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6th out of 45 books
—
47 voters
Of Sound Mind
by
Jean Ferris
A poignant novel partially set in a world of silence
High school senior Theo is fluent in two languages: spoken English and sign. His parents and brother, Jeremy, are deaf, but Theo can hear, which has over the years cast him in the role of interpreter for his family. Unfortunately, it's not a welcome duty, especially in the case of his mother, Palma. She is a successful sc...more
High school senior Theo is fluent in two languages: spoken English and sign. His parents and brother, Jeremy, are deaf, but Theo can hear, which has over the years cast him in the role of interpreter for his family. Unfortunately, it's not a welcome duty, especially in the case of his mother, Palma. She is a successful sc...more
Paperback, 224 pages
Published
April 2nd 2004
by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
(first published September 24th 2001)
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Plot
Theo's world revolves, unlike many of his high school peers, not around himself but around the other three members of his family, all of whom are deaf. As the only hearing member of his family, he is fluent in ASL and spends most of his time as his mother's assistant. She is a celebrated artist and non-stop prima donna. His father goes to the opposite extreme and tries to do everything on his own, which can be just as worrying. Theo struggles not only with his forced role as right hand to hi...more
Theo's world revolves, unlike many of his high school peers, not around himself but around the other three members of his family, all of whom are deaf. As the only hearing member of his family, he is fluent in ASL and spends most of his time as his mother's assistant. She is a celebrated artist and non-stop prima donna. His father goes to the opposite extreme and tries to do everything on his own, which can be just as worrying. Theo struggles not only with his forced role as right hand to hi...more
This book isn't so much about being deaf or having deaf parents while being hearing, so much as it is about the deeper themes of belonging, being needed, and responsibility to yourself vs. your family. I liked that the author put the main character, Theo in a caregiving role, since statistically it is the female members of a family who step up to fill that role. It left me with a happy feeling at the end, without being too sappy or unrealistic. I read it in about 4 hours and felt satisfied. It a...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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Dec 23, 2012
Thalia
rated it
1 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Nobody
Recommended to Thalia by:
ASL III
I’ve been taking American Sign Language for the last three years at school, and it’s essentially one of the best classes ever. I love everything we do, and I love learning the language because it’s just beautiful. However, the assignment to read this book? I really could have done without it.
To be honest, I wasn’t expecting much in the first place because it’s so short and I’m generally wary of any books I read in a class that aren’t classics. Some books you can just tell were written for a clas...more
To be honest, I wasn’t expecting much in the first place because it’s so short and I’m generally wary of any books I read in a class that aren’t classics. Some books you can just tell were written for a clas...more
view all 6 comments
Since I sign and I have cousins who are hearing impaired I was draw to this book. One of my dearest friend's daughter told me how hard it was growing up signing for her mother all the time. She loved her mother but felt she had missed her childhood, I never could fully understand how hard it was for her. I thought her mother was the greatest. Reading this book opens my eyes a bit to being a hearing child from a deaf family. I know my friend's daughter told me of having to sign for her mother at...more
Of Sound Mind is an fine portrayal of the ambiguities of being a hearing child of deaf parents and of a young man forced to act as a adult early in his life. It explores the themes of responsibility and independence. While Dad's initial stroke is key to the story (and even telegraphed in the book blurb), I can't help but trying to find resolutions to the story without (view spoiler) T...more
I totally loved this book. Theo is not a normal high school senior. His entire family is deaf. He’s dedicated to his family, to take care of them and to always being there to help them even if this might affect his future. He loves his family but wants to go to college and go away from home at the same time. This becomes a really hard decision until he meets this girl who totally changes his mind and helps him realize that can do both things at the same time, love and take care of his family and...more
Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com
For Theo, dealing with deafness is simply a way of life. Being the only hearing person in a family that includes a deaf father, deaf mother, and deaf younger brother has taken it's toll on Theo--he doesn't have his own life, not really, since he's always dealing with interpreting for his family. His mother, Palma, is a famous sculptor, and she depends on Theo to make her phone calls, deal with galleries, and basically do anything and everything that she asks. H...more
For Theo, dealing with deafness is simply a way of life. Being the only hearing person in a family that includes a deaf father, deaf mother, and deaf younger brother has taken it's toll on Theo--he doesn't have his own life, not really, since he's always dealing with interpreting for his family. His mother, Palma, is a famous sculptor, and she depends on Theo to make her phone calls, deal with galleries, and basically do anything and everything that she asks. H...more
In the beginning this book had my attention and made me want to read more. It interested me because of the sign language in the story. Even though Theo goes through life with a different view because of his parents being deaf, he still faces the reality all teenagers face. Especially when it comes to being in love and pursuing your dreams. When things get tough, he doesn't give up though, which I admired. I recommend this book to teenagers, they can relate to the story line with Theo.
