From School Library Journal
Gr 10 Up—This narrative of extremes (written by an exceedingly popular Wattpad writer) moves from your worst nightmare to your greatest dream. What holds it together is its two narrators, Ali, who moves intelligently in the company of freaks and geeks, and Jace, an angry young rock star. Almost 18, Ali is Deaf and being physically abused by her father. No one believes her until she meets Jace. Ali and her best friend Avery attend a concert by Tone Deaf, a heartthrob boy band. Their friendship is refreshing—the two girls display not jealousy but awareness of how much their differences strengthen their friendship. Ali wins the raffle for a backstage tour and meets Jace, the lead guitarist and songwriter of Tone Deaf. He recognizes the abuse and aids her escape. The portrayal of Ali as Deaf is authentic and modern. She loves rock concerts for the vibrations and sensory pull of the crowd. She prefers to sign but exasperatedly reads the lips of people who talk fast or turn away as they talk. As Ali, Jace, and the band tour amid Amber alerts, surprising emotional connections are painfully forged and will resonate with young survivors of abuse, especially as Ali takes small steps toward recovery. VERDICT This gripping tale of survival has great appeal due to the parallel boy/girl narrative structure, the portrayal of a Deaf character at home in the realm of music and songwriting, and the overall pop culture tenor.—Sara Lissa Paulson, City-as-School High School, New York City
Review
A smart, sexy, and fast-paced story with a swoon-worthy love interest. Tone Deaf will be music to your ears.” Jessica Taylor, author of Wandering Wild
Much like its hero, Tone Deaf’s flashy, rock-star exterior surrounds a sweet, vulnerable soul that made it impossible to put down. It is equal parts fun and touching, with a dash of humor and lot of heart. The friendships, as well as the romance, have intense, believable chemistry, and with a giant pitbull named Cuddles thrown in the mix, I was in love!” Laura Lee Anderson, author of Song of Summer
Tone Deaf is everything that’s best about YA writinga strong story, well-defined characters we can care about with distinct voices, and the writing is like walking into Hemingway’s well-lighted room. . . . Tone Deaf’s characters will stay with me for a long time.” Douglas Rees, award-winning author of Vampire High
Olivia Rivers has hit all the right notes with Tone Deaf.” A. R. Kahler, author of Pale Queen Rising and Shades of Darkness
The portrayal of Ali as Deaf is authentic and modern. She loves rock concerts for the vibrations and sensory pull of the crowd. She prefers to sign but exasperatedly reads the lips of people who talk fast or turn away as they talk. As Ali, Jace, and the band tour amid Amber alerts, surprising emotional connections are painfully forged and will resonate with young survivors of abuse, especially as Ali takes small steps toward recovery. VERDICT This gripping tale of survival has great appeal due to the parallel boy/girl narrative structure, the portrayal of a Deaf character at home in the realm of music and songwriting, and the overall pop culture tenor.” School Library Journal
About the Author
Olivia Rivers is a hybrid author with a passion for young adult fiction. As a certified geek, she enjoys experimenting with new publishing technologies, and her online serials have received more than one million hits on Wattpad.com. When she’s not writing, Rivers works as a freelance digital artist and assists at a literary agency. She resides in Northern California.
Sky Pony Press, with our Good Books, Racehorse and Arcade imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of books for young readerspicture books for small children, chapter books, books for middle grade readers, and novels for young adults. Our list includes bestsellers for children who love to play Minecraft; stories told with LEGO bricks; books that teach lessons about tolerance, patience, and the environment, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.
