Can you Feel the Noise?
When Sophie wakes up one morning to the sound of silence, her whole life changes in a split second.
Lessons are suddenly replaced by hospital appointments, conversations become an exercise in lip reading and her dreams of taking part in the Battle of the Bands are in ruins.
But when she meets another deaf musician and realizes she can feel noise through the vibrations of an old drum set, the spark she’s been missing reignites.
Will Sophie be brave enough to get back onstage?
Book details
- Title: Can you Feel the Noise?
- Author: Stewart Foster
- ISBN: 9781471191275
- Publisher: Simon and Schuster
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Reviews submitted after the awards submission deadline (5pm on 3 March 2023) won’t be considered as part of this year’s book awards, but you can still share your thoughts on the book below.
I didn’t really enjoy this book as I felt like Sophie lost her hearing too quickly which made it unrealistic. I also felt like it lacked challenging vocabulary and description which I personally like. Although, I did like the characters Sophie and Rocco because Sophie was so brave and determined, and Rocco helped Sophie when she was going through that hard time.
Thanks for you reply. I quite like your observations to be honest. They prove the awards aren’t just a gloat fest for authors
Personally I did not enjoy enjoy this book.Reading your book became a chore because the majority of the book was just miserable.My favorite character was Sophie and Ty because Sophie is determined and persistent, and Ty because he is there when Sophie really needed it.I recommend this book to 12 to 15.
Can you feel the noise is a lovely book about others coming your fears. Sophie is a normal school girl who is in a band but goes deaf out of no where. She meets another person who’s deaf and she enjoys his company. He teaches her to feel the vibrations of the noise through the drum set. She ends up feeling more included I loved this BOOK.
Thanks for understanding the book, and giving such a lovely review
I liked some parts of the book, especially when Sophie hears something after the book. However, it was all too quick and I feel that you introduced Sophie’s hearing loss too soon. The language was quite normal and I feel this is more of a Year 4-Year 7 as it does not feel any higher. My favourite character is Rocco as he is very funny and I feel he gives the odd and funny side of the story, especially helping Sophie go through tough times (with the help of Mia). I also like Sophie as she is quite Brave.
I really enjoyed this book because it is a book that shows a life changing experience that most people will never experience. I am going to buy this book at home and I have it with me all the time so I can read my new favourite book whenever I want. This book will definitely win the juniper book awards and if it doesn’t well it will still win for me. I would recommend it for ages 6 – 19
because everyone should read it.
I LOVED this book! It was a heart warming story full of bravery and friendship. The part that touched my heart was when Mia helped Sophie in class! I don’t think I would be able to do that ! Sophie is so brave in this book and if you love a book with music, friendship and bravery I would recommend this to you! This books GREAT!
Ah, the ‘hearing buddy’. Yes, I like writing that part
Stewart foster is an absolute genius. Sophie’s deafness gives her some struggles in life and her friend Rocco doesn’t make her feel better. I can only say that this book is an absolute must-read. The only thing i do comment on is that, I think it’s just me, but I would have liked to see some more information about the Sophie-Rocco-Kai situation. I feel that Sophie should have been a little more stubborn about it and in the final, maybe she could have spoke to Rocco about it. Honestly, I did love it. My parents couldn’t drag me away from Sophie on activation day. I especially love the little cliffhanger.
Thanks loads. Hope I didn’t get you into trouble with mum and dad, as you read ‘actvation day’
This book kept me on tenterhooks. Ever since the start when I found out Sophie was becoming deaf, I was wondering if she would ever get her hearing back. I just wish that Stewart Foster hadn’t ended the book on a cliffhanger. I really want to find out how she gained her hearing and what happened next. Other than that small upset I really loved this book’s thought about those deaf musicians who are labelled for life unfairly. Excellent work Stewart Foster, you have created an amazing book about awareness!
I enjoyed reading this book very much, as it rolled with the concept of discovering passion in the world of music, and the overcoming of a life-changing disability. This book really pulled at my heartstrings, and I could picture every moment of every page in my mind. On the contrary, most parts of the book was very sad and off putting, making some pages a chore to read on. Overall, this book may be my voting choice, a truly amazing Novel!
This book is the greatest best book I have ever read , I loved it I like music so can you feel the noise? Is my best seller YES!
Thanks George!
I’ve been a fan of Stew Foster’s books for quite a few years now and his latest (to me!) book continues to hit the mark both in terms of expectation and delivery. The writing style is engaging and accessible. It is an easy read but that’s not to say the issues covered in the book are simplistic.
It’s encouraging to see increasingly more stories representing the breadth of ‘lived experience’ of young disabled people. In ‘Can You Feel The Noise’, we are introduced to Sophie as she loses her hearing, the impact this has on her sense of self, and the ways in which she has to adapt and move forward.
I loved the characterisation of Sophie. From the start we are told that Sophie has been living with a level of hearing impairment for a while. However, it is when she wakes one morning to find she is deaf that Foster begins his sensitive portrayal of how this hearing loss might be experienced by a young person, and those family and friends around her.
Sophie’s experience of medical treatments, her processing of news that she may not regain her hearing and her sudden loss of confidence as a result, all felt authentically written, and it was not a surprise to read that Foster also has a hearing impairment. As he says, the best writing advice he was given was to ‘write what you know’.
The story takes the reader on an emotional rollercoaster with Sophie, through her lowest moments and upwards as she finds ways to rekindle her passion for music, develop resilience to cope when things don’t go to plan, courage to try things in different ways, and the importance of showing kindness to herself and others.
