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Five Flavors of Dumb

by Antony John (Goodreads Author)

3.95 of 5 stars 3.95 · rating details · 4,248 ratings · 718 reviews

Piper is a seventeen-year-old high school senior, and she's just been challenged to get her school's super-popular rock band, Dumb, a paying gig. The catch? Piper is deaf. Can she manage a band with five wildly different musicians, nurture a budding romance, and discover her own inner rock star, though she can't hear Dumb's music?

"Complex characterizations, authentic dialo...more

Paperback, 352 pages

Published September 29th 2011 by Speak (first published November 11th 2010)

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Apr 22, 2011 Jillian -always aspiring- rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fans of YA where the characters and the message shine above all

Shelves: 2011-reads, writing-to-which-i-aspire, best-characters, best-endings, wowed-me, wish-i-could-write-a-book-like-this, forewent-sleep-to-read-it, exceeded-my-expectations, realistic-teenage-voices, humorous, swoon-worthy-book-crushes, heroines-i-love-and-or-admire, heroes-i-love-and-respect, ultimate-favorites, love-it-for-the-characters, glad-i-gave-it-a-chance, couldn-t-stop-reading-it, comfort-reads, surprisingly-liked, made-me-cry, soared-above-and-beyond, stories-with-a-message, stories-that-challenge-me, want-a-sequel, realistic-fiction, reviewed

Disclaimer: For anyone reading this review, I just want to let you know that this is not a book in the vein of Where She Went or The Piper's Son, two books which also earned five star ratings from me and that contained music within their plots. Although this book has its moments of treading harsher issues much like the books I mentioned, it is also a story where you must suspend belief for a while, much like how you have to do so while watching movies dealing with teen bands that suddenly hit it...more

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Apr 16, 2011 ~Tina~ rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ec-lib, contemporary, young-adult, read-2011, cover-crazz

Piper has one month to get her high school band, Dumb, a paying gig and if she succeeds she gets to become the band's much needed manger. The only problem is, how do you manage a crumbling band into rising stardom when you don't even know if they're any good?
See...Piper's deaf.

Going into this book, I had zero expectations and pretty much thought it was just another fluffy piece about high school, music and teenage angsts.
Yeah..how wrong was I?

Five Flavors of Dumb is an inspiring and humorous s...more Piper has one month to get her high school band, Dumb, a paying gig and if she succeeds she gets to become the band's much needed manger. The only problem is, how do you manage a crumbling band into rising stardom when you don't even know if they're any good?
See...Piper's deaf.

Going into this book, I had zero expectations and pretty much thought it was just another fluffy piece about high school, music and teenage angsts.
Yeah..how wrong was I?

Five Flavors of Dumb is an inspiring and humorous story that features a tough fiery protag, Piper and her five flavors; Ed, Will, Tash, Josh and Kallie. It's a story about a girl finally finding out who she truly is and what she's really made of. Despite the fact that Piper's deaf, sit back and let her show you just want she can accomplish when she wants to be heard.

I loved this book. It's clever and uplifting and funny and I had a lot of fun reading it.
Antony John did an amazing job with Pipers voice and the very detailed storyline that he crafted.
I'm not one for reading music-type-books, and have a few that I actually loved, but this book felt very different from the rest. It meshes the inner workings of the music industry from contracts to negotiations to recording to interviews to finding your next gig, combining it with the true meaning and passion of music while set to a journey of self-discovery. That's a very hard task to create in ya-contemporary, and yet, John makes it look effortless and impressive, not to mention a whole lotta fun.

I really just loved every single one of these characters (minus Josh). They each have there own unique rhythm that bounces off each other.
Piper is a conflicting character. She's strong, dependable and resilient but she's also very blind to her life and the people in it. She also has one of most realistic voices with very understandable issues. She's always felt ignored, alone, disabled...but with the right opportunity truly begins to come out her shell and be the person she was born to be.
The rest of the flavors were also really great, but Ed and Finn were my favorites. Ed's that guy, the one who believes and likes you for you and only you. Everyone needs an Ed in their life. As for Finn, I've always had a thing for strong brother/sister bonds in books and these two are a great example of that.

Bottom line, I loved this book. It surprised me in the best way possible. The writing is brilliant, the characters are likable and the plot is warm and wonderful.
If your a fan of music or a fan of ya-contemporary or just a fan of feel good reads, this one goes out to you.

Well done!(less)

28 likes · like · see review

May 30, 2011 Cara rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: music enthusiast

Shelves: e-book, 2011, awesome-covers, realistic-fiction, sibilings

You know how people say that something is made of awesome? Well this book is really made of awesome. The concept is golden. A girl who is deaf managing a band? Does that even work? Oh yes it can.

Piper Vaughan is eighteen, a good student that gets stellar grades, president of the chess club, and deaf. Oddly enough she gets recruited to be the manager of the local high school band Dumb. She has her reservations at first of course, but the recent emptying of her college fund drives her to try this...more You know how people say that something is made of awesome? Well this book is really made of awesome. The concept is golden. A girl who is deaf managing a band? Does that even work? Oh yes it can.

Piper Vaughan is eighteen, a good student that gets stellar grades, president of the chess club, and deaf. Oddly enough she gets recruited to be the manager of the local high school band Dumb. She has her reservations at first of course, but the recent emptying of her college fund drives her to try this and get some cash. As it turns out the band needs a lot more help than she knew. How was she suppose to know they were so bent out of shape? The band goes through ups and downs, and Piper feels everyone of them. Dumb (the band) becomes her life but things start to get really ugly. Can Piper keep it together so the band has a chance to survive?

The book deals with a lot of things: Piper being deaf and how that affects her interaction with people, connecting with people through music, and coming to terms with who you are. One of the things that stood out the most to me was how Piper had a family (they aren't MIA like in many young adult books) but who have problems of course. I think the family dynamic is spot on. The people in the family are real people who have flaws, make mistakes, but at the end of the day they do love each other. Piper comes to realize that she wasn't alone as she thought. Then there is the musical aspect of the book. Since the book is set in Seattle we hear about Kurt Cobain and Jimi Hendrix. I can honestly say I'm not into this type of music but now I get the appeal. It's interesting to see music through a deaf person. Piper can tell how music is so enigmatic, moving, and tells the story of people. It can capture a moment and through this experience she learns that and so much more.

There are so many enticing characters. I mean I don't think I can even write about them without coming up short. My personal favorites were (not including Piper) Finn (Piper's brother), Kallie, and Ed. All of them are exceptional in their own way, for good and bad reasons. I so wish I could give you guys a rundown of each character but read the book. You'll get what I mean, and it would be so much better than what I could come up with.

I'm not giving the book enough credit with my review. Just go and fall in love with music again with Piper. The girl who can do anything, even hear music.
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Oct 12, 2011 Janina rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult-fiction, music, contemporary, let-me-down, read-in-2011, given-away

I had very high expectations for Five Flavors of Dumb and therefore am a little disappointed although I can say that overall; I had a good time reading the book. It was a quick read, but on a whole, more on the forgettable side than something that made a lasting impression.

Piper is the new manager of Dumb, a high school band riding on a wave of quickly fading popularity after winning a local contest. Nothing special you say? Well, Piper is deaf. Will she be able to contradict her classmates’ pre...more I had very high expectations for Five Flavors of Dumb and therefore am a little disappointed although I can say that overall; I had a good time reading the book. It was a quick read, but on a whole, more on the forgettable side than something that made a lasting impression.

Piper is the new manager of Dumb, a high school band riding on a wave of quickly fading popularity after winning a local contest. Nothing special you say? Well, Piper is deaf. Will she be able to contradict her classmates’ prejudices and help Dumb to lasting success? Piper wants to make a change, wants to show everyone that being deaf does in fact not mean being invisible. She wants to break out of her shell and stop being the girl in the front row only the teachers like.

What I really loved about this book were the family dynamics, especially Piper's relationship to her brother Finn and her baby sister Grace. Also, I often felt furious on Piper's behalf when her parents were concerned, and I totally got how hard it was for her to swallow down her anger towards them sometimes. I found what they did inexcusable, putting her sister before her and (view spoiler). All in all, I thought the issue of Piper’s deafness and how her family perceived this "disability" (how her father often called it) that never felt like one for Piper herself was portrayed extremely well.
Piper's friendship with Ed was lovely as well, their chess games, how they slowly opened up to each other. I’d say the outcome of their relationship was probably a surprise only to Piper, but I thought it was very cute.

On the other side, the music business part felt kind of forced and often unrealistic. Can a former garage band consisting of only partly talented high school students really rise to fame that fast and even receive recognition from fellow musicians for their skills? I somehow doubt it. Dumb came across as a big work in progress in one chapter (its members only being able to play three different chords on their guitars, never playing in time), but they only needed a little motivational talk and a talented drummer to fix those problems.
The scavenger hunt through Seattle, visiting Kurt Cobain’s and Jimi Hendrix’s homes, had much unused potential as well. Those episodes could have really added something to the story, but I just found them incredibly boring.

All in all, I think I just wished to really be able to understand how it felt for Piper to not be able to hear. Obviously never having experienced deafness, I wanted to be able to do it through her. I'm not sure if this sounds weird, but the author did not succeed in giving me this experience.

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Jun 02, 2011 Nic rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: realistic-fiction, music, romance-awww, young-adult, read-in-2011

Rating: 4.5 stars

Favourite Quote: "Music. It's not about those things. It's about a feeling. It's about expressing yourself. It's about letting go."

