Language: R (33 swears 1 'f'); Mature Content: PG13 (Making out, some clothing removal); Violence: G
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
APPEALS TO: SEVERAL
18yo Ellie has been at a boarding school for deaf students since middle school. But at the end of her junior year, it shuts down and she has to attend a regular high school and live at home. Ellie's parents never embraced her deafness, they didn't learn sign language, insist she wears her hearing aid and cochlear implant all the time, and have made no accommodations for her. Living at home, and being the only deaf student at the high school is really hard. 18yo Jackson is one of the best players on his soccer team, but his body is acting strangely, his legs feel numb, and he's so tired. When he misses an important goal and loses the state championship, he becomes the team outcast. One of the guidance counselors asks Jackson to show the new girl (Ellie) around changes his focus. Maybe these two need each other more than they know.
This is the cutest romance! Both kids are full of self doubt and anger because of their past experiences, have difficult parents (opposites - Jackson's parents are over involved and over protective.) but are smart and resilient. I love the community Ellie gets involved in, as well as the group Jackson turns to after his diagnosis. A Schneider Award teen honor book, Sortino's depiction of the disability experience is spot on, as she is deaf. I finished On the Bright Side wanting to take up sign language lessons again. Both Jackson and Ellie are white.
Lisa Librarian
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment