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wollstonecrafty's review
sets a high standard for responsible, nuanced historical fiction
celestialsheep's review
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Definitely read for ASL II
roseleaf24's review
4.0
This is a gripping story about Mary trying to reach a deaf girl who is being maltreated, to give her the same acceptance and ability to communicate that she has had in her home community. The story of their relationship is great, and the mystery of Beatrice's backstory is engaging. The social commentary is great for identifying the problems at the time and making clear the problems we still face, but it felt at times little too direct and a little too modern for characters from 250 years ago. I appreciated that Mary has to work through living with her friends' racism, not letting it go unchallenged but also not losing the friendship.
schrammanda's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
thebookwitch876's review
adventurous
dark
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
carolineinthelibrary's review
5.0
Just like "Show Me a Sign", I absolutely loved Ann Clare LeZotte's ability to write history and deaf culture into a riveting fiction book. This second adventure of Mary's was engaging and heartbreaking, because as LeZotte notes in her Author's Note, while the characters are fictitious, the treatment of both Indigenous people and Deaf people throughout history has harmed many and left others behind. I thought the story told was an important one and found myself rooting for Mary throughout the book and beyond, hoping that the character had the opportunity to change more lives by introducing MVSL to those not familiar with it.
lmcoffman's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
jwinchell's review
4.0
A strong follow-up to Show Me a Sign, Set Me Free is about Mary becoming a teacher. The circumstances of her pupil are strange but the back matter of the book explains Martha’s Vineyard Sign Language and the native people who live there and on Cape Cod.
mbrandmaier's review
3.0
When Mary leaves the Vineyard to try and tutor a young Deaf girl, she discovers that there is something sinister afoot at the estate where she is staying.