Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John

Here's a blurb from Mr. John's website: 
The Challenge:

Piper has one month to get a paying gig for Dumb—the hottest new rock band in school.

The Deal:
If she does it, she'll become manager of the band and get her share of the profits, which she desperately needs since her parents raided her college fund.

The Catch:
Managing one egomaniacal pretty boy, one talentless piece of eye candy, one crush, one silent rocker, and one angry girl who is ready to beat her up. And doing it all when she's deaf. With growing self-confidence, an unexpected romance, and a new understanding of her family's decision to buy a cochlear implant for her deaf baby sister, Piper just may discover her own inner rock star


My Take

Prior to reading this I heard tons of good buzz surrounding this book.  It lived up to every bit of it.  Pipers a great character.  I couldn't imagine what it's like going through life being moderately deaf.  We all struggle with our relationships at one time or another.  I would think it's even more difficult when people realize that you're deaf.

I did wrestle a bit with the fact that Piper feels she doesn't have a disability.  Technically, by definition, she does.  But I understood that she didn't want to be viewed as 'lesser than' or 'damaged goods'.  That I can totally understand and agree with.

There were parts of this book that were laugh-out-loud funny and others that were profoundly moving.  Piper tries to find a way to create harmony among the band members and discover who she is along the way.
I believe most kids 13 and up would appreciate this book.  Oh, and I think the cover is pretty sweet!  I'm giving it 4 1/2 rocking kisses!