I have being trying to write this review for days and I am having a hard time trying to sum up what makes Five Flavors of Dumb so special from most other coming of age stories. It could be Piper's believable and heart felt voice or the loveable bunch of supporting characters or the constantly entertaining plot or the wonderful writing. But whatever t...more

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Sep 03, 2011 Mike Mullin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I wish I hadn't read this book. Well, not really, but there's a chance I might meet the author in November, and now I'm going to have to put on a wig and pretend like I'm not really Mike Mullin because I'll be too nervous to meet him.

Anyway, the book: insane humor and gentle humanity wrapped in a cloak of grunge rock attitude. Five Flavors of Dumb is six flavors of brilliant!

11 likes · like · see review

Jun 25, 2012 Catie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Catie by: Flannery

Shelves: read-in-2012, ya

3 1/2 stars

I don’t often read or enjoy “feel-good” books and that’s most certainly what this is, although; I will grant that it does take a while to find its way into corn-country. However, sometimes I do get bogged down by all the darkness and depression. Sometimes I just need a little refresher. Luckily for me, there are a few things that can help circumvent my “corn-free” policy. A few of these things are:

Nerdery/Geekery in all its forms
Off-beat humor
A unique voice
Soft rock anthems
Shenanigans...more

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Oct 24, 2011 Kathryn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own, five-star-rating, read-2011

Absolutely, positively, and profoundly AMAZING!

Piper is trying to bring the high school rock band "Dumb" some paying gigs on a certain dare. And given that fact that she is deaf isn't an incentive to the situation.

She struggles not to be jealous of her baby sister who has had a cochlear implant surgery and now can hear almost perfectly, of her brother who has escaped her fate altogether, angry at her father who refuses to sign when it is her preferable way to communicate.

Her band "Dumb", also h...more

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Oct 20, 2012 Keertana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kick-ass-heroines

Five Flavors of Dumb is a novel I’ve had on my radar for awhile, but one I simply brushed off a countless number of times. It was never a priority on my list, but when I found myself stranded waiting for a long time with nothing to read but this novel on my Kindle, I decided to give it a shot. Well, it would be an understatement to say I was pleasantly surprised because more than anything, I was simply astounded by the depth of this tale. Five Flavors of Dumb is more than “just another music...more Five Flavors of Dumb is a novel I’ve had on my radar for awhile, but one I simply brushed off a countless number of times. It was never a priority on my list, but when I found myself stranded waiting for a long time with nothing to read but this novel on my Kindle, I decided to give it a shot. Well, it would be an understatement to say I was pleasantly surprised because more than anything, I was simply astounded by the depth of this tale. Five Flavors of Dumb is more than “just another music novel.” It’s a story about family, friendships, discovering yourself, and ultimately, belonging.

One of the main reasons Five Flavors of Dumb and I hit off so well was because it was a primarily character-driven novel. Piper is the type of protagonist I love. While she knows she’s intelligent, she fails to see the other remarkable traits she possesses in a very realistic manner that never makes her come across as vain. Furthermore, as a deaf heroine, her perspective of life is different, all while seeming to be achingly familiar too. Seeing Piper grow, adjust, learn, and make long-lasting bonds of friendship was simply beautiful. John makes your heart beat in sync with that of his characters, so you as the reader are completely invested in their tale, even if you didn’t think you would be.

In addition, Five Flavors of Dumb sheds a notable amount of light on band dynamics. As a lover of music, I adored seeing the dysfunctional members of this band, Kallie, Tash, Josh, and Ed, finally come together to create something more than just music. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that the friendships Piper forms with these band members was reminiscent of the friendships formed in Melina Marchetta’s Saving Francesca. They were just as heart-warming and touching to read and I found myself cheering for this group the whole way. Lastly though, I have to mention Piper’s relationship with her family. Not only was it achingly realistic, but it is also so rare to see such an honest portrayal of family life in contemporary literature. I can’t do any justice to it through descriptions, but just know that it made tears come to my eyes on more than one bittersweet occasion.

I can’t recommend Five Flavors of Dumb enough. If you’re a lover of music, slow-burning romance, well-rounded characters, and unfailing character friendships, then you simply must pick this book up. Five Flavors of Dumb may have been my first Antony John novel, but it will, by no means, be my last.

You can read this review and more on my blog, Ivy Book Bindings.(less)

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Jul 03, 2012 Wendy F rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, contemporary, young-adult

I bought this book a long while ago. The back synopsis at the bookstore made me curious but once I got it I just kept pushing it off for other books.

What a friggin damn shame!

This was a really good book. I'm astounded that it was written by a man. I'm not trying to say that men can't write, they can. There have been many books written by men that I enjoyed, even books that contained a romance. I'm astounded though, because in my experience those books MC's are generally men (or boys). As I type...more

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Mar 07, 2011 Ashleigh Paige rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Absolutely anyone

Shelves: the-great-shelf-of-awesome, all-time-favorites

Also appears on The Screaming Nitpicker.