The theme of how much a young adult owes their family is not one we see often with a male protagonist. Theo feels trapped into taking care of his non-hearing family, especially after his father suffers an illness. The question he has to ask himself is how much of his own life should he have to give up in order to take care of his family? Theo is a well developed character, and the conflict that he faces is believable. All around, this is a sweet story about family.
A few years ago, I was sent this book. This is the story of a young boy named Theo. He lives in the typical All-American family , except for the fact that he's the only one that can hear. This book features both spoken and signed dialog, and artfully captures the feelings of everyone in the story.
This book inspired me to go into American Sign Language interpretation.
This book inspired me to go into American Sign Language interpretation.
Good book--read it in a day (we're testing right now, and hey, I got all of my grading done). Anyway, I liked how it explored life for someone with deaf parents and a deaf sibling and how sometimes you can take on too much responsibility and feel resentful and worried and a whole range of mixed emotions.
Definitely a refreshing read.
Definitely a refreshing read.
I really love this book because it goes beyond the scope of 'hearing kid with a deaf family' with all the details: from model airplanes and cooking to the relationships of mother and son, friend and friend, every sentence seems to resonate with a deep sense of reality and feeling.
I read this book a while ago but the feeling of it remains. It's the story of Theo the only hearing member in his family. He meets Ivy, a strong girl who can sign and hear and it's the start of a brand new life for Theo. Coming of age story that sticks with you.
While this is about a hearing high school boy whose whole family is deaf, it's more about the dynamics of their personalities than hearing vs. deafness. Yes, his life is different because his family is deaf, but some issues transcend that.
This book is an interesting window into the lives of the deaf and their families. I learned a lot about how differently they do things and about the struggles hearing kids have with deaf parents. Definitely written for the teen audience.
Mar 19, 2009
Donna
added it
My 14 year old daughter recommended this. It was ok, written toward her adolesce target. I like to read things my daughter has read so we can talk about them though. Not big on a recommendation list unless you have teenagers.
Theo 17 yrs fluent in ASL because of his parents & brother are deaf feels the strain of his responsibliblity as interpreter for them, makes friends w/Ivy another teen who knows ASL & helps him deal w/the train of his role. Great
This is a Young Adult novel - gives some insight into families with deaf members, daily trials and tribulations. Written for younger readers - so much so, that I think even I could write a YA book!
Nov 27, 2011
Opal Otenburg
added it
Of Sound Mind is a great book that inspired me greatly. It's about Theo who is a high school senior with a deaf family. Jean Ferris really captured Theo's feelings in Of Sound Mind.
Great YA book! You can feel the powerless struggle he feels like he's locked into. Great way of depicting the hearless world-you get a sense for a deaf person's everyday comings and goings.
A beautiful depiction of people caught in two worlds and how love transcends it all. It was a novel of how we are all just searching for someone who understands...
I bought this book right after I read the review.
After reading this book, I would like to say that this book is the best book ever
Hat's up for the author.
After reading this book, I would like to say that this book is the best book ever
Hat's up for the author.
Informative and interesting peek into the lives of a family with both parents deaf, one son deaf and one son hearing. A tad of young adult romance also.
I'm reading this for PPYA, but even though I have to read it I'm really enjoying it. Theo is the only person in his family who can hear - his parents and his younger brother are all deaf. As a result, they all use Theo to interpret for them - which means that he doesn't have much of a personal life. When his dad has a stroke, Theo's mom completely loses it. She actually wants Theo to drop out of school and stay home to deal with the household tasks and keeping an eye on his dad! This one is so s...more
I'd absulutely love to read this book...unfourtnately, it's not on the nook. So I'm sad to say I'll have to wait a while on this one.
this book had a good lesson. People are going to be how they want to be and we have to just go on with our live.
Quick, easy read, but I didn't enjoy it. Palma irritated me so much I almost put it down several time.
I read this book a while ago and as far as I remember it was a really good book
Have you read this great deaf-centered young adult lit book? Most haven't, and should.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What's The Name o...: Teenager whose parents are deaf [s] | 3 | 22 | Mar 26, 2013 07:20pm |
This author is not afraid to tackle difficult subjects: living with a deaf parent (Of Sound Mind), facing the consequences of a criminal act (Bad), or questioning one's sexuality (Eight Seconds). But Jean Ferris is also adept at writing comedy, historical fiction, and romance. What's most interesting is that she didn't publish her first novel until she was in her mid-40s. Yet she's never forgotten...more
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