Of Sound Mind

Rating:
Summary: untitled
Review: I enjoyed this book for the honest look at the feelings of the two teenagers, Ivy and Theo. Theo is angry and exhausted by the demands placed on him as the only hearing person in a deaf household. Ivy doesn't have as much problem with that aspect of dealing with deafness, but she does have to deal with being abandoned by her mother.

There were a few minor problems with the book that left me feeling a bit short-changed, though. It was never clear to me that Theo really did have a passion for math. He is referred to as a math person, but I just didn't feel the urge of his hopes and his dreams - they weren't nearly as real as his exhaustion with his mother or his attraction to Ivy.

The other thing that bothered me was the last chapter - the telling of how it all comes out. This was way too simplistic for me - a sort of "and they lived happily ever after" ending.

Still, it is a worthwhile read, if only to "hear" the real feelings of people in a household that is considered to be different.

Rating:
Summary: of sound mind
Review: I thought that this book was great! It shows how Theo a hearing 17-year-old young man lives and deals with an all-deaf family. How he has to make phone calls for his mother, and help his brother with homework because he doesn't understand the teacher. Theo never goes out or hangs round with friends because everyone at home is counting on him to help him with the thing they need to do to get on with life.
I also liked this book because it shows how mature Theo is. He has to take care of his father and brother, after his father had a stroke, because their mother/ wife is too frightened to deal with the family's situation.
This was a great book and I recommend it to everyone, young and old.

Rating:
Summary: Too much angst and sympathy
Review: I was looking forward to reading this book, because I know people who are deaf and have survived strokes. However, the characters in this story are very one-dimensional, the plot is thin, and even for a book written for young adults, the main character and his mother are much too angst-ridden.

Lastly, I know very few people who are deaf who as DEPENDENT and ISOLATED as Palma, especially in contemporary society where we have so much technology to take advantage of (TTYs, closed captions, computers, etc. etc. etc.). Most people who are deaf lead very fulfilling lives in the company of both deaf and hearing people.

Rating:
Summary: Too much angst and sympathy
Review: Jean Ferris' Of Sound Mind is a striking story of a boy whose family is deaf. He serves as interpreter and often as the semi-head of household in a silent world where his parents often struggle with hearing people and daily living challenges. Theo wants to go away to school - but how can he leave his dependent family? A striking story of coming of age and disability.

Rating:
Summary: Love At First Sign
Review: Of Sound Mind is a novel about Theo, a senior in high school, and his deaf family. He is the only in his family that can hear. He is often stuck translating and doing most of the work around the house. Theo is having complications deciding whether or not he will attend college, or stay around to help care for his family. Going to MIT has been Theo's lifelong dream. After an unexpected death in Theo's family, he feels that he could never go to college and leave the remainder of his family. Theo's girlfriend, Ivy, also has a deaf father. Ivy helps Theo to understand that his life is important also. She helps Theo to make decisions that will better him for the future. In the end, Theo has to decide whether or not he is going to live his life for his family, or if he's going to live his life for himself.
Of Sound Mind is a book written for anyone who has not made a decision about something important in his or her life and needs to make a decision before time runs out. This book is very appealing because you are left in suspense all throughout the novel. You never know what's coming next, and you are definitely left in the dark about what Theo's final decision will be.
Of Sound Mind is a book for both male and female audiences. It can be helpful to both sexes. There is actually a love story taking place, but you get the chance to explore the love story from a male's point of view. Of Sound Mind is a great novel that is destined to become a classic young adult book. There are not many authors who write novels about deafness, blindness, or other handicaps that are a reality. People of all different ages, races, sexes, and conditions can relate to this novel. Deafness may not be the problem in someone's family, but there may be other problems taking place and there are no solutions for the problems. Anyone in a situation with no solution needs to read Of Sound Mind.
(I gave Of Sound Mind five stars for being quite possibly the best book I've read, or one of the best. It is very uplifting, and one of those books that you are able to read over and over and still appreciate it.)

Rating:
Summary: Sad but Loving
Review: Summary: This book is about a boy named Theo. The one thing is this book has a twist to it, one his mom and dad are deaf, and his brother is deaf. So then Theo has to follow them around his whole life translating there words. He also meets a girl, her name is Ivy. She is very nice and funny. Plus her family is just like Theo. Her parents are deaf so she has to translate everything for them.
Also Theo's father gets sick and has to go to the hospital for his sickness.................. so read the book so you can find out what happened to Theo's dad.

Liked: I liked how much they showed love for each other. Also for how much they expressed there feelings about each other.

Didn't like: I didn't like how much they used big words like for example, appropriate treatment, because I have no idea what it means. Also they don't even bother to explain it.

Recommend: I would recommend this to people who have strong feelings about things people are suffering from. So then read this book.


Rating:
Summary: Very realistic and heart-wrenching book.
Review: Theo, a senior in high school, dreams of going to MIT to study mathematics, but he knows it's a dream that will never happen. As the only hearing member of his family, Theo feels tied to his deaf parents and little brother. His mother, a famous sculptor named Palma, depends on Theo to be her interpreter with the hearing world; she treats Theo like a servant who is always on call. He doesn't see how he can escape from it, though --- how could his family get along without him?

Then Ivy arrives at Theo's school. She has a deaf parent, too, but she doesn't seem to resent it the way Theo does. She tells him that he can't let his family's deafness interfere with the life he should be making for himself. Theo doesn't think she really understands his problem, but he starts filling out college applications, and he starts hoping. Then tragedy happens. Palma feels totally helpless, and as a result, Theo has to take over the family completely.

Is there a happy ending for Theo? Read this very realistic and heart-wrenching book to find out.

--- Reviewed by Tamara Penny