After mouthing off to her high school's "it" band Dumb, Piper is stuck being their manager and has one month to get them a paying gig. She doesn't want to do it, but her parents raided her college fund to pay for an operation for her sister and Piper needs money. However, it's going to take a lot of work to turn Dumb into a commercial band. Between recruiting new members (one of whom lacks any talent), keeping the five flavors of Dumb from killing each oth...more Also appears on The Screaming Nitpicker.

After mouthing off to her high school's "it" band Dumb, Piper is stuck being their manager and has one month to get them a paying gig. She doesn't want to do it, but her parents raided her college fund to pay for an operation for her sister and Piper needs money. However, it's going to take a lot of work to turn Dumb into a commercial band. Between recruiting new members (one of whom lacks any talent), keeping the five flavors of Dumb from killing each other, pulling some cunning tricks to get Dumb places, fighting and making up with her family, and learning what music's all about, Piper has a lot on her plate. She can handle it. Well, she can if people will stop using her deafness as an excuse why she can't handle it.

I have heard nothing but praise for this book and was dying to get my paws on it and read it. That praise? Yeah, it is all deserved. This book is so good that it gave me the strong urge to cut my hair and dye it Atomic Pink.

It's not everyday you see characterization this strong in a young adult novel anymore. Get this: For once, the characters are deeper than puddles! Piper, as our heroine, is not perfect. She isn't always nice, she tricks people many times, and she provokes people more than once. She's also cunning, good at finding loopholes, and comes to see the band as more than a way to make money. Instead of her deafness characterizing her and being a disability, it's just another part of her. In fact, the abilities of lip-reading and signing that she gained because of her "disability" turn out to be valuable assets that help Dumb get ahead. She is deaf, but deaf is not her.

But the real star of this novel? That would be Kallie Sims, the "perfect girl" deconstructed. Initially, Piper dislikes her for being so perfect and as the novel goes on, the reader discovers that Kallie isn't perfect; she's a girl just like Piper. Kallie has a not-so-ideal home life, her fashionable clothes (that are bought with her mother's employee discount) get made fun of by her "friends" for being last season, and while she loves music with all her heart and connects with it in a way few people do, she can't play an instrument to save her life. This perfect girl is as imperfect as everyone else and even when she takes center stage late in the novel, she is still just a girl. I love Kallie. I'd love to see a sequel one day through her point of view.

Other characters, like angry green-haired guitarist Tash and Piper's music-loving brother/translator Finn, get their touches of depth too. Even Piper's parents get some depth! How often are the parents more than just background characters like this? The scenes where Piper fought with her dad or exhibited jealousy towards her baby sister Grace genuinely tugged at my heart strings. In fact, this had to be one of the most "real" novels I've ever read. Everything about it, from Piper's discovery of what music is about and who she is to the fight she has with her family to the fight the band has among themselves, felt so real to me.

Five Flavors of Dumb also gave me the worst case of novel whiplash I've ever had. On one page, I would be laughing so hard (my favorite quote came off page two and to preserve the magic, I will not speak of it) that I was given strange looks by other people if I was reading in public; in a few more pages, I would be ready to bawl like a baby because of any particular scene I found heart-wrenching. My poor Mom thought I was having mood swings! And keep in mind, of course, that I'm not an emotional reader. If I weren't so lazy, I would make a "made me cry" and "made me laugh" tag so people could see just how rare it gets.

Five Flavors of Dumb is now one of my favorite books of all time and I don't slap that label on books lightly. Only four other books have that title and this one right here is number five. I recommend this book to absolutely anyone. As long as you don't hate music (especially rock music), I think you'll enjoy Five Flavors of Dumb.(less)

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Nov 27, 2010 Lawral rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, ya

John could have made the band of high schoolers trying to make it big the set-up a whole book in and of itself, albeit a much less satisfying one. Instead of being a book all about the band, this is a book all about how Piper, their manager, deals with them. But it's also a book about Piper and her life at school and at home. Woven through her parents reactions to Dumb are Piper's reactions to her family. Her maternal grandparents (now deceased) were both deaf and very into deaf culture. They in...more John could have made the band of high schoolers trying to make it big the set-up a whole book in and of itself, albeit a much less satisfying one. Instead of being a book all about the band, this is a book all about how Piper, their manager, deals with them. But it's also a book about Piper and her life at school and at home. Woven through her parents reactions to Dumb are Piper's reactions to her family. Her maternal grandparents (now deceased) were both deaf and very into deaf culture. They instilled a sense of pride in Piper, along with the sense that she has the ability to do anything she wants to do regardless of her lack of hearing. Piper's mother and brother are both fluent in ASL (American Sign Language), but her father does not sign at all. Her infant sister was born deaf. In her, Piper saw a kind of ally. Or, she did until her parents raided Piper's college fund to get her sister a cochlear implant (a surgically implanted device that can restore hearing to severely deaf persons). Betrayal and closing doors all in one. She hopes Dumb will be her ticket out of town and to the college of her dreams.

