deaf culture.
With also having a romance that was so adorable and sweet.
I really enjoyed seeing them together.
I really enjoyed the book and wanted more to read.

This book was a good YA book that shares a point of view many of us do not have. I like how there’s representation for the deaf community and gives hearing readers like myself a glimpse of some of the challenges people who are deaf face.

Firstly I’d like to thank NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.. it’s not my typical read but I adored it! As a hearing person it was interesting to learn about deaf culture! It opened my eyes and gave me something to think about.. Give me a sign was a wonderful easy read, it was easy to get into and I couldn’t put it down! It’s also the first book I’ve read with mostly deaf characters, I am so glad I got the opportunity to read this and there should be more books like this! It was a beautiful story about finding yourself, your community, fitting in and all the usual summer camp fun.

This was so good and so important! I loved reading about Lilah as she grew more into herself and her identity as a Hard of hearing person in society and the deaf community. I gained so much insight into deaf culture and the many obstacles deaf people face in a world that doesn’t try to represent and include them. Stories like these matter for positive representation that doesn’t view deafness as a loss but a gain. They're essential for bringing awareness that will lead to more change and empowerment. Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the arc!

Thank you to Anna Sortino and Penguin for this ARC!

i feel very indifferent about this book. i loved the insight into the deaf community and thought it was nice to “see” what it was like to be hard of hearing in todays world! i unfortunately found lilah to be a bit annoying, her constantly feeling out of place and being rude when others were trying to help. maybe this was a bit too young adult for me but lilah is 17 so i thought she would be a bit more mature.

This was unlinke anything I’ve ever read before and I loved it even more because of that. From the plot, characters, signing. Everything was so beautifully written. I couldn’t get enough.

Ahh! This is everything I want in a contemporary young adult novel. Sortino weaves a beautiful story about two strong characters each in their own way, who find each other exactly when they need it. The Deaf representation is just beautiful and I wish we had more books that had seamless disability representation like this, especially by disabled authors. This is going to be the highlight of someone's summer! And the love! I read this in one sitting. Five stars recommended.

I have always absolutely loved sign language. It is an incredibly beautiful and amazing language that can be interpreted and changed in so many amazing ways (ASL, BSL, BASL, PSE, SEE, and many others). Being able to read this book was more like an honor than anything else and it has become a top 10 book for me. This book had me giddy for hours after finishing it! It was so good and written so incredibly well. The author does such an amazing job at writing about real problems the deaf and blind community face every day.

Lilah and Isaac were beautifully written and the cover art is spectacular. Everything about this book is just perfect and a must read for all YA romance readers!

balances educating the reader with a cute story really well. of course it reads little preachy at times, but it's YA! it's meant for teenagers to learn something through the art of storytelling!

it's a super solid book about the deaf/hard of hearing community. you can tell that anna put a lot of herself into the story - it reads so genuine.

thank you anna sortino and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group, G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for the arc <3

A really charming summertime coming-of-age novel about fitting in, falling in love, figuring out the world, and finding a community.

As a hearing reader, this is a great introductory and accessible book about experiencing the world as a Deaf or HOH person.

I loved the summer camp vibes, the young love nostalgia, and the opportunity to learn about a culture different than mine.

I would like to hear more reviews from people within the Deaf/HOH community as it's their opinion and their experiences that matter here. So I hope publisher can get ARCs into the hands of people who can say more on that.

thanks to penguin teen for the ARC!

Give Me a Sign was a cute and fun read that gave me lots of summer camp nostalgia (even though I’ve never actually been to summer camp), and it gives readers a much-needed look into the Deaf community. Very infrequently are there main characters who are Deaf or blind, and here’s a book where the majority of the characters represent some type of minority and does a good job of showcasing the nuance of each one. So for that reason, I gave this book 3 stars.

That doesn’t mean, though, that it’s not without its flaws. As a main character, Lilah felt very one-dimensional to me. Outside of being Deaf and being into Isaac, she has very few defining characteristics. She doesn’t really do much of anything, despite being at a camp where there should be lots and lots to do. And despite this book taking place predominantly outside, there’s very little in the way of physical descriptions, or any kind of imagery. The book focused so much on teaching the reader about ASL and the Deaf community in general, which is in no way a negative thing, that the basic parts of every novel seemed to be ignored.

Thank you to NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review!

5⭑

Tropes;
- friends to lovers
- summer camp
- deaf rep
- single POV
- YA

“It’s not hearing loss, it’s Deaf gain”

This book follows Deaf 17 year old Lilah who lives in a very hearing world. Has hearing parents, hearing friends, attends a mainstream school etc but struggles to fit in or keep up.

Until she attends Gray Wolf, a summer camp for the Deaf and Blind, as a counsellor. She knows very little ASL but being surrounded by people who are like her, she starts to become more comfortable and accepts herself as she is.

