Effie's review: Hello, Universe

Looking for a funny and exciting read? Check out this brilliant review and find out what Effie thought of Hello, Universe!

Hello, my name is Effie and I am 10 and a half. I am profoundly deaf and I wear cochlear implants.

I absolutely loved Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly. It is about a group of children who are all quite different. The four main characters are called Virgil, Valencia, Kaori and Chet. Virgil has a crush on Valencia, but is shy. Valencia is deaf and very clever, but a little bit stubborn. Kaori is best friends with Virgil and she is a psychic who is able to tell people’s fortunes. Finally, there is Chet, who is a big bully.

One day when Virgil is out in the woods, Chet throws his school bag (containing his beloved guinea pig called Gulliver) down an old well. Virgil climbs down the well but to his horror, he gets stuck. Meanwhile, Valencia goes to Kaori’s house as she wants her dreams to be interpreted by a psychic. At this time, Chet is in the woods looking to catch a snake to impress everybody as it will show how brave he is. However, his plan backfires because when he finds a snake, it bites him!

As time passes, Kaori starts to get worried about Virgil. They were meant to meet and he has never been late before. So, Valencia and Kaori set off into the woods to find him. On their search, they stumble across a crying and very sore, Chet. Will they be able to help Chet and save Vigil?

I read this book in the evenings on my own and really enjoyed it, especially the fact that one of the central characters, Valencia, is deaf. Before this, I had never read a story with a strong deaf character and it made me feel happy. I liked that she was adventurous and curious. I don’t think I actually identified specifically with any of the characters, but my favourite character was Kaori, as I liked her psychic powers.