The Silence Between Us

By: Alison Gervais

Narrated by: Chloe Dolandis

“The Silence Between Us is eminently un-put-down-able.” (NPR)

Schneider Family Book Award, Best Teen Honor Book 2020

“This is a great YA contemporary (clean) romance that follows Maya as she navigates a new school and plans for her future. The addition of representation by a Deaf character was really beautifully done. Highly recommend for people looking for a sweet, engaging, and educational romantic read.” (YA and Kids Book Central)

#OwnVoices YA novel features Deaf / Hard of Hearing Community

“It’s time we see more Deaf characters in books. It’s time we see more books celebrating sign language and Deaf culture,” said author Alison Gervais.

Deaf teen Maya moves across the country and must attend a hearing school for the first time. As if that wasn’t hard enough, she also has to adjust to the hearing culture, which she finds frustrating—and also surprising when some classmates, including Beau Watson, take time to learn ASL. As Maya looks past graduation and focuses on her future dreams, nothing, not even an unexpected romance, will not derail her pursuits. But when people in her life—Deaf and hearing alike—ask her to question parts of her Deaf identity, Maya stands proudly, never giving in to the idea that her Deafness is a disadvantage.

The Silence Between Us:

• Features a Deaf protagonist and an #OwnVoices perspective on Deaf and Hard of Hearing culture
• Is a clean YA romance by Wattpad sensation Alison Gervais
• Is perfect for fans of Nicola Yoon and CeCe Bell

Critic reviews

The Silence Between Us is eminently un-put-down-able.

A spectacular follow-up to In 27 Days, Gervais has written a beautiful contemporary YA novel featuring a strong female lead who isn't willing to change herself to fit in. A heartwarming own voices story about moving to a new school, making friends, and falling in love.

A spirited story about a girl trying to find herself and her place in the world. Gervais' writing is sure to inspire readers to always stand up for who they are.

A unique and deftly written novel showcasing a strong deaf character and how she deals with all that her situation entails, 'The Silence Between Us' is a compelling and thoroughly entertaining read from cover to cover.

Alison Gervais (In 27 Days), herself Hard of Hearing (HoH), portrays Maya as frustrated by setbacks yet exuberant in her pride as a member of the Deaf community. The everyday discrimination Maya faces doesn't weigh her down--'Discrimination? Welcome to my world.' Gervais depicts signed dialogue in the 'choppy English' characteristic of ASL, immersing the reader in Maya's life. The Silence Between Us is a boon to young adult literature, helping to remedy the shortage of Deaf protagonists with the spitfire Maya and her momentous self-confidence. The Silence Between Us is a boon to young adult literature, helping to remedy the shortage of Deaf protagonists with the spitfire Maya and her momentous self-confidence.

Alison Gervais' The Silence Between Us, not only captures the anxiety most young people feel when they've been uprooted from their community of friends, but in Maya's case, it's exacerbated by the fact she is deaf and newly planted in a hearing school. As nervous as Maya is, her wonderful sense of humor enlivens the story for the reader. Gervais has a perfect grasp of the challenges facing Maya and fleshes them out empathetically. Her portrayal of Maya and the pitfalls she faces, in my opinion, is spot on. More subtle is Maya's natural defensiveness even against those students who attempt to befriend her, throwing up barriers when she suspects pity as their motivation.

At its heart, The Silence Between Us is as much about learning to open our minds as it is about learning to open our eyes and ears.

Gervais (In 27 Days) uses her own experiences of hearing loss to lend authenticity to this novel about a teenage deaf girl starting over at a new school. [...] Gervais adroitly pulls readers into her world--conveying ASL through all caps and spelled-out words--as well as her work navigating the deaf and hearing worlds and her awareness of who she is.

Gervais deftly renders both the nuanced, everyday realities of life with disability and Maya's fierce pride in her Deafness, delivering a vibrant story that will resonate with Deaf and hearing audiences alike.

Enjoyable Story

Good story. Narration well executed. I enjoyed it but cannot speak to the authenticity of the how the author portrayed the deaf community.

Overcoming fears and obstacles

I absolutely LOVED listening to this book. Seeing how both main characters faced their fears and spoke up about the injustice they were facing and the way they felt was truly empowering and insightful. It shows that you never know what’s going on in peoples heads and in their life until u get to know them and not assume. I love learning about the Deaf community and the controversy of the CIs. I think that as a hearing person who is related to someone who is Deaf, It’s very helpful and heart warming to hear the things that Deaf and HH people go through especially with interacting with the hearing community and the different challenges they face that we don’t typically think of with the need for more interpreters and people who are just willing to learn ASL.

Excellent

This book was not what I was expecting. I is was pleasantly surprised. It’s was refreshing and different. I would totally love to see this turned into a movie.

Highly recommend

I think this should be mandatory reading in schools. We all need to be aware and should make an effort to learn basic sign language. I think this book does a great job representing the deaf community in an enjoyable and easy to follow format. The narration was enjoyable as well, compelling and relatable, not annoying or monotone. I hope to see more books and audiobooks like this in the future and that we can make them as accessible as possible.

Loved it!

A great story that gives a peek into deaf world. We need more books that share the Deaf community and culture!