The juxtaposition of why Dumb's different members, Piper included, are in the band, money, fame, the music (said very seriously), and various crushes on other band members, cause problems. All the band drama keeps this from turning into a problem novel about a moderately severe deaf girl in a hearing family and high school. Though the fact that Piper is deaf comes up over and over and over again in her dealings with various people in the music business as well as with the band itself (and, sadly, her family), it is never Piper's defining characteristic, just as Kallie's skin color is never hers (though she is proud of her mother's self-proclaimed status as "the first African American to go grunge" (p160)*).

The best part about Five Flavors of Dumb really is Piper herself. She has such a strong voice, sense of herself, and talent for sarcasm. I also loved her developing relationship with the girls of Dumb, Tasha and Kallie. I LOVE great girl friendship books, and by the end this one totally fit the bill. And watching Piper's rock music education was fabulous (the Seattle setting helped a bit). I grew up listening to Hendrix and other musicians of that era (thanks Dad), and I was in middle school and just getting into Nirvana when Kurt Cobain killed himself (thanks Johanna). I can't imagine coming to these musicians as a senior in high school. Seeing them through Piper and the rest of Dumb was like "meeting" them all over again.

Book source: ARC picked up at ALA

*Quotes and page numbers are from an uncorrected proof and may not match the published copy. (less)

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Jan 28, 2011 Isamlq rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

If the cover doesn't get you to read it, then the blurb will:

The Challenge: Piper has one month to get the rock band Dumb a paying gig.
The Deal: If she does it, Piper will become the band's manager and get her share of the profits.

The Catch: How can Piper possibly manage one egomaniacal pretty boy, one talentless piece of eye candy, one crush, one silent rocker, and one angry girl? And how can she do it when she's deaf?

Piper can't hear Dumb's music, but with growing self-confidence, a budding ro...more

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Feb 08, 2011 Steph Su rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: best-of-11, debs10, own

Antony John’s novel would more appropriately be called Five Flavors of AWESOME. This rocking good book will make you want to jump up and cheer, for wonderful characters, great narration, and an absorbing and uplifting tale.

I’m really quite bowled over at how well John captures the voice of a teenage girl. Piper may be deaf, but she struggles with many of the same issues as other teenagers: her dreams of independence and acceptance battle her sense of familial obligation, she wishes she could ble...more

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Nov 20, 2012 Kara rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Sometimes when I write my reviews I talk about the strengths and the weaknesses in the writing, the plot, the characters, etc. I can't really do that here considering this was my first 5 star review of 2012. And even if it wasn't worthy of 5 stars, I really couldn't do that. It's not that type of book. And it doesn't deserve to be critiqued, analyzed, or raked over a bed of hot coals. This is a book with a message, and never, not once, does it get preachy.

See, Piper, the main character, is deaf....more

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Jan 03, 2012 Tara rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, music

Quote, p187: I would have cried too, but then I pictured Jimi bringing his guitar to life, his whole body transported by the pure power of music. And he didn't look sad or regretful - he brimmed with energy, savoring every stolen moment of untainted joy. Live in the moment, he seemed to be saying. And for once, I heard the words perfectly. Live in the moment. I could do that. We could all do that.
So, this book wasn't about Jimi Hendrix. It was based in Seattle and so Jimi and Nirvana both got a...more Quote, p187: I would have cried too, but then I pictured Jimi bringing his guitar to life, his whole body transported by the pure power of music. And he didn't look sad or regretful - he brimmed with energy, savoring every stolen moment of untainted joy. Live in the moment, he seemed to be saying. And for once, I heard the words perfectly. Live in the moment. I could do that. We could all do that.
So, this book wasn't about Jimi Hendrix. It was based in Seattle and so Jimi and Nirvana both got a few mentions but I just had to add that quote because I love it. And I also love this book. I always enjoy books that have anything to do with music and this one didn't disappoint. You find out at the beginning that Piper is deaf, and also that she has landed herself in the role of Band Manager for DUMB, the local high school band who are coming off a win at the Battle of the Bands. The first half of the book, I found it to be more about Piper and her relationship with her mother, father, younger brother and baby sister. The band members are hovering around the story and don't get me wrong, it is a good story and Piper is a great character but I wasn't really connecting with her.
And then somewhere in the middle it was like BANG, I was emotionally invested in her and her father and her mother and her brother and..the band. Now the band - Will didn't really feature for me until the end but his role was so very important. I found Tash to be a proud, tough girl but it was all part of her exterior. Josh was....well there had to be a Josh and I held out hope for the entire story that he would be the kind of lead singer that I wanted him to be....Kallie was a bit like Will for me, although she was definitely a part of the story she didn't really feature until the end and then there was Ed. A sweet, kind, coffee making drummer. I can't leave out Finn, Piper's younger brother who was like the invisible cord that bound the story together for me. And Piper, she had a few issues she was dealing with but I loved watching her discover music and how it can make you feel. So, this was a great book. A book about music, a book about relationships, about friendships and a book about a band (and i guess because I secretly wish I was in a band, this book really did it for me!).
Quote, pg 332: With a final deep breath I leaped in the air and began throwing my body back and forth, my right hand yanking the strings of my silent guitar like I needed my fingers to bleed. And when I closed my eyes, it wasn't out of fear. It was because what I was feeling right there on that stage consumed me. I felt every part of that animal music, felt it eat me up and spit me out, and what emerged was a me a thousand times more powerful that Piper Vaughan. I was Piper Vaughan, guitar hero - spiritual descendant of Jimi Hendrix and proponent of pure anarchy. And I ROCKED.(less)

