Thank you NetGalley and Publishers for granting me early access to "The Silence Between Us".

This book topped my favorite books this year, however I'm currently in the middle of a major move, and will definitely come back at a later time and write out a full review and rating.

Thank you so much!

Wow, really cute novel but has it serious moments. I’m really glad to see a Deaf author write a book about a Deaf character overcome their fears of a “hearing” school and world.

Mine seems to be the unpopular opinion but I don’t think The Silence Between Us was for me. I found the pacing slow, couldn’t connect with the characters, & found them overall a bit flat.

I do however love that we’re seeing more stories about people who are differently abled & this one had so much potential but I felt like it may it was a bit more juvenile than I anticipated & would be better suited as a middle grade novel.

*Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for sharing this ARC copy for review*

I like stories of characters carving out their place in the world. Of Deaf people finding a space in the hearing world which does not make room for them and making themselves understood. Throwing in a romance with a hearing character is entirely expected. It's cultures clashing, which makes for a more exciting plot. I have a tough time with love always conquering all, this idea that any misunderstanding or differenc3 of opinion can be overcome. Gervais sets up a huge barrier between her love interests and then basically just waves it away.

(ARC received in exchange for my honest review)

I was so excited to find a story featuring a Deaf protagonist. As someone with many amazing Deaf and hard of hearing friends who is studying to become an interpreter, I’m always on the look out for books that show Deaf culture and help to bridge the gap between the hearing and d/Deaf worlds. This book did not disappoint. We definitely need more stories, especially #OwnVoices, like this one.

The first thing that really pulled me into the story was Maya’s strong acceptance of her deafness. It’s a stark contrast from most of the books I’ve read where the characters are mopey and rue the day they lost their hearing, wishing they’d rather be dead than live in a world where most things, if not all, are silent. The Silence Between Us skips the event of Maya’s hearing loss and begins with her moving from a Deaf school to a mainstream one. She’s accepted her deafness by then – embraced it even – and I find that admirable.

A teenager who has lost their hearing and reads a book where a character who’s faced the same has absolutely no hope for the future (because, well, they’re deaf now, so all the days of success and happiness are obviously gone forever) is not empowered but rather shown that deafness is a thing to be pitied. At the end of the book, perhaps the character ‘comes to terms’ with who they are now. However, The Silence Between Us presents a proud view of deafness from beginning to end. This is the sort of book the aforementioned teenager needs – one that promotes strength, hope, and self-acceptance through difficulties, not overwhelming amounts of self-pity.

I really, really loved the portrayal of deaf mannerisms versus hearing mannerisms in the story. Maya’s reaction to her classmates whenever they were shocked by something about her – “You can drive? You can speak?” – was pretty awesome. She’s confident, she’s bold, and she’s not afraid to speak up about her deafness. Melissa, Maya’s friend from her Deaf school, makes a few appearances, mainly through texts messages and video calls. Her texting style is different from Maya’s, more befitting of sign language than English (i.e., “If he learn sign what it matter?”). It reminded me so much of how my own Deaf friends write their texts, and the author added an extra touch of realism by showing the text messages between Maya and Melissa.

In addition to showing the different style in texting, the author portrayed the ASL dialogue in a way I hadn’t seen before. Whenever the characters used Sign, she wrote the dialogue in all caps. I rather liked it since it was much easier to realize when a character was signing, speaking, or thinking. And she was also able to capture the essence of the syntax used in American Sign Language. I really appreciated seeing this because I used to believe, as do most hearing people just learning about Sign, that ASL was “English on the hands” and the grammar was the same for both English and ASL. No, no, it’s not. ASL has a “complex simplicity” to it. You don’t sign word for word. It’s more “thought for thought.”

Moreover, the author’s use of ASL grammar showed how various people sign – Maya signed differently from her mom who signed differently from Beau who signed differently from Melissa. Everyone has their own “accent” when signing, how they sign what they want to say, the facial expressions they use. I love that the author decided to convey this.

Beau was hands-down my favorite character besides Maya. He reminded me a lot of myself in the fact that he was introverted, loved books better than parties, and was eager to learn Sign. Despite his few “naïve hearing person” moments with Maya, he was a very sweet and caring person and learned quickly. I think Maya was luckier than she realized.

