Book Review: Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John
A fun and dynamic story about a deaf girl who takes on the challenge of managing a rock band.
Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Oh, Five Flavors of Dumb, how do I love thee?
Let me count the ways:
1. It’s about a rock band!
2. It’s about a rock band and their journey to success.
3. It’s about a deaf girl who manages a rock band.
4. It’s about a really, really, kick-ass deaf girl, who manages a rock band and leads them to success, even though she’s deaf!
5. It’s about a rock band!
Oh, I already said that.
Seriously though, this was an amazing book!
The way Antony John portrayed the dynamics of the members in the band; all the conflicts, the drama, the chemistry, the sparks, the music-making!
All the excitement!
I felt like I was there, like I was a part of the band. Collaborating, playing music together, feeding off each other’s energy, making things happen!
It makes me long for those days again.
The relationship conflicts between each of the characters to another, and the way the relationships evolved as the story progressed was fascinating to watch. It was really beautiful how the characters’ true…, um, characters were brought to light when things started happening for the band.
I really liked how the manager of the band was a deaf girl. I mean, Evelyn Glennie is a huge inspiration to me, and if she can play the percussion, why can’t Piper manage a rock band, right?
I won’t pretend to know what it’s like being severely deaf, but I do know that there’s no such thing as “impossible”, so yay for Antony John for writing this book with such a strong female character who manages a rock band and just happens to be hearing impaired!
It was really interesting to read about the conversations that went on with the sign language as well, especially when Piper used that to manipulate better negotiations from an interested but condescending party. I know very basic sign language, just the letters, but this book makes me want to learn more. 😉
There are so many books with music themes, and I like a lot of them, but this one has definitely become one of my favorites!
