I’m always hone in on books with disability rep because I feel it’s way way underdone in YA!
Impossible Music features a profoundly deaf teen. Simon is an ex-wannabe-rock-god who has a stroke and wakes up profoundly deaf (it’s a very rare brain damage) and the story is basically him trying to reconcile his musician identity with being deaf. It’s obviously very deeply about grief. He lost a huge part of himself and he’s struggling…and you really really feel the depth and aching of that loss with him.
But what I appreciate? While Simon is rejecting his disability (refusing to learn sign language; doesn’t want to be considered as deaf; etc etc) the story overall is about being empowered as a disabled person. I appreciate. 🤗
*:·ﾟ✧ a quick pause for confusion *:·ﾟ✧
I do admit the book did leave me staring fiercely at the pages trying to grasp everything that was said. I don’t really know how to explain what fell apart for me? 😬 It was really…philosophical and psychological about the analysing of what means MEANS. Simon is writing “impossible music”, aka music that has no sound. And look they went into detail about this but I still don’t get it lol.
The story also is basically told; not shown. Not my fave but a definite style.
*:·ﾟ✧ here for the characters! *:·ﾟ✧
// SIMON = ok I loved this messed up struggling kid. He’s drowning a bit, trying to deny his grief but also feed it with his refusal to face his deafness. His profound sense of loss and missing things (like just the sound of his guitar plugging into an amp) really hits him. He’s grieving and trying not to be a bitter snark about it. I did love his arc!
// G = also known as George-who-loves-coffee. Aka the LOVE INTEREST. She did feel a bit like a manic pixie dream girl (purple hair and orange lipstick and plays roller derby etc), but I liked her storyline a lot! She had tinnitus, which I realised I did NOT understand before reading this. She and Simon are a clashing hot mess together…but I did think they complimented each other.💛😫Also she tells him if he ever shows up to apologise to her and doesn’t bring coffee — hE CAN JUST LEAVE AGAIN. 😂
// SECONDARY CHARACTERS = um most of them were rather horrible to Simon lolol wow. His little sister is a total jerk particularly.
*:·ﾟ✧ deaf representation *:·ﾟ✧
I’m always wary of discussing an author IN a review; because tbh, a book review is about the book. But I’ve seen lots of comments on Goodreads about how a hearing author has written an intensely personal story about coming to term with deafness, and I agree that’s something to think about. I’m not deaf, but as someone with a disability, I do think the rep was done with respect. Also (from the author’s note) there was Deaf people collabing and reading it too and the author took 3 years learning sign language.
So idk. I mention this because I don’t think it’s fair to dismiss a book for not being #ownvoices BUT at the same time, especially with stories that are about what it’s like to be deaf but not by a deaf author, I do feel cautious. 😐
*:·ﾟ✧ OVERALL *:·ﾟ✧
This was a story of raw grief, of intense love and obsession with music, and of how your identity doesn’t have to be lost if your life changes — it can be reshaped to fit your journey. Simon was sad and a little jagged about the edges, but I really liked him! Some parts lost me (lol oops) but it was an interesting story.
thank you to Allen & Unwin for the review copy. IMPOSSIBLE MUSIC by Sean Williams is out now!
GOODREADS | BOOK DEPOSITORY | AMAZON | BOOKTOPIA | Allen & Unwin
When the song is over, what remains? A novel about rediscovering yourself when everything you once took for granted is gone.
Music is Simon’s life – which is why he is devastated when a ministroke obliterates his hearing. He resists attempts to help him adjust to his new state, refusing to be counselled, refusing to learn sign language, refusing to have anything to do with Deaf culture. Refusing, that is, until he meets G, a tough-as-nails girl dealing with her own newly experienced hearing loss.
In an emotionally compelling tale crackling with originality, Simon’s quest to create an entirely new form of music forces him into a deeper understanding of his relationship to the hearing world, of himself, and of the girl he meets along the way.
| WHAT DO YOU THINK |
have you read many YA books with disability rep this year? is this one on your TBR at all?
Seems like a very intriguing and new plot!
Lotte | http://www.lottelauv.blogspot.co.uk
It was intriguing!
I actually haven’t heard of this one, which I find strange because I’m usually all over the deaf ya books. While I’m hearing myself, the Deaf community has been a great interest of mine for a long time, and I hope to start studying toward a Diploma in Auslan next year.
I don’t think a book has to be ownvoices to be good but Ownvoices books are better and have a certain authenticity to them that (most) non-ownvoices books don’t. I definitely think I’ll see what the Deaf/HOH community says about this one though. Thanks for reviewing it!
