I haven't seen a lot of D/deaf representation in fiction in general, much less in manga, and I don't believe I've ever seen any representation at all that follows a character who is currently experiencing their hearing loss increasing over time. While I have an auditory processing disorder, I can't actually speak to the representation shown here, but I can say that from my perspective, I really appreciated some of the things this story touched on, like the way people (especially femme people) like to pity disabled people or feel as though they can "help" that person with their love and attention, or how frustrating it is for many people in Kohei's position to be told "nevermind, it isn't important" instead of the other party simply repeating themselves and allowing Kohei to feel included in the conversation. It was heart-breaking, some of the casual things people said and did that you could see were wearing down Kohei's self-confidence and his desire to be social with anyone aside from his mother and Taichi.
As far as watching the romance slowly bloom between Kohei and Taichi, if this tells you anything about how invested I am, it took me all of 10 seconds between reaching the end of this book and borrowing the ebook for the sequel from the library.
I haven't seen a lot of D/deaf representation in fiction in general, much less in manga, and I don't believe I've ever seen any representation at all that follows a character who is currently experiencing their hearing loss increasing over time. While I have an auditory processing disorder, I can't actually speak to the representation shown here, but I can say that from my perspective, I really appreciated some of the things this story touched on, like the way people (especially femme people) like to pity disabled people or feel as though they can "help" that person with their love and attention, or how frustrating it is for many people in Kohei's position to be told "nevermind, it isn't important" instead of the other party simply repeating themselves and allowing Kohei to feel included in the conversation. It was heart-breaking, some of the casual things people said and did that you could see were wearing down Kohei's self-confidence and his desire to be social with anyone aside from his mother and Taichi.
As far as watching the romance slowly bloom between Kohei and Taichi, if this tells you anything about how invested I am, it took me all of 10 seconds between reaching the end of this book and borrowing the ebook for the sequel from the library....more
I'm sad to say it, but I can't do it anymore. I liked the first book and low-key loved the second one, but this has been awful. I can't stand Olli's cI'm sad to say it, but I can't do it anymore. I liked the first book and low-key loved the second one, but this has been awful. I can't stand Olli's character anymore and I'm not invested in any of the MMCs. ...more
I absolutely loved this. Don't get me wrong, the first book was difficult to put down too, but Savage Bonds allowed me to start connecting to the loveI absolutely loved this. Don't get me wrong, the first book was difficult to put down too, but Savage Bonds allowed me to start connecting to the love interests and it made a huge difference in how emotionally invested I felt. I even choked up a few times over how difficult and overwhelming everything felt for Olli and how badly some of her bonds want to be with her (and vice versa). Also, the shadow puppies? FLAWLESS. No changes needed, nada, I love Brutus and August very much.
I haven't been in the mood for contemporary romances lately (much less sports ones!) and I never pick up books in the middle of a series first, but I I haven't been in the mood for contemporary romances lately (much less sports ones!) and I never pick up books in the middle of a series first, but I saw someone post a review for this on instagram and something about it sounded like exactly what I needed as a palette cleanser right now, and it was!
Blurred Lines is a really sweet, angsty romance featuring long-time best friends hiding secret loves for one another, which is a combination of so many of my favorite tropes rolled into one. It wasn't anything ground-breaking and some plot moments seemed silly or over-the-top, but I don't mind that in a swoony romance. What mattered most was that the chemistry between these characters was absolutely there and I found myself rooting for their romance so easily!
Also, Brendan is clearly neurodivergent-coded and I saw myself so much in that depiction and the pain he carried about being told he was too much, too needy, too loud, etc. I think just about everyone who grows up neurodivergent knows what it's like to need to mask your truest self to please the people around you so they don't leave, and oof, it was tough to read his inner thoughts at times but I definitely related. ...more
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