Give Me a Sign

<b>Jenny Han meets <i>CODA</i> in this big-hearted YA debut about first love and Deaf pride at a summer camp.</b><br><br>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.<br><br>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.<br><br>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 . . . they're certainly different than what she’s used to. <b>Praise for <i>Give Me a Sign</i></b><br><b><br>An Indie Next Pick</b><br><b>An Indies Introduce Summer/Fall 2023 Selection<br>A Junior Library Guild Selection<br>An Amazon Best Book of the Month<br></b><br><i>Give Me a Sign</i> is a charming story about fitting in finding your community and falling in love at summer camp. This heartwarming debut is <b>a beautifully nuanced representation of Deaf culture and what it means to find your voice in a society that doesn’t want to listen</b>. —<b>Aiden Thomas</b> <i>New York Times </i>bestselling author of <i>Cemetery Boys</i><br><br>A book that <b>proves love is a universal language </b>and acceptance often comes from the inside out. This story is both fun and thought-provoking both light and heartfelt. It is definitely a new favorite.” —<b>Kasie West</b> author of <i>Sunkissed </i>and <i>The Fill-In Boyfriend</i><br><br>★ Sortino<b> celebrates Deaf culture</b> and identity in this <b>endearingly funny</b> slow-burn rom-com debut . . . . Sortino highlights a variety of Deaf experiences exploring the community’s pride and culture as well as the trauma some Deaf individuals face in interactions with strangers and loved ones alike. —<i>Publishers Weekly </i>starred review<br><br>A <b>heartwarming and tender</b> coming-of-age story that brilliantly explores what it means to fully lean in to who you are. <b>Full of romance friendships and nostalgia</b> this book will make you want to relive your best high school summers. —<b>Claire Ahn</b> author of <i>I Guess I Live Here Now</i><br><br><b>Sweet and swoony.</b> Anna Sortino gives us <b>the perfect summer romance</b> while deftly tackling the nuanced culture of the diverse Deaf community. <i>Give Me a Sign</i> is a <b>profoundly charming</b> story that has something for everyone—summer camp vibes heartfelt connections and characters you instantly root for.”  —<b>Grace K. Shim</b> author of <i>The Noh Family</i><br><br><b>A thoughtful exploration of Deaf culture</b> how we communicate and connect and what it means to belong all wrapped up in a swoon-worthy summer camp romance. —<b>Kaitlyn Hill</b> author of <i>Love from Scratch</i><br><br>One of the <b>most exciting and fun</b> books I’ve read this summer. . . . Whether you’re deaf or not the book makes sure to focus on issues teens are dealing with such as romance drama between friends and trying to find your place. —<i>Culturess</i><br><br>Readers will love this sincere Deaf coming-of-age story. —<i>Kirkus Reviews</i><br><br>Written from Lilah’s point of view the first-person narrative is involving particularly for romance fans. An intriguing aspect of the book is Sortino’s sensitive portrayal of characters who are deaf in varying degrees and who manage communication in different ways. . . . <b>A promising first novel for Sortino.</b> —<i>Booklist</i><br><br>This debut will please readers looking for <b>a sweet love story</b> while also providing a <b>nuanced and thoughtful </b>exploration of some of the issues those in the Deaf community face.<i> </i>—School Library Journal Anna Sortino is a young adult author who writes stories about disabled characters living their lives and falling in love. She’s Deaf and passionate about diverse representation in media. Born and raised in the Chicagoland area Anna has since lived in different cities from coast to coast spending her free time exploring nature with her dog or reading on the couch with her cat. <i>Give Me a Sign</i> is her debut novel. You can find her at AnnaSortino.com or @AnnaKSortino. A guy about my age is standing there in a blue baseball cap and a Cubs T-shirt that fits him perfectly. He looks like he be­longs in the team’s dugout although his hat has a cursive <i>L </i>on the front that I don’t recognize. A small tuft of hair curls at his forehead. He has a warm-brown complexion and kind dark eyes that are set on me. He’s standing with his hands loosely clasped together ready to sign with a woven bracelet around his wrist perhaps from last summer. <br><br>My heart is racing and I’m not sure if it’s from lifting the bag or from realizing who helped me. <br><br>“Thank you” I say breathlessly. <br><br>“<i>You’re welcome</i>” he signs. He points past me and signs something else. <br><br>I freeze. I want to answer him in sign but I’m unsure exactly what he’s asking. He gives a small shrug likely knowing that I didn’t understand and walks around me to grab his backpack from his bunk . . . which is directly below <i>mine</i>. Of all the beds I could have chosen! At least he won’t be able to hear me if I snore in my sleep.<br><br>“<i>Are you new this year?</i>” he asks this time mouthing the words a little bit which I know is purely for my benefit. <br><br>“Um no” I say begging my brain to remember any of the ASL I practiced. “Long time ago I was here” I say and sign. “As a camper.” <br><br>“<i>Wait . . . </i>” He tilts his head to the side. His wonderfully ex­pressive eyebrows do a lot of communicating for him as he raises them and leans forward. “<i>I think I remember you. Bug right?</i>” <br><br>“Whoa” I say and sign. “Yes! You were a camper here too?” I am certain I would remember him. <br><br>“<i>Yeah and then </i>————<i></i>” he signs. I don’t follow most of his response but he raises his hand from his chest to his head signing that he’s grown taller. “<i>I look different maybe.</i>” <br><br>“Oh right good” I say and sign nodding while my brain races to try to process more of what he signed.<br><br>“<i>Good?</i>” he asks his eyebrows raised and a mischievous glint in his eyes.<br><br>“Good as in I think I remember you now too” I say and sign quickly cursing my limited vocabulary and feeling the blush rise on my cheeks. I stare down at his worn running sneakers that are caked in dry mud and laced with bright-green cords. <br><br>“<i>I’m I</i>————<i></i>” he signs. <br><br>“Sorry” I say hoping that my frustration at my lacking ASL doesn’t come across as overly apologetic. “<i>Again please.</i>” <br><br>He smiles and patiently spells out his name again. “<i>I-s-a-a-c.</i>”<br><br>“<i>L-i-l-</i>” But my hand is shaking and I mess up jumbling my letters. I close my hand into a fist take a brief pause and start again. “<i>L-i-l-a-h.</i>” <b>Jenny Han meets <i>CODA</i> in this big-hearted YA debut about first love and Deaf pride at a summer camp.</b><br><br>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.<br><br>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.<br><br>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 . . . they're certainly different than what she’s used to.