Oh definitely agree with the OV vs non-OV rep! And I’m never going to say “authors should only write what they’ve experienced” because that’s a great way to stagnate authors and creativity bleh. BUT. I think there is something to be said about writing rep about what-it’s-like-to-be-something…when you’re not it? Like I’d feel uncomfortable about a book about what it’s like to BE autistic written by an allistic author. But yeah! Definitely not saying the rep is bad…but I’m curious as to what HoH/Deaf readers think.
(Also good luck for your AUSLAN diploma!! I’d love to learn sign language honestly too.)
This one was on my TBR but after a few reviews of people saying they were confused what was happening, I’m not sure that I want to pick it up. I like when there is interesting flow and dialogue, but I need to still know what’s going on! Thanks for sharing this review, Cait!
I’m kind of relieved it wasn’t just me who was confused then 😂 I think it had some great concepts! But I just wasn’t always following?
I took one look at the cover, and realized that, sometime long ago, I had added it to my TBR pile.
And then never read it.
Oopsie. 😂
I’ll have to try and make a bigger effort to find it somewhere so I can read. *heads to the library*
The library is the besssst. I hope they have it!!
This book sounds good! So I shall be putting it on my wishlist :). I do love disability rep that is well done. I think I’ve only read one book with a deaf main character, and that was A Quiet Kind of Thunder by Sara Barnard. I loved it (though I didn’t get on so well with another book by the author, and I don’t think she is deaf), I’m pretty sure you loved that one as well, I think I picked it up based on your recommendation (but I could be wrong!). Great review post :)!
Yes I loved that one too!! And like definitely NOT saying that authors shouldn’t write things they’re not part of. But with A Quiet Kind of Thunder, the love interest was deaf so it wasn’t his perspective and the story wasn’t about what it was like to BE deaf. Whereas for this book; it’s about it IS to be Deaf. But like I said in the review: I don’t think it was bad rep? I’m just not sure haha.
I was born profoundly Deaf, so I have no personal experience with having to “adapt.” I have to know quite a few people when I was in school, High School ( I attended a Deaf school), especially who lost their hearing OVERNIGHT. There was this one dude I remember who was sick then developed a high fever, and when he woke up, he was completely deaf. The just blew my pre-lingual Deaf mind. We would all be pestering him like WHAT DOES BEING ABLE TO HAR FEEL LIKE?! It got so bad that a teacher explained that he was going through a difficult time and he was grieving and all of that. I have met quite a few more people that have went deaf fast, and I like to think I have a decent understanding of what they went through. I will have to get me a copy of this book and read it myself before I start throwing stones at a hearing person though.
Oh wow I’d LOVE to know your thoughts on this if you do read it!! I think there’s so many experiences of Deafness and Deaf culture, of course, so I’m not being overly skeptical of the author. And I thought it felt like respectful rep? But I’d love to know what someone who is actually Deaf also thinks.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Hillary!!
Thanks for a great review. I’m cautious about picking this book up cause I dance with deafness. I developed Tinnitus and have partial deafness in one ear. I will most likely end up deaf before I reach 60. I’m not a rock musician or anything like that but music and audiobooks are like my soul.
I might have to think before I pick this one up.
I would so so like to know what you think of this rep then, if you do read it!! I’m definitely not here saying it sounds problematic or ANYTHING like that. It’s just such a personal thing, to write about what it’s like to be something. So idk. Many mixed thoughts and feelings for me and I know I haven’t articulated it very well.😬 But I’d feel off reading a book by an allistic person saying “this is what it is to be autistic!!” so those are the feels I carry into this too. I’ve only seen one OV review and it gave the book 1-star lol. So I’d love to find more OV reviews!
I mean, I’ve read Ownvoices books that didn’t really fit my own experiences and represent me, so after that I kind of went a little easier on authors writing outside their experience XD It won’t be totally accurate, and a lot of research is obviously required, but then MY books I write about my own experiences aren’t going to fit everyone else’s.
This sounds like an interesting book! Although books where I can’t understand what’s going on can kill my soul sometimes…Maybe I’ll think about this one for a little while. XD
Yes definitely agree with that! And honestly I’ve read some books with the bEST most relatable rep for me (anxiety/autism) and they haven’t been by OV. I just always am hesitant when it’s about what it’s like to be something you’re not. But I have confusing feelings on it, so I don’t even know. 😂
Deaf representation is awesome! And aren’t we all wannabe-rock-gods underneath?? This sounds like such a touching story, I can’t wait to read it. Disabilities are so under-represented. I’ve read maybe one or two books this year with them at all.
I saw this book on NetGalley and got really excited, but then slowly lost interest as the reviews came in. I know that disability rep is a really tricky thing to get right and having been SEVERELY let down before, I didn’t want to chance it. I will say that the premise still sounds amazing, and that cover keeps drawing me in, so it’s possible I’ll pick it up at some point, but probably not in the near future.