One of the things I didn’t particularly love was how Maya could be so sensitive and touchy. She was proud of her Deafness and wanted everyone to know that, but she was also very standoffish toward most of her hearing classmates. Even when around Beau, one of the first to greet her when she arrived at her new school and who started to learn sign language to communicate better with her, she constantly over-analyzed everything as if he was only trying to humiliate her. I felt that she overreacted quite often.

As for the plot, there wasn’t a lot that happened. There was conflict and one very stressful experience for Maya and her family, but besides that the storyline was fairly average. As an avid reader of the YA genre, I expected at least a minor plot twist. The synopsis makes the conflicts in the story sound much more significant and drawn out than they truly are. They weren’t as big of a deal as I’d thought. However, I found the relatable characters and representation of ASL and Deaf culture to be worth overlooking the lack of plot. This is a fantastic book to educate hearing people about sign language and Deaf culture, and I definitely recommend it!

Since there is an overwhelming lack of d/Deaf representation in fiction, I’m glad Alison Gervais stepped up and wrote this story. I hope we see more books like this one in the future!

There are far, far too few books out there with a Deaf protagonist, and I thoroughly enjoyed this one, about a Deaf girl who has to attend a Hearing school for the first time in years. The book deals with complicated issues in an accessible way (cochlear implants, Deaf culture and history, having a chronically ill sibling), though at times I felt like the secondary characters fell a little flat. Overall, a great introduction to Deaf culture for Hearing readers, but more importantly a wonderful Deaf main character for Deaf readers.

Thanks Net Galley for the preview!

This book was one that I was very excited to read. I personally know sign language and have learned about Deaf culture for years. I love the perspective the book takes by having Maya narrate. It shows how isolating and confusing navigating the world can be for someone with a hearing loss. I was pleased to see how a small cast of characters could become so developed. By the end of the book I felt like I knew the characters and related to them. The pacing and details in the book were spot on. My copy still needed some formatting and punctuation but it didn't bother me one bit. I loved this story!!

I don’t know why this sometimes happens, but I ended up reading three books almost back to back that focused on the Deaf community. It was cool seeing how all three authors handled Deaf characters and conversations in sign language in their books, too. I liked that THE SILENCE BETWEEN US included conversations in sign language. It kept the story connected to what was happening and reinforced some of the struggles/problems Maya wrestled with as she did things that a lot of us take for granted, like going to school or needing medical help.

I liked Maya’s relationship with her brother and mom. They made an unusual family, close-knit and loving but still fighting their own battles, too. The relationships felt pretty real to me. I also liked that Maya had different kinds of friends and had to learn how to navigate those relationships, which often took her outside her comfort zone.

I felt like the plot slowed down a lot around the 3/4 mark. Usually at that point a story is ramping up to its final battle or climax, but it felt like Maya kind of lost her focus at that point, and I wasn’t sure what her goal really was anymore. She cares a lot about going to college and focuses a lot on that goal, but I never felt sure whether that was the big plot or whether the romance was supposed to be the main plot.

THE SILENCE BETWEEN US is ultimately a sweet romance about a Deaf girl and a hearing boy who have to figure out how to love and trust one another despite their differences and goals for the future. Readers who’ve enjoyed books by McCall Hoyle, like The Thing with Feathers will like the strong-willed heroine and sweet romance in this book.

Maya has been going to a school for the deaf. Now that it's her senior year, she is having to go to a normal public school. This is something new for her and "normal" students. They're trying to be nice to her but Maya is consistently defensive to them, including Beau who is even learning ASL for Maya. Eventually she loosens up and becomes a more pleasant teen.

I have always wanted to learn ASL. I think it is so beautiful. Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Title: The Silence Between Us
Author: Alison Gervais
Genre: YA
Rating: 4 out of 5

Maya didn’t want to move halfway across the country right before senior year. She didn’t want to leave her school for the deaf for a hearing school, either. She wants to go into the medical field, so she needs the grades to do that, and she’s determined to get them. She’s happy being deaf, but Engelmann High has never had a deaf student, so some of the students don’t know what to make of her.

