Give Me A Sign

Give Me A Sign is the debut book of Anna Sortino, who has infused this teen read with many of her own experiences as a Deaf person. As a former ASL interpreter, I eagerly look for books featuring Deaf representation and Give Me A Sign has solid and diverse Deaf rep!

This informative and heartwarming story follows 17-year-old Lilah's journey to figure out her Deaf identity. Raised by hearing parents who didn't feel learning ASL was necessary, Lilah uses hearing aids and lipreading in her daily life, but she feels stuck between the hearing world that views her as less than, and the Deaf world that sometimes makes her feel like she's 'not deaf enough'. 

Lilah gets a job at a Deaf/Blind summer camp which is a great setting, and the story features a sweet romance, but it is the strong focus on Deaf culture and identity that is the highlight of this book. Readers are introduced to other Deaf and Blind teen characters as well as several Deaf-related topics: Deaf culture, the importance of language acquisition, different Deaf identities and communication preferences, ableism, cochlear implants, social isolation and misconceptions about Deafness. 

This book gets top marks for authentic representation of Deaf and hard-of-hearing characters and showing life from Deaf perspectives. Where the book felt a bit weak was its simplistic plot that had 'too much telling, not enough showing' and was often overshadowed by the many topics the author included. There is no doubt that these topics are important, but in terms of a storytelling, it sometimes felt like situations and characters (who read much younger than 17 years of age) were added so a topic could be introduced, not to propel the story forward. 

Overall, this was an impressive debut novel. I enjoyed seeing strong Deaf representation and think this will be an eye-opening and educational book for many hearing readers about what life can be like for Deaf people living in a hearing-centric world. 

My Rating: 4 stars

Title: Give Me A Sign

Author: Anna Sortino

Genre: Teen, Deaf, Coming-of-age

Type and Source: Hardcover from public library

Publisher: G.P Putnam's Sons for Young Readers

First Published: July 11, 2023

Book Description from GoodReads: 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.

When Lilah becomes a counselor at a summer camp for the deaf and blind, her plan is to brush up on her ASL. Once there, she also finds a community. There are cute British lifeguards who break hearts but not rules, a YouTuber who’s just a bit desperate for clout, the campers Lilah’s responsible for (and overwhelmed by)—and then there’s Isaac, the dreamy Deaf counselor who volunteers to help Lilah with her signing.

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? One thing’s for sure: Lilah wanted change, and things here are certainly different than what she’s used to.

In her sweet and swoony debut, Anna Sortino delivers a poignant coming-of-age story and a revelatory exploration of Deaf culture, its vastness, and its beautiful complexities.