Prior to reading, Being Jazmine, I was familiar with deaf culture and this is the context for the story. Jazmine is a young teenager who is hard of hearing and uses hearing aids. Though they help, she finds it exhausting, because of the extra concentration required.
Jazmine’s mother learnt Auslan with her daughter some years ago but hasn’t kept it up since the death of her husband, Jazmine’s father. She prefers Jazmine to rely on her hearing aids. Jazmine’s grandma is more sympathetic to her granddaughter’s difficulties and arranges for her to go on a camp for deaf children. Jazmine loves being with others like herself and feels like she has found her place in the world but this causes difficulties with her family and her best friend Gabby.
The story touches on themes such as friendships, family dynamics, belonging, identity as well as deaf culture. Cecily Paterson has written a moving story of resilience, courage and overcoming difficulties. It is well written and easy to read.
I didn’t realise until after I’d finished that it is part three of the Invisible Girls series. It didn’t matter that I hadn’t read the previous books.
A good read.