Beau is the student body president and resident overachiever, so Maya is wary when he starts learning sign language, but it’s nice to be able to talk to someone instead of lip-reading. Maya never thought a deaf/hearing relationship would work, but she’s happy with Beau. Until he starts encouraging her to get a cochlear implant, and she begins to wonder why he doesn’t accept her for who she truly is.

I’m not sure I’ve ever read any book from a deaf person’s point-of-view, so this was eye-opening. So many “little” things I never considered have a huge impact on Maya’s life. She is such a strong, determined character with a solid sense of identity, and she’s determined to make those around her accept her for who she is—not who they wish she was.

Alison Gervais has an English degree she’s not sure what she wants to do with. The Silence Between Us is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Blink via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.)

The Silence Between Us is a stunning young adult romance by Alison Gervais.

It's truly a wonderful and powerful story featuring a disabled character. The author excels in her illustration of a deaf person living in a hearing world. She explores the hardships, the stigma, and the limitations.

Maya is an amazing main character, who lost her hearing after contracting meningitis. Starting a new school, aka a hearing school, is a challenge, as well as a godsend for her.

Beau is the perfect boy for her as a friend, as a support, and as a boyfriend. His desire to learn about her world, as well as challenging her, yet also understanding her is amazing.

And Maya, damn, Maya is an incredibly strong girl. She's learned to adapt, she's learned to accept her deafness, and she's learned to be happy despite her problems. It's refreshing to read about a strong character, who's always facing obstacles and prejudice, yet doesn't whine or cry constantly.

This story explores many aspects of being deaf, representing the disabled world in a powerful manner. Not only does the reader follow Maya through her school issues, but also through her issues with having a job, attending college, and deciding a career.

Alison Gervais has impressed me with The Silence Between Us. To me, it's a powerful book like Wonder that should be read by all. It's both riveting and impressive in it's delivery of this accomplished storyline.

The book is brilliant.
Authentic characters with very real struggles. The story is told beautifully and is unflinchingly honest and very engaging. A wholly original plot, I have never read a YA book that such a strong deaf character but it was wonderful and very eye-opening to do so, This book should be mandatory reading in schools.

At its core, The Silence Between Us is about learning to listen with more than just our ears. Once we learn that, the space between us can close beautifully.

After losing her hearing in her early teens due to meningitis, Maya has had learned to adapt to the deaf world. Things get complicated though when her mom moves her and her brother to Colorado and Maya’s senior year is spent being the only deaf girl at a hearing school. Even though she is deaf, Maya has hopes of getting into the right college to help her get into the medical field. It doesn’t matter to her if she is the only one that feels she can accomplish this, she is determined to prove that the only thing she can’t do is hear. After arriving at Englemann High School Maya meets Beau Watson, student body president and one of the only students who attempts to learn sign language to communicate with Maya. With each passing day, Beau and Maya’s feelings for each other grow but staring them in the face are their differences. Even though Maya knows what it is like to hear, she has no desire to get a cochlear implant. She is proud of being deaf and doesn’t want to change. Beau doesn’t understand why Maya wouldn’t want to hear again and Maya doesn’t know if she can be with someone that doesn’t accept her for who she is and always will be.

The Silence Between Us is a perfect young adult novel that teaches acceptance in a way that may not always appear to most of us. Hearing loss is not something that is easily noticeable, especially if the person doesn’t have a hearing aid or cochlear implant that is visible. I loved the way Alison Gervais made it relatable to anyone of us that could find ourselves in the situation Maya and Beau did. The writing is easy to follow with all the signing in all caps so the reader can differentiate between signs and other communications. Maya has had some hardships in her life, she has lost her hearing, her brother has cystic fibrosis, and now they have moved to a new town and she must attend a hearing school after years being at a deaf school. Maya is uneasy to trust any of the new friends she makes at her new school. She appreciates the effort Beau makes to communicate in her language, but she can’t see them as ever being anything more than friends with her being deaf. She takes her only limitation and sets it up to be her failure until she is presented with the option of seeing it in a new light. I loved how every obstacle was a chance to look at things in a new way. Every reader will come away from reading this with a new-found respect for the deaf community. I highly recommend this book to young adults and even adults that want to learn a little bit about a different culture and how they can hear us, but we need to see them.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

I liked the diversity and seeing another perspective here, and the romance was, at times, cute, but I just didn’t love it. I don’t know if I was just in the wrong headspace for it right now, or what.

