Read My Lips

pan

New (deaf) girl wants to fit in. Mean "preppy" girls use her for spying because she has "a gift": great lip reading skills. She falls for the brooding loner guy. Overprotective parents. Things fall apart. But all ends well. Tropes bad enough, but the emphasis on how great and important it is to lip read and even putting down sign language made this book a huge ?. I do understand her isolation and want to fit in but wish she had been stronger.

TheNextBook That freaking sucks. Those two post I saw from you and the synopsis was enough to turn me away. 8y

LiteraryinPA That's really too bad. Ugh. 8y

ValerieAndBooks @TheNextBook @LiteraryinLititz my expectations were low to begin with...too bad they weren't exceeded 😑! 8y

43 likes3 comments

ValerieAndBooks

Read My Lips | Teri Brown

Aieee! The very first chapter and I think this might just be a #threwitacrosstheroom already! So the deaf main character doesn't know sign language and is embarrassed when a teacher at her new school thinks she does. I get that. But to mock sign language like this 😡. For the record I am Deaf, am able to speak, AND I proudly use sign language with others who also use it.

TheNextBook I just read the synopsis and saw your other post... I cant. 8y

BarbaraTheBibliophage I agree just from this page and the synopsis. BTW, I have Ménière's disease in both ears and am losing my hearing quite quickly. I'd appreciate any books or other resources to learn ASL. Thanks. 8y

Hollie Wtf, making fun of sign language? Definitely won't be adding this book to my TBR! 8y

See All 12 Comments

ValerieAndBooks @TheNextBook @BarbaraTheBibliophage @hollie definitely am not recommending this book, still reading but there's all the stereotypical characters and plot lines to boot. Barbara-- I'd suggest contacting your local deaf and/or disability services for resources. If classes are not feasible, I'd recommend ASL websites over books to learn some signs. I need to find ones I can recommend. I have vertigo also, by the way, but it comes and goes. 8y

BarbaraTheBibliophage @ValerieAndBooks Thank you! I have been wondering if that's my best bet, so thanks for confirming. I found an ASL app, but haven't tried it much yet. Vertigo is the worst, isn't it? I've had it (on and off) for about ten years now. The only thing that helps is medicine that puts me to sleep. 8y

Merethebookgal Just saw your last post too 😡That's terrible! I'm deaf in one ear and really want to learn sign language. I do sometimes read lips if I'm conversing in a noisy environment, but to shame deaf people who sign into thinking it makes them lesser is ridiculous and downright wrong. 😡 8y

Merethebookgal @BarbaraTheBibliophage @ValerieAndBooks I also suffer from vertigo and migraine-associated vertigo, ugh, it majorly sucks!! The doctors have actually told me mine is not related to my hearing loss, but I'm sure it doesn't help matters, either. 8y

BarbaraTheBibliophage @Merethebookgal It may be connected - there's still so much research being done. I just found out that my severe chronic migraines are due to having Meniere's in both ears. Wasn't nearly as bad when I only had Meniere's in one ear. Now studies are connecting the two conditions. 8y

GlitteryOtters I wish Litsy had a "I never want to stack this book" list, so we can make sure we don't accidentally stack problematic books like this, because this would be added right onto it. ? I think I've mentioned before that my nearest in age cousin is deaf, has been since I was a year old, and this stuff really frustrates me so much. Not a fan of Alexander Graham Bell Assoc either. My cousin went through so much frustration because of people like them? 8y

ValerieAndBooks @Merethebookgal @BarbaraTheBibliophage Many deaf people I know have vertigo and/or balance issues -- for some it was always there and for others (like me) later on --I feel that deafness may be related to it (for it happening later) but maybe it just seems that way to me. 8y

ValerieAndBooks @GlitteryOtters yes I remember you mentioning your cousin--does he/she sign? I'm thinking yes because we had discussed interpreting ethics before. I don't expect all deaf characters to sign (because not all do in IRL) but it really bugged me how ASL was equated to miming. And the book is just so full of YA tropes 🙄. 8y

GlitteryOtters Yes, he signs. When we were young teens he learned to read lips & took classes to work on developing his speaking skills, but never was very comfortable with it. 8y

58 likes12 comments

ValerieAndBooks

Read My Lips | Teri Brown

Starting this YA novel about a deaf teenager with supernatural lip reading powers and am now skeptical I can read with an open mind when I see the author basically endorses AGBAD 🙁. That organization is very anti-sign language and even publicly dissed Nyle DiMarco (deaf American Top Model and DWTS champ) for using and advocating sign. AGBAD also places a deaf person's worth on how well they can speak. Taking deep breaths as I proceed (used book).

Alfoster Wow, that's pretty shocking! 8y

Texreader Disappointing!! 8y

TheNextBook Wait. Why would anyone be against someone learning and using sign language. That is absolutely ridiculous. I just cant understand any logic behind that thinking. Wow. Yeah thay sucks. 8y

See All 8 Comments

Hollie I'm not sure how someone could be a "supporter of deaf children everywhere" but be anti-sign language. That's nonsensical. I am not deaf, but I want to learn to sign. That's so disappointing that this person feels that way. 8y

ValerieAndBooks @Alfoster @texreader @thenextbook @hollie audism (thinking hearing is superior to deaf) and oralism (thinking that deaf people who can speak/read lips are superior than sign language users) has been around a long time and too prevalent. Oralists like Alexander Graham Bell felt, and feel, that sign language impedes the ability to talk. Ironically his mother and wife were deaf and used at least some sign language! In my early years I was punished at 8y

ValerieAndBooks ...school if I signed. This was a deaf program. Fortunately my parents and some other parents advocated the use of ASL and it eventually got adopted. But the pressure to speak and read lips was still there. 8y

Lizpixie That's horrifying! My uncles entire family are deaf (he married my aunt) and my auntie teaches at a school for the deaf & taught me the alphabet in asl.His brother & his wife and son are all deaf so when their daughter was born it was assumed she was deaf too, she never spoke or responded to sound, but when she was 5 my aunt overheard her talking to her dolls. Turned out she could hear all along, just didn't want to be different from her family. 8y

ValerieAndBooks @Lizpixie seems like she felt like she was really part of deaf culture for them to think she was deaf at first 😊. 8y

47 likes8 comments