Review Detail

SUGARING OFF is an intriguing YA contemporary with a hint of mystery. Owl lives with her aunt and uncle on their maple tree farm, where she helps them with harvesting and production. Owl is deaf from an injury when she was a child. She can read lips and she struggles with finding her place between deaf and hearing because she still has a little bit of hearing in one ear. At school, she gets special instruction from a teacher to learn ASL, but mostly she reads lips and responds verbally.

Her uncle is having trouble with old injuries and decides to hire Cody, the boy staying with a relative nearby. Cody immediately gets off on the wrong foot with Owl, but they must work together. As they do and begin to learn more about the other, an attraction grows. At the same time, Owl's father is getting out of prison and trying to get in touch with her - something Owl is sure she does not want. As she struggles with the trauma of the past and worries over the future, Cody is beginning to self-destruct from his own trauma.

What I loved: Owl is a really compelling character, and the inclusion of someone who is deaf is really important. Her being deaf is a part of her story, but it is only a small part amidst the relationship challenges she faces. Themes around language, the importance of speaking in your own way, trauma and healing, the complexity of family, and teen relationships (friendship and romantic) were intriguing and drive the story in addition to the mysteries. The reason that Owl's father is in prison is because of what happened to Owl, but this is not something the reader learns until later. This mystery as well as those around Cody and what will happen with her father newly released are what keep the reader going.

What left me wanting more: The pace is quite slow, particularly early on. I struggled with really getting into the story, and this was mainly because of Cody. He is particularly cruel to Owl at times, particularly earlier on, and this is not fully resolved. However, this type of relationship is certainly true to real life, but it was like watching a crash you can see coming. It would have been great to have more conversations about the problems there, but it was really hard to read their scenes with that foreboding feeling. Having more of his perspective or discussion from his side could have helped with this as well. Regardless, given that most of the story is about Owl, if the reader maintains that focus, it could be clear how young love changes someone, even when it's not the best.

Final verdict: SUGARING OFF is an intriguing YA story about Owl, and her journey in the aftermath of trauma, with young love and coming to terms with her deafness.