A deaf teen reluctantly leaves her friends and her great deaf school to move across the country with her single mother and a little brother who has cystic fibrosis. All Maya wants to do is keep her head down and make it through her final year of high school so she can move on to college, she just didn't expect to actually make friends (maybe more) at this hearing school. 

Oh man, I was in it with this book. As someone who is not deaf or hard of hearing, I cannot say how accurately everything was portrayed, but this was an own voices novel—the author is hard of hearing. Maya was a complex character:  she put up a wall instantly and would snap at people who treated her differently. Honestly, I felt like she needed to cut the kids at her new school some slack—they’ve never been around someone who's deaf. Just like she's never been to a hearing school, they've never had a deaf student at their school. She also contradicts herself frequently. She talks about how it's a really big deal for her to be comfortable enough using her speaking voice because it makes her very self conscious, but then she uses it in front of complete strangers, more than once.   

I thought the author switched between sign language and speaking aloud very smoothly and seamless, something I could have been very confusing if not done well.  I also really enjoyed the slow burn romance. Maya is very skeptical about Beau—he's a hearing boy, class president, very smart, all together nice guy, and he wants to spend time with her her? She doesn't get why he's learning sign language, what's his ulterior motive? Her feelings felt so authentic and real and I think their whole friendship and relationship was really gripping to read. 

My biggest problem is the end. It was so abrupt that I thought I was miss part of it. I think the author could have wrapped the story in a much better way if she added more of an aftermath between Maya and Beau. The epilogue was nice, but I would have rather got a more compelling ending than a time jump.

In all, this book drew me in and kept me excited to read all the way until the end. 

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you, Blink, for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE MAY HAVE A “DISABILITY” DOESN’T MEAN THAT SOMEONE NEEDS TO BE PITIED OR RIDICULED.

My dear papa was part of the deaf ministry at church, so whenever I see forthcoming or published books with hard-of-hearing characters, I immediately add them to my TBR shelf. Also, the author was right when she said that the deaf community needs more representation in YA literature. I’ve already enjoyed many books that discuss depression, anxiety disorder, and other mental health issues. However, #OwnVoices novels like this one are still rare.

The Silence Between Us is about a deaf girl named Maya. After moving to Colorado, she has a challenging time adjusting to her new life, particularly in her school full of hearing people. Most of Maya’s peers are unfamiliar with the deaf community. Some of them are even ableists, treating her with pity and blatant condescension. Consequently, Maya feels ostracized and begins to question her dream of becoming a doctor someday. When Beau, one of the popular boys at Engelmann High, shows an interest in her, Maya suspects that he only wants to earn brownie points. After all, why else would a hearing boy bother to learn ASL?

For someone who took pride in her condition, Maya could be so sensitive. I liked how she was brave enough to confront those who looked down on her. But sometimes, I thought that she was merely overreacting, especially when it came to Beau. His kindness seemed genuine, so he didn’t deserve to be reprimanded or humiliated in public. Looking back, the final conflict in the book could’ve been easily avoided; it was only a result of Maya’s penchant for overanalyzing things.
Moreover, Maya’s expectations of people, including her loved ones, were low to a fault. So when people did nice things for her, she was either surprised or apprehensive. It’s all right to be cautious around strangers, but friends or loved ones deserve more trust.

To be fair, Maya was a loving daughter and sibling. Her little brother, Connor, had cystic fibrosis. Thus, he had to use an oxygen tank in case his lungs became clogged. He also experienced bouts of weakness, which prevented him from maximizing his childhood. Wanting to ease Connor’s suffering, Maya resolved to be a CF therapist. And when their finances dwindled, Maya didn’t hesitate to look for a job. If anything, her sense of responsibility was remarkable.

