2015 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Signs by Anna Martin

[reviews_and_ramblings]

Signs by Anna Martin
Gay Contemporary Romance
Paperback: 200 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (March 20, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1632168103
ISBN-13: 978-1632168108
Amazon: Signs
Amazon Kindle: Signs

After spending most of his life in special schools, Caleb Stone now faces public high school in his senior year, a prospect that both excites him and threatens to overwhelm his social anxiety. As a deaf teenager, he’s closed himself off to the world. He speaks a shorthand with his parents and even finds it hard to use American Sign Language with people in his local deaf community. But Caleb finds comfort in his love of photography. Everything he can’t express in real life, he posts on his Tumblr.

Struggling to reconcile his resentment for his father's cruelty with the grief of losing a parent, Luc Le Bautillier scrolls through Tumblr searching for someone who might understand his goth look and effeminate nature. When Luc reblogs a photo by Caleb, sparking a conversation, they both find it easier to make friends online than in person.

Luc and Caleb confront their fears about the opinions of the outside world to meet in New York City. Despite Caleb’s increasing confidence, his parents worry he’s not ready for the trials ahead. But communication comes in many forms—when you learn the signs.


Loved the story and its characters. I thought the characters were very realistic, and I got sucked into their story very quickly. New to me author but now I've read two I'll be definitely more.

This was a very nice story with a lot of interest in it, and I learned a lot. Two nice you g men trying to help each other as much as they could - a very equitable relationship. I didn't think the writing style translated into a good reading style at the beginning, but either I got used to it or it improved. I liked the way the author ex-plained how she had chosen to write the ASL.

What a beautiful story of healing, love, growth, independence, and the discovery of strength between two young men: Luc and Caleb. I wish this story had been placed in the YA category because the MCs were both high school seniors on the precipice of adulthood, but being in the gay contemporary romance category, I can still give this book a high score, but I really feel as if this story resonates stronger with a younger audience. I know that as a father when it comes to books, any books, especially YA books I read them with an eye toward if I think they would be acceptable for my daughter. As I read this I saw my daughter within the character of Luc. A hurting character, broken and fragile inside, who tries to appear unflappable, unfeeling, and uncaring, but is actually, deep, selfless, intelligent, talented, and extremely giving. Just as Luc found his Caleb, someone with inner strength despite the circumstances and hardships thrown at him, determined to succeed, someone who brings out the best in Luc, I want my own daughter to find her "Caleb" or "Cala". These characters were so beautifulły portrayed that I was emotionally invested in them and found myself cheering them on throughout the book. The setting of the book was easy for me to immerse myself in, though perhaps that is because I used to live in New York, but the author's style of writing took me right back there. The only downfall is that every so often there would be an abrupt shift in the POV from Caleb to Luc or vice versa. It was jarring. Other than that, This was an amazing read and I immediately recommended it to my daughter.