Tone Deaf

By Olivia Rivers, Sky Pony Press/Skyhorse Publishing, May 2016.

 * An ARC was provided by Sky Pony Press and Edelweiss for an honest review.

What an amazing book!

TONE DEAF shares one girl's journey living through emotional and physical abuse while struggling to show others that deafness is something she has, not who she is. Through her perseverance and with the help of friends, she bravely conquers her traumatic past and forges a better future for herself.

Seventeen-year-old Ali Collins was a brilliant child musical prodigy until a brain tumor left her deaf at a young age, destroying her dreams of a beautiful life immersed in classical music. Living with her abusive dad, she struggles to maintain her sanity and protect herself while hiding her bruises and spending as much time as she can with her best friend, Avery. The day when Ali accompanies her bestie to a pop-punk concert by Avery's favorite band, Tone Deaf, turns out to be the turning point in her somewhat bleak existence.

Jace Beckett, the nineteen-year-old, lead singer of Tone Deaf, is cocky, antagonizing and cares for no one but the other guys in the band. He's angry, guarded and an all around jerk to everyone else--even lashing out at Ali when he first meets her. But Jace becomes Ali's warrior, nurturer and protector. He vows to help her when no one else can.

The author doesn't make everything rosey and gooey for Ali and Jace. She is wary of his quick mood changes, and he's afraid of what she represents. Both are mentally scarred from their childhood traumas and reluctant to share things about themselves. Eventually they chip away at each other's emotional barriers to reveal a healing, happier person underneath.

I love the story arc of how Ali changes from being a deaf person living in a hearing world to identifying as being Deaf in the Deaf community at Gallaudet University, where she can finally just be herself, fully accepted and understood.

Don't think it's a depressing story, though. It has some sad moments, but overall it's vibrant, funny, poignant and educational. Readers get an idea of what it's like to be deaf around hearing people and how survivors of abuse protect themselves from the world around them. As a bonus, readers get a glimpse behind-the-scenes of how several months on tour can affect some bands.

TONE DEAF is suitable for teenagers and above. There are sub-themes of strong friendship through adversity and of developing trust with others, and a healthy male-male relationship between two band members is revealed. Sexual situations are mild with only some kissing and hugging.

If You Like This, You May Also Like --- GOING TOO FAR and DIRTY LITTLE SECRET by Jennifer Echols, SAINT ANYTHING and JUST LISTEN by Sarah Dessen, MY LIFE NEXT DOOR by Huntley Fitzpatrick, PERFECT CHEMISTRY by Simone Elkeles