Beau was my favorite character. I guess I was a bit biased because he was a fellow introvert and bookworm. I loved the scene where he left the homecoming party, found an insolated corner, and read a book. If I were in his shoes, I would’ve done the same thing. Parties are the bane of my existence, and I’d rather have other forms of socialization. I could also relate to Beau’s passion for academics. I didn’t join any club when I was in high school, but like Beau, I took my grades seriously and hoped to study in a prestigious university. In light of all these similarities, Beau was practically me in a fictional story.

As a fan of linguistics, I loved how the author constructed the Maya’s conversations with both deaf and hearing people. ASL is indeed extensive. However, gleaning from the book, it doesn’t require articles, conjunctions, and prepositions. Furthermore, I’m not sure if you can use it to conjugate verbs. So if you want to abide by the rules of grammar, you have to fingerspell the words. I’m usually a grammar Nazi, but thankfully, the caps-lock and hyphenated dialogues didn’t trigger me. Haha. On the contrary, I was very intrigued by the “simple complexity” of the language. ASL requires the basic forms of words for efficiency, but the signs can be hard to memorize.

Ultimately, The Silence Between Us is a profound and diverse novel. I recommend it because it’s a story that illustrates the tenacity of the deaf community. Losing one of your senses doesn’t mean that you don’t have a chance at success and happiness. With the right perspective and support network, “disabled” people can reach their dreams and make a difference in the world.

Maya lost her hearing after an illness at age 13. She found herself cut off from the world she knew, but thanks to the amazing Deaf community at her school, she was flourishing. However, her mother's new job forced her family to move across the country, where she had to attend a hearing school. Once again, she was pushed into isolation, but things improved, when she opened herself up to some new possibilities.

• Pro: This is an #OwnVoices novel, and I really appreciated the way Gervais elected to write the dialog parts. I have always known that the syntax for ASL was not the same as English, but this was the first time I have seen the actual syntax used in a book. I also liked the way she dropped words out of the dialog, when Maya was lipreading. I am amazed by anyone, who can lipread, and by writing it this way, Gervais shows us how challenging it can be.

• Pro: Maya was sort of angsty at the beginning of the book, but I couldn't blame her. She had to kind of start from square one, when she lost her hearing, and now she was thrust into a situation, where she was the only Deaf person, and had to start over once again. But, she blossomed, and not only became part of this hearing world, but also used the opportunity to educate others about issues in the Deaf community and misconceptions about those who are deaf.

• Pro: They always say if you make one good friend, you're lucky. Well, Maya was twice as lucky, because she found two fabulous new friends. Both Beau and Nina were very welcoming and made an extra effort to learn how to communicate effectively with Maya.

• Pro: I loved that Maya never saw herself as unable to accomplish things. Yes, she needed a few accommodations, but she was just as bright and able as her peers. I liked that she never acted helpless, and that she knew her rights, and pushed to have the services she was entitled to by law.

• Pro: The romance was so sweet, but I worried a few times about these two, however, in the end, they were fantastic together.

• Pro: The ending was so good!!! It left me in like the best mood ever.

Overall: It was so satisfying seeing Maya successfully navigate both the hearing and Deaf worlds, and that she never saw her disability as something that would keep her from achieving her dreams.

I was very excited to find out about this book - a story about a Deaf character written by someone with a hearing loss! As a teacher of the deaf, finding contemporary YA books that include D/deaf characters is hard, so of course when one pops up, I'm all over it! :)

My feelings on this book are divided. From the Deaf character standpoint, this book is wonderful. I am personally not deaf, but I have worked with D/deaf individuals for almost 20 years now, and from what I have seen, been told, and lived, the thoughts, feelings, and experiences of Maya are spot on. I also liked the inclusion of ASL glosses (the written approximation of American Sign Language) and the occasional brief description of a sign. Writing this way kept the reader cognizant that Maya was truly using another language. I think if the conversations had been written in English, and we were just told Maya was signing, we would have lost some of the authenticity. I also liked how Gervais managed to educate readers unfamiliar to Deaf culture through natural character interactions instead of using the narrator or some other storytelling device - it maintained the flow of the story while at the same time providing valuable information. Finally, I appreciated that Nina and Beau's journey learning about Deaf culture and ASL wasn't a flawless, smooth one. I have read other books where friends seem to magically learn sign language, becoming fluent in a month. This is NOT how it works with ASL; and it's not how it worked for Nina or Beau. These friends also made the same cultural blunders a person new to Deaf culture would make - like jumping in to "interpret" without being asked or assuming a cochlear implant is a miracle life-saver. So, for all of these reasons, and probably more, this book did an A+ job with the D/deaf aspects of the book.

