THE LOUDEST SILENCE

Casey Kowalski, new to Miami from Portland, Oregon, became Deaf-Hard of Hearing several months ago.

Casey, who’s white, is adjusting to life between the Hearing and Deaf worlds. She’s determined to make it through junior year without forming any connections as she grieves her identity as a singer and the loss of the friends and boyfriend who dumped her when she lost her hearing. Cuban and Italian American Hayden González-Rossi is expected to follow in the footsteps of his legendary fútbol family, but he dreams of performing on Broadway. The teens’ shared musical passion grows stronger when Casey joins Hayden’s friend group and he becomes her ASL student, creative partner, and closest confidant. The unlikely pair give each other strength to become fully themselves. Langford highlights the social and accessibility issues Casey faces, including auditory fatigue and ableism, alongside Hayden’s realization that he’s struggled for years with generalized anxiety disorder. Unfortunately, many lessons, while vital, are conveyed didactically rather than shown through emotional beats. ASL and simultaneous communication are both described and translated, an effective approach that draws readers into Casey’s experience of language. Her embrace of Deaf identity and culture is a welcome and important touchstone of her journey. The friendship between acerbic, tough, bisexual Casey and soft-hearted, earnest Hayden, who’s asexual and aromantic, is sweetly and unconditionally loving as well as refreshing, given the relative scarcity of portrayals of boy-girl friendships.

A wholesome ode to devoted friendship.