Review: Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John
Title: Five Flavors of Dumb
Hardcover, 352 pages
Author: Antony John
Publisher: Dial
Publication Date: November 11, 2010
Source: Library
Buy: Amazon
Book Summary:
The Challenge: Piper has one month to get the rock band Dumb a paying gig.
The Deal: If she does it, Piper will become the band’s manager and get her share of the profits.
The Catch: How can Piper possibly manage one egomaniacal pretty boy, one talentless piece of eye candy, one crush, one silent rocker, and one angry girl? And how can she do it when she’s deaf?
Piper can’t hear Dumb’s music, but with growing self-confidence, a budding romance, and a new understanding of the decision her family made to buy a cochlear implant for her deaf baby sister, she discovers her own inner rock star and what it truly means to be a flavor of Dumb.
Review:
Five Flavors of Dumb is a very good contemporary novel about a girl who is deaf and trying to find her place.
And even more complex – she ends up agreeing to be the manager of a rock band. So not only did Antony John, as a male author, write a female character – he also created one that was deaf in a very aural centered plot. Hey, great job Antony!
Piper is a character who is very well done. Her lack of hearing is never shoved down your throat, which I think would have been easy to do considering it changes all of the interactions she has throughout the book dealing with a rock band. Instead you’re reading along and noticing how things are different for Piper because of her hearing rather than being told straight out about it. It made me consider a lot about hearing loss and how I should act when around those with hearing loss (making sure you face them when speaking, sitting across from them in a restaurant).
The music plot didn’t always grab me, but Piper as an individual kept me reading throughout. The writing of Antony John is superb, and I can see why Five Flavors of Dumb won an award this year.
Buy: Amazon
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Twitter: 365DaysReading
Five Flavors of Dumb really sounds unique! I love the concept. It’s been in my TBR for quite some time.
And I’m so glad that Antony John does a lot of showing, not telling, in terms of Piper’s deaf-ness! Had he done the opposite, I’d have probably been annoyed.
Thanks for the review! =)
I haven’t actually purchased this novel but I’ve heard all around that it was a good read. I like the contrast of her being deaf and managing a rock band. Thanks for the honest review!
Twitter: BasicallyBooks
I just finished reading this one, and I loved it! I thought that Piper was a brilliant character and I agree that the way the author wrote a deaf character in a very aural plot was amazingly well done! Great review!
Thanks Ashley! Glad you liked the book too, I’ve seen a lot of great reviews and it makes me happy
i am in the middle of reading it for my english class and so far i am loving it, we have 11 days to read one book i think i may be done with it before that!!
Hooray!! Did you get to choose whatever book you wanted, or was there a specific list?
A girl who is deaf managing a band? Could that even work? Apparently yes! Great read and thanks for the review.
Piper gives us inspiration and make us become more tactful around those who have hearing disability.
THanks for the great review.
-Jas