But... some of the story elements left a little to be desired. The thing that bugged me the most was Maya's roller coaster, hot-and-cold feelings for Beau. Repeatedly, Maya would be all about Beau, thinking he was just the best - so wonderful for trying to learn sign, being supportive and encouraging, and then he would make a small faux pas, and Maya would Flip. Her. Lid. Suddenly she couldn't stand Beau; she doubted every feeling either of them had ever claimed to have about the other; she never wanted to see him or talk to him or be near him again; and then two pages later, they were back to BFFs. ?!? Her reactions just felt exaggerated to me; it seemed like the author was trying to create tension and conflict, but the reaction was so disproportionate that it ultimately just felt confusing and disingenuous. Then there's the ending. I won't spoil anything here, don't worry. All I want to say is that it felt very abrupt. I've said this before, but it was like the author reached her deadline and said, "Welp. I'm not done, but... guess I'll just stop here, throw in an epilogue, and call it a day!" I literally went back and forth between pages (between the last chapter and the epilogue) several times because I was sure I had missed something. I hadn't (that I could tell).

But, at the end of the day, I teach D/deaf kids. This book has a Deaf main character. It has warm, fuzzy moments, shocking moments, educational moments, and some downright sweet moments. I'll definitely be getting a copy for my classroom and watching for other books from this author.

Thank you to #NetGalley for an ARC of The Silence Between Is in exchange for an Honest review.

Alison Gervais's Silence Between Us , takes the reader along as Maya is pushed into a regular school for the first time rather a school for the deaf as the result of a family move. Maya is faced with her fears of such a transition as well as the reality of the situation. I enjoyed this book as I was pushed to consider this GS I had not previously.

The Silence Between Us follows a Deaf girl named Maya as she navigates a hearing school for the first time in many years. I was initially excited for this book because of the disability rep. The author, Alison Gervais, is hard of hearing, and I think that she did a great job at representing a Deaf main character. There were so many little things that added to the experience, from the choppier way conversations in sign were represented, to how you only were able to read the words that Maya saw while lip-reading, instead of the full sentences that people were speaking. It really helped me get a feel for how Maya’s communication as a Deaf girl differs from those that are hearing.

That being said, throughout the book, I found it very hard to connect to Maya as a character. There are some points of the book where it felt like we were supposed to feel sympathy or sadness, but the writing just did not help deliver that. There was nothing in the story itself that made me care, or want to keep reading very much. The characters and storyline never quite made me want to keep reading more. It wasn’t so much that it was a bad book, it’s more that it was a little bit boring at times.

One part of the book that highlights the underdevelopment of the plot and characters was Maya’s little brother, Connor. Her younger brother was a major character for the book plot-wise, with his cystic fibrosis being the reason the family moved to Colorado in the first place, and his illness being the reason Maya wants to become a respiratory therapist. However, despite all of that, he just wasn’t developed enough to make me feel much of anything. There was never a time that we felt that I felt the depth of his illness and its effects. It was all very surface level.

And as for the plot, there wasn’t much going on. What is mentioned in the synopsis on Goodreads, doesn’t even happen till pretty much the end of the book. This just made the book feel like it dragged on, and like not much was happening, partially because nothing much was happening. The synopsis mentions a romance, struggles with college, and debate over a cochlear implant. Those things don’t really come into play until much later and weren’t as big a deal as I expected.

I know that all these negatives might make it seem that it’s not a good book. But honestly, it’s not a bad book. The main reason why I didn’t give it a higher rating is that it could have been so much better! As I mentioned the representation was fantastic, and the idea of the plot was very good, but I just felt that the execution was lacking.

I still would recommend this book, since it just seems like this was a case of it’s not you, it’s me. While this book fell a little flat for me, I'd still recommend reading it just for the awesome disability representation.