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Nov 17, 2011 mfay2 rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-read, read-2011

This book is about Piper Vaughan, an eighteen year-old senior who takes the challenge to manage a high school rock band. The only problem? She’s deaf.

Okay, a deaf main character? I’m in! That’s definitely unique and I was curious about how the author was going to write the dialogue. And I wasn’t let down in any way.

Piper is a strong character. You would think that by having a disability she would play the victim role but she doesn’t. She fights for what she wants and when she’s given the chanc...more This book is about Piper Vaughan, an eighteen year-old senior who takes the challenge to manage a high school rock band. The only problem? She’s deaf.

Okay, a deaf main character? I’m in! That’s definitely unique and I was curious about how the author was going to write the dialogue. And I wasn’t let down in any way.

Piper is a strong character. You would think that by having a disability she would play the victim role but she doesn’t. She fights for what she wants and when she’s given the chance to manage DUMB, the high school rock band, she accepts it and rocks at it too. It was interesting reading about the challenges that came her way and how she managed to beat them. I loved seeing her mature through the book. You were definitely rooting for her.

Her family is an average family. Piper’s dad lost his job, and now he’s taking care of the house as her mom works. She has a brother, Finn, who’s fourteen and she’s always getting him out of trouble. And then there’s Grace, her baby sister who was born deaf but had surgery to get a cochlear implant so that she could hear. They all can hear except for her. Her parents don’t give her enough credit; they didn’t have enough faith in her that she could be the manager of this band and that bothered me.

Now the DUMB band. They well, need a lot of work. Musically and personally. But they were fun to read and there’s always the one that loves to cause trouble. They’re all different: two are rich, other has an attitude, one is quiet and another is not what she seems. They made the book entertaining; you won’t get bored with this book, that’s for sure.

You could tell that Antony John did a lot of research for this book and he managed to write in a way that made you passionate about music. Yes, he used words that I didn’t know the meaning of; Piper has a great vocabulary and sometimes, well, I felt DUMB. But you got used to it and could get what she meant. She still had a young “voice”, though.

There was a love interest and I didn’t like who he was but I got the “why” it had to be that person. I didn’t like that the moment she figured out he liked her because she didn’t question her feelings for him. She just went to him and well, they became a couple. I mean, it was in a flash. I would’ve liked for her to at least think about if she liked him that way and not just jump into a relationship because he just liked her. But other that those things: the vocabulary and the not stopping to think if she liked the guy, I loved this book in a way I can’t even understand.

In one moment in the last chapters of the book where it just dawned on me, this book is way deeper than just any music/band book. You could understand the power that music had for the band. I felt DUMB (again!) Like, I didn’t really get it until I watched the video that one member of the band was watching and then the whole feeling of the book changed and I got why music was so important. I felt like crying. I got choked up. And I don’t even understand how the author did this. This book will touch you, it will get to you and it deserves a space on your shelf.

I was looking forward to a romance interest (like always) in the book and I felt bad that she didn’t end up with who I wanted to but I got it because it was the best choice for her, but in the end, I didn’t care much because the book wasn’t about romance, it was about music and friends and family and how it can transform you.
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Jun 29, 2012 Kat (Le Pauvre Cœur) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: boring-as-shit, disappointment, eh, i-dont-really-know-what-to-think, amazing-love-interest, unique

True rating; 3.5

Being the manager of an oddball band called Dumb isn't easy. Especially when you're deaf.
Already struggling at home Piper Vaughn is doing just that.
Let's be honest; Piper's life kind of sucks. Her parents ignore her because of new baby Grace, particularly her father who doesn't know how to sign and fails to communicate even just by talking. It turns out her parents took money out of her college fund to buy hearing implants to Grace, so now she and her family are broke.

