On the Bright Side
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- $129.00
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- $129.00
Descripción editorial
A hopeful novel about love, disability, and the inevitability of change by the author of Give Me a Sign.
“Poignant, romantic, and deeply heartfelt.” —Amber Smith, New York Times bestselling author of The Way I Used to Be
Ellie’s Deaf boarding school just shut down, forcing her to leave the place she considered home and return to her hearing family. But being mainstreamed into public school isn't exactly easy. So her guidance counselor pairs her with Jackson, a student who’s supposed to help her adjust. Can the boy who tries to say the right things, and gets it all wrong, be the lifeline Ellie needs?
Jackson has been avoiding his teammates ever since some numbness in his legs cost them an important soccer match. With his senior year off to a lonely start, he’s intrigued when he’s asked to help the new girl, initially thinking it will be a commendable move on his part. Little does he know Ellie will soon be the person he wants most by his side when the strange symptoms he’s experiencing amount to a life-changing diagnosis.
Exploring what it means to build community, Anna Sortino pens a story about the fear of the unknown and the beauty of the unexpected, all wrapped up in a poignant romance that will break your heart and put it back together again.
"Tender, honest, and utterly human." —Adib Khorram, award-winning author of Darius the Great Is Not Okay
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
When Ellie Egan's Deaf boarding school closes, it means she'll have to move home to Cincinnati, where she'll be forced to complete her senior year at Amber High as the only Deaf student. It starts out poorly: one of Ellie's interpreters continually misrepresents what Ellie is saying, leading to an emotional outburst that sparks rumors that Ellie is "pretending to be deaf." Meanwhile, Jackson Messina doesn't understand the constant numbness in his legs or why he's feeling so fatigued. Following a disastrous outcome at his last soccer match, he's been avoiding his team, who are still angry. Asked to give the new student a school tour, Jackson agrees but fumbles when he realizes she's Deaf. However, Ellie's prickly personality intrigues Jackson, and he begins teaching himself ASL. Via Jackson and Ellie's alternating perspectives, Sortino (Give Me a Sign) details Jackson's health challenges and Ellie's conflicts at home taking downward spirals, which leave the teens wondering if they're better off alone. The pair's sweet courtship leans into missteps and aching human moments in this empathetic romance that intricately depicts Deaf and disabled experiences. Protagonists cue as white. Ages 12–up.
