Book review: Hello, Universe

Written by Erin Entrada Kelly
Available from bookshops
Price: £6.99 RRP
Ages: 5 to 14

Reviewed by Ryan (11) who is moderately to severely deaf and wears hearing aids.

"This was a really interesting book, not one I’d normally pick but I definitely enjoyed it.

The main characters are around my age, so I felt I understood some of the things they went through. The bullying and how it made others feel was very realistic.

It was brilliant to read about Valencia, who is hearing impaired just like me and wears hearing aids. Not many books have these kinds of characters. It’s not a big deal in the book, just a part of her normal life and I liked that.

I also liked that there wasn’t any romance. I much preferred them focusing on being friends and the relationships with the older people in their life. I liked all the stories told within the main story; it felt like listening to my Nan telling me bedtime stories."