When Dumb...more

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Nov 24, 2010 Inspired Kathy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2010

Giveaway for this great book on my blog until 12/19/10!!

http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot....

ARC Tour - 4.5 Stars - Great book!

Anthony John created a well written story with quirky, likable characters. A good mix of humor, romance, family drama, music and friendship make this an enjoyable read.

http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot....

Content: Some language including 1 F bomb.

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Jun 02, 2013 Abigail rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: grades-9-12, realistic-fiction, young-adult-fiction, re-read, schneider-award, favorites

This is definitely one of the best books I've ever read in YA fiction. Piper, a high school senior from Seattle who is deaf, becomes the manager of her school's rock band, Dumb, in order to earn money for college. This leads her on a journey of self-discovery as a mysterious e-mailer sends her to Seattle's meccas of rock 'n roll, as she forms surprising friendships with members of the band, and as she begins to work through her complicated family relationships.

Favorite quote: "I felt every part...more

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Aug 06, 2011 April rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ereader, ya, own

So, the review format is a bit different because this is a judging for the Nerds Heart YA tournament.

Summary: Seattle is home to a vibrant musical history. From Jimi Hendrix to Nirvana to DUMB. Haven’t heard of Dumb? That’s about to change as Piper becomes band manager after her parents manage to raid her college fund to pay for an expensive operation for her baby sister. Oh and did I mention that Piper is deaf? Despite not being about to hear the band, she has got the skills to have Dumb in per...more

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Jun 14, 2013 Andrea rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book gets a review from me for lots of reasons. The biggest one for me is that of course, it was good. The writing style was funny and fast paced and kept me entertained and really my only problem was that it was over too soon. I want more... like now. Also another point for me is having a deaf character. I love deaf culture and i noticied how few books and movies there are about deaf people that arent stupid and cheesy. This book seemed so down to earth and real that I instantly connected...more

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Jun 14, 2013 Rin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-fiction, deaf-characters, music, realistic-fiction, romance, young-adult-literature

At the beginning, Piper uses her deafness and people's perceptions of her as an excuse to blend in, to only succeed quietly. When she takes a dare to become the manager of a local high school band, ironically named "Dumb", she finds herself overwhelmed. She can't even hear them to know if they're good!

Consumed in her own problems, (her parents used her college money to buy her baby sister a cochlear implant, her brother is a hooligan, her best friend moved away and is increasingly distant) she...more

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Apr 07, 2013 Flor rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

This will always be one of my favorites. They were some things that just rocked my insides
•Piper. Genius! She's the kind of character that you can't help but adore. She made stupid choices, sure, she's a teen, who can blame her? But when it came to standing up for herself she nailed it. She would let herself be defined just as deaf, she voiced her thoughts and request and even she wasn't being fair to her parents or Finn, you could totally understand why she did it. I mean, I was so glad when sh...more This will always be one of my favorites. They were some things that just rocked my insides
•Piper. Genius! She's the kind of character that you can't help but adore. She made stupid choices, sure, she's a teen, who can blame her? But when it came to standing up for herself she nailed it. She would let herself be defined just as deaf, she voiced her thoughts and request and even she wasn't being fair to her parents or Finn, you could totally understand why she did it. I mean, I was so glad when she cleared things with her parents, especially her dad, because it was heartbreaking how she was being left aside. When you have brothers and sisters you can't help but get jealous if the others get much more attention than you, it a natural feeling, now add the fact her parents gave her sister something she would never have AND they bought that something with her college found. Even I was pissed at them. Nevertheless, she grew so much throughout the book, and she did it in a believable way.
•Ed. I didn't see him coming. At the beggining I really thought he was just a supporting character, but no! He was an amazing guy and cheers to him for everything he did for Piper.
Idk why I just loved when he signed "you rock my world
• Josh. Oh Josh, Josh, Josh. He almost got me for a minute. Again, I didn't see that coming. I was led to believe Piper was getting it on with him, and I just kept wondering was he such a jerk (until I realized my mistake and caught on Ed) I really, reeeally hate Josh. I don't even know what to say about him, except he got what he deserved at the end.
• I adored Belson. YES, the math teacher. For giving a message well needed these days:
"I appreciate good students, Piper. I like it when they’re polite, and prompt, and attentive. But I also like it when the best students finally catch on to the fact that they really are better than the poor students . . . when they realize they need to stop hiding out, hoping no one notices them. What I’m saying is: What took you so long?”
• And Finn. (view spoiler)

Overall, the book was amazing. It was a relief not being drowned in sugar coated, fake romance. There was some but it was the right amount.(less)

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Mar 17, 2013 Erin Hobbs rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Five Flavors of Dumb was actually a really cute book. I was a little skeptical when my mom first handed me the book (I had never heard of it or the author), but I am so glad that I read it. Piper is a quite girl, bent on getting out of highschool and running away to college. However when her parents use the money that was saved for her college, Piper must come up with a way to get money fast. She is soon presented with an opportunity after she confronts the band Dumbat school, and is offered to...more

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Nov 11, 2012 Zoe rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, ya

The story definitely had its miserable moments. A couple of times it was so depressing (or boring) I thought about giving up. Piper has a lot on her plate. On top of her deafness, she has to deal with school snubs, isolation, parental neglect (even worse, child favoritism!) and disgruntled band members. This would have made for a perfectly awful book if it didn’t have the redeeming character of Ed. Ahh, he’s a sweetheart!