This was a lovely friends to lovers romance and had excellent Deaf representation in all main characters & side characters. I personally identify with Lilah a lot and got quite emotional at times reading her (very relatable to me) struggles with her deaf identity - of being stuck in the middle between the hearing and the deaf world.

I honestly wish this book had been around when I was 13 years old bc it would’ve made younger me sooo happy to read a character who I could see myself in.

The book is a great insight into living with deafness and deaf culture and one I 100% recommend. I’m

Few books give a look into the struggles of the deaf trying to navigate life in a hearing world. This novel does a wonderful job of showing how various types of deaf people adjust. Lilac, the main character, is not completely deaf. She is able to read lips as she tries to fit into two “worlds.” She struggles with her identity within the deaf community. Her job as a junior counselor at Gray Wolf Camp teaches her how to become more fluent in ASL (American Sign Language) and how to feel comfortable with who she is. She also finds happiness and romance.
Throughout the novel,, several senior counselors - Evan, Gary, Natasha, and Isaac- help guide Lilah. They are deaf, but to differing degrees. They each handle events differently as a result.
I truly really liked Give Me a Sign. I think this kind of story is long overdue. We need to understand the deaf better and dispel any misconceptions about their abilities. I am so happy that I was able to read it and I would definitely recommend it to others.

FR
En premier, je tiens à remercier NetGalley et Penguin Group pour l'envoi de cet A.R.C. (Advanced Reader Copy; je ne connais pas l'équivalent en français, sorrry !). Le livre sort le 11 juillet.
Ensuite, j'ai appris après avoir lu le livre que c'est le tout premier de l'auteure alors; bravo à elle !
Il y a quelques cw dans ce livre, mais je ne les citerai pas. Quand il sortira, ils seront trouvables très facilement sur internet.
Pour ce qui est du résumé du livre; je savais juste qu'on allait suivre une jeune fille qui est malentendante, et qu'il y allait avoir d'autres représentations avec des sourd.e.s. C'est clairement ce qui m'a motivée pour ce livre. Il faut savoir que je souffre de la maladie de Menière, et que je perds mon audition à chaque crise d'acouphène (sans compter les autres symptômes). Donc, c'est un sujet qui est très cher à mon coeur.
Et clairement.. WAOUH.
Je vais commencer par citer le défaut du livre qui m'a "embêtée"; c'est que on est sur du "adolescent" très très cliché. Cliché; pour moi. Certaines personnes trouvent ça classiques etc. Pour moi, ce sont des clichés; car je ne suis pas du tout comme ça, même quand j'étais ado'. Alors forcément, ça me "bloque" toujours un peu. Mais vraiment, ce n'était rien de très important.
Pour le reste.. Que ce livre m'a fait du bien. La représentation est TELLEMENT mais TELLEMENT importante. On en parle pas assez; à quel point les autres n'apprennent pas, ne s'éduquent pas. Que ça soit parfois juste les familles, les amis, les alentours. Les écoles aussi. Tout était bien écrit, j'étais plus que ravie.
Outre ça, ça reste un bouquin vraiment agréable et chouette à lire; avec une très belle histoire (très importante, je ne le dirai pas assez). La plume de l'auteure était vraiment "simple", dans le sens où on dévore les pages !
Bref, vous l'aurez compris, c'est un livre coup de coeur; et je suivrai de très près ce que l'auteure va faire ensuite !!

ENG
First, I want to thank NetGalley and Penguin Group for sending this A.R.C. . The book comes out on July 11.
Then, I learned after reading the book that it was the very first by the author then; bravo to her !
There are a few cws in this book, but I won't name them. When it comes out, they will be easily found on the internet.
As for the summary of the book; I just knew that we were going to follow a young girl who is hard of hearing, and that there were going to be other representations with deaf people. This is clearly what motivated me for this book. You should know that I suffer from Menière's disease, and that I lose my hearing with each attack of tinnitus (not counting the other symptoms). So this is a subject that is very dear to my heart.
And clearly... WOW.
I'll start by citing the flaw in the book that "bothered" me; it's that we are on the "adolescent" very very cliché. Cliché, for me. Some people will find them classic etc. For me, these are clichés; because I'm not like that at all, even when I was a teenager. So inevitably, it always "blocks" me a little. But really, it was nothing very important.
For the rest... This book did me good. Representation is SO, SO important. We don't talk about it enough; how others do not learn, do not educate themselves. How sometimes it's families, friends, surroundings. Schools too. Everything was well written, I was more than delighted.
Besides that, it's still a really nice and fun book to read; with a very beautiful story (very important, I will not say it enough). The pen of the author was really "simple", in the sense that we devour the pages !
In short, you will have understood it, it's a favorite book; and I will follow very closely what the author will do next !!