Spoilers for The Silence Between Us by Alison Gervais

This book has been on my TBR for years, and I was finally able to read it via inter-library loan. I listened to the audiobook and I liked it overall, but I do have some complaints. It is a story that needs to be told; we need more diversity in YA fiction. The author is hard of hearing and adds a lot of authenticity to the story and the character of Maya. Therefore, I am hesitant to criticize her work since she knows way more about the Deaf community than me. However, it is pacing and the writing choices in the book that I think could be improved upon. If her editors had made her tweak a few things, I think the story would be stronger and more impactful.

There are a few unanswered questions in the book that gnawed at me while reading. Firstly, why do they move to Colorado? I thought it was because of Connor’s health, but then it states that it’s harder for him to breathe due to the altitude. So, then I thought it was for the mom’s job. But that is not explicitly stated, and we also do not know what the mom does for work. I am assuming she has a desk job and is a manager with a decent salary because she is vaguely tired and stressed from work. Second, we do not know anything about Maya’s dad. I am assuming her parents got divorced, but I think it’s odd that she never thinks about him, never mentions him to anyone, and no one asks about him. I think if her dad had passed away, she would have told Beau because his mom passed away and he told Maya what happened. Also, I think Maya and Connor have the same dad even though they are seven years apart, but that’s not confirmed. Third, I don’t think we get an explanation on what attracted Beau to Maya. Is it just because she is a new student, is it because she is ‘different’ (deaf), is it because of her personality or her beauty? Overall, these lingering questions keep the story from feeling grounded in reality for me, and I think they could have easily been rectified with a few explanatory sentences.

In addition, I think the pacing in the book was off, with not much action in first 75% of the book and then finally all the juicy stuff happens in the last 25% of the book. For example, Beau finally asks Maya on a date, they go on a super cute date, Beau gets into Yale and has a party, Maya gets into college and finds out there is a waitlist for getting an interpreter, Maya applies for a job and is rejected, Maya and Beau fight about getting a Cochlear implant (CI), and then they resolve their fight and make up.

I think the story would have been more engaging if these key plot points had been spread out. For instance, if Maya had gotten rejected from the job earlier, then her and Beau could have had a discussion about discrimination and CIs earlier as well. That way when he brings it up again a few months later at her birthday party, it would be more upsetting because she thought that discussion was behind them.

The overall thesis of the book is the divide between hearing people and deaf people, and I wish the author explored that in a deeper and more subtle ways. I am very glad she discusses CIs, but it does feel repetitive since Maya not wanting a CI seems to come up once in the first half of the book and then four times in the second half of the book.

I think there are a lot more differences between a deaf person and a hearing person seeking to be a couple that could have been discussed. The only fight they have as a couple is about CIs, and as friends they fight a little about ableism and Jackson. They have a small disagreement about the job interview discrimination, but it’s not the deep discussion it could have been. I was waiting for Maya to tell Beau how she thinks his dad doesn’t like her simply because she is deaf or how hard it is for her to be with Mr. Popular since no one else knows ASL and people give her funny looks.

This book feels like a solid second or third draft manuscript. In the interview at the end of the book, the author stated that she only had a few months to write the book. I wish she was given more time to develop the characters and plot lines instead of having to rush to meet a publishing deadline. I think if her editors had pointed out the pacing issues, unanswered questions, and underdeveloped characters, the story could have been tighter and the themes more meaningful. The concept is excellent, but the execution was rushed, in my opinion.

Now onto the good stuff. I love how we get to see Maya communicate in ASL and how she misses words while lip reading. It feels realistic and gives dimension to the story. I thought it was interesting that she went deaf as a teenager. I love how Maya likes being Deaf and doesn’t want a CI. The conversation around getting or not getting a Cochlear implant was a strong theme in the story and handled well. The scene where Maya goes to the café for the Deaf kids meetup and then all the kids have CIs and don’t use sign language was well written. It was such a gut punch for Maya and shows the varied experiences of people with hearing loss. Also, I like how Maya stands up for herself and calls out ableism in her classmates.

My favorite site character was Kathleen. I think she’s amazing, and I would totally read a book about her life. I want to know why she became an interpreter. I also love Connor and how Maya wants to be a respiratory therapist because Connor has Cystic Fibrosis. It was heartbreaking when they went to the hospital and Maya was freaking out because she couldn’t communicate since the VI system was down. Beau is a sweetheart and a likeable character, and I think he was a good fit for Maya. I like their romance even if it felt underdeveloped for me. One of my favorite parts of the book is the college worries. That felt like a relatable struggle specific to senior year of high school. I was so upset when Maya was put on a waitlist for getting an interpreter. I did not know that was a thing!

The book does explore how Maya is discriminated against— we see it at school, trying to get a job, trying to plan for college, and at the hospital. But we don’t see how she and Beau try to navigate the discrimination as a couple. They don’t spend much time in the book as an official couple. But I like how their relationship changes from friends to dating. They do navigate problems together as friends, which is important and probably a reason why they end up dating.

Overall, I think this is a good book, and it is informative about the Deaf community in a digestive way. It is a sweet, clean, and relatively light-hearted romance while still having plenty of substance. It is slow in the middle, but the ending is great.