I always appreciate a unique heroine. Piper uses hearing aids, sign languag...more

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Oct 25, 2012 Alicia Scully rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, gr-10-12, realistic, young-adult-lit

Piper has a hard time fitting in at school. She's a senior with good grades but she doesn't have a lot of friends and she happens to be deaf. Due to a random instance of anger where she honestly speaks her mind, she becomes the new local "it" band's manager and she learns that they aren't that good of a band. Piper must learn about music and why it matters to truly help them, and she needs to push herself to find out what she can really do.

I liked that Piper kept insisting that she didn't mind b...more Piper has a hard time fitting in at school. She's a senior with good grades but she doesn't have a lot of friends and she happens to be deaf. Due to a random instance of anger where she honestly speaks her mind, she becomes the new local "it" band's manager and she learns that they aren't that good of a band. Piper must learn about music and why it matters to truly help them, and she needs to push herself to find out what she can really do.

I liked that Piper kept insisting that she didn't mind be deaf and that she didn't consider it a disability, even though many people including her family say that it is. She has slight hearing, but she relies mainly on lip-reading and her hearing aids. There are additional issues here such as family and romance related. SPOILERS! Her baby sister has just been given hearing implants with money from Piper's college fund, and Piper is having a difficult time both with her parents taking all of her money when she'll need it soon and with the fact that they appear to have "fixed" one of their kids. Her brother and mother fluent in ASL but her father is not and both he and her brother don't like to use it so their relationships are strained. Piper's best friend who was also deaf moved away so she only has her friend Ed to keep her company and she's completely oblivious to his crush on her. She's never had a boyfriend and all she really cares about is going to a college far away with advanced ASL classes. When she becomes the manager of Dumb, she needs to understand what it is that makes music so important and that takes some time.

The musical references in this book were beautiful and the love for music was very clear here. I liked that I had relationships to root for--both familial and romantic--and that they were all believeable and well written. The book was fast-paced (I read it in a little over 24 hours) and witty. This book is so highly recommended that I would have given it more stars if I could and I'm really glad that I got a chance to read it. (less)

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Oct 04, 2012 Grant Lawson added it · review of another edition

Grant Lawson
Honors English 9
Five Flavors of Dumb

I have recently read the book Five Flavors of Dumb and I would have to give it a three. Piper is a seventeen-year-old high school senior, and she's just been challenged to get her school's super-popular rock band, Dumb, a paying gig. The catch? Piper is deaf. Can she manage a band with five wildly different musicians, nurture a budding romance, and discover her own inner rock star, though she can't hear Dumb's music?
I gave Five Flavors of Dumb a...more

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Jul 27, 2012 Amelia Loken rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: coming-of-age, romance, young-adult

So if you are interested in deaf culture or Kurt Cobain or Jimi Hendrix or starting your own garage band, this is a great book for you. Seriously, it was like a wild chex mix of stuff I would have never put together. A deaf straight-arrow teen tells the local high school garage band what they are doing wrong and they hire her as their new manager as long as she can get them a paid booking in less than a month. After the deal is struck, she figures out how seriously over-her-head she has gotten....more

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Jul 23, 2012 Maggie rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book gets 4.5 stars, and it only doesn't get 5 because very occasionally, it veered into over-angsty teen material that seemed a little forced to me. Overall, though, I loved it so much that I couldn't put it down and read it in a day.

Piper Vaughn is a senior in high school who has been tasked to manage Dumb, a band made up of the kids in the popular clique. Complicating the situation a little is the fact that she is deaf, she has a troublemaker brother, a car that functions better as a doo...more

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About Antony John

Antony John was born in England and raised on a balanced diet of fish and chips, obscure British comedies, and ABBA's Greatest Hits. In a fit of teenage rebellion, he decided to pursue a career in classical music, culminating in a BA from Oxford University and a PhD from Duke University. Along the way, he worked as an ice cream seller on a freezing English beach, a tour guide in the Netherlands, a...more

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“Don’t worry about wanting to change; start worrying when you don’t feel like changing anymore. And in the meantime, enjoy every version of yourself you ever meet, because not everybody who discovers their true identity likes what they find.” — 98 people liked it

“He was depressed. He was addicted to heroin. And I think there comes a time when all the beauty in the world just isn’t enough.” — 36 people liked it

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