I enjoyed the positive influences of family within the story. Sophie’s family were supportive without being intrusive, allowing her to reach her own decisions in her own time. Friendship was another key theme and I appreciated the way Sophie’s friendships changed and developed throughout the book. I found Mia’s support of Sophie to be sincere and heartwarming. She was everything you need in a best friend!
I also loved the role Tom played in the story. As Sophie says, her friends could sympathise, but only Tom could empathise, having lost his own hearing and similarly experiencing ‘the Noise’. This ‘peer-support’ made the most difference to Sophie, and Foster sensitively develops the dynamic between them, especially in relation to the cochlear implant surgery, an option not available to Tom. I appreciated the fact that Tom was positively living as a Deaf person, and Foster applies this to Sophie too, giving her the ‘everyday concerns’ of young people generally at this age.
I devoured this empathy-boosting book in a day and would highly recommend it to people aged 9 to 99!
Thanks Ms A. Finding Tom, was the best part of the book for me, as I wrote. I just thought, he’s one really good guy. Powell? Well, she just made me laugh.
Thanks loads again. I’m glad i fit withing your 9 to 99 criteria 🙂
A descriptive powerful book from start to end with areas more emotional then others. I believe This book is perfect for 7 and above thanks to its powerful message that shows that just because of a disability it doesn’t have to stop your dreams from becoming reality. I believe this is another award winning book for Stewart Foster
Can You Feel the Noise by Stewart Foster, is an inspiring book about a girl who loses her hearing overnight, she lost hope and thought she will never fulfill her dream of becoming a musician, but little does she know there is still a light inside her ready to be turned on. I think this fascinating book had a clear story line and builds up a lot of suspense. This story is very touching and it stays with you for a very long time after you have read it. I would recommend this book for 7-14 year olds. I am extremely interested about the other books by Stewart Foster and I would really like to read them. Out of ten I would rate this book a 9.5.
9.5 Ellie! Wait, I missed out by .5! 🙂
But seriously… thanks loads
For me Can You Feel The Noise wasn’t particularly enjoyable, I found it hard to read but not as in difficulty more because the novel didn’t keep me hooked. For people who like quite a slow tale this would work great for them. Though personally I recommend this for 9-16 year-olds. Very impressive in terms of layout and build up. Also I admire the way Stewart Foster described the characters and surroundings and reached out to touch the reader’s heart emotionally. Just not really my style.
That’s a fair review, Lauren. I’ll take it.
Can You Feel the Noise is a wonderful new masterpiece of literature as it looks at being deaf from different points of view. This book tells the inspiring tale of Sophie who is in the school band but just as things start to look up for her, she goes deaf. As her life topples into disarray, she starts a journey of realisation that being deaf is not all bad. This is a heart warming book and I felt that I was transported into Sophie’s life, though if I had to point out one negative point it would be the lack of vocabulary. Another reason this a beautiful book is because it shows that music can help overcome a life changing events. I would recommend this book to 8-13 year olds and lovers of realistic fiction. This is easily described as an unputdownable book!
I love Can You Feel the Noise is an exciting and nerve-racking book starring the main character Sophie .The book makes you really appreciate it ,because the event [Sophie going deaf] could actually happen .
It also is an adventure as the characters go through lots of emotions .I also love the thrilling twist at the end and how it is based on over coming a life changing event .I would recommend this book for 7+ and fiction and non-fiction lovers . Over all this is a great book .
This is a wonderful book about overcoming your fears. When Sophie wakes up to silence her life turns upside down and her chances in taking part in the battle of the bands collapse in front of her. Then she meets Tom a deaf musician and she realises she can feel vibrations though an old drum set will she be brave enough to get back on stage? And will she adjust to a world in silence? This book is suitable for 9-12 year olds. If it doesn’t win Juniper book awards it is a winner for me.
Can you feel the noise is a book about a girl who lost her hearing. Because she loses her hearing near the beginning of the book, I didn’t really find out much about her past life before she went deaf. I wish it said more about her past life before losing her hearing and more detail into her friends’ past lives too. The story talks a lot about her love of music and the band she played in with her friends at her school, and a local competition that they have entered. Her friends comforted her during the book and helped her to get used to her new life without being able to hear all of her family and friends. Personally this book probably fits 7-12 I enjoyed this book and I do recommend it. But did they win the battle of bands? And did Sophie get her hearing back?
Can You Feel the Noise? is a slow-paced, poignant work of modern fiction, following the life of a young girl who wakes one day to complete silence.
I enjoyed this book because the narrative allowed me to truly see through Sophie’s eyes. I liked Stewart Foster’s way of keeping the book slow-moving, but making Sophie’s hearing deteriorate rapidly.
I also liked the way the characters were written, especially Sophie, because she often gets angry, like me, so I feel I can – on one level – empathise. Sophie’s journey really made me think about how I would cope faced with rapid loss of hearing.
Overall, this book was very emotional and empowering and I would recommend it to readers aged 9-14. Thank you Stewart Foster for such a wonderful book!
A rollercoaster of emotions, this book took me through the ups and downs of Sophie’s life, from losing her hearing to being able to feel the vibration of a drum. This book was a riveting read full of twists and turns. I engaged with the characters but would have enjoyed the book even more if the author had described the characters on more detail
I think this book is a brilliant book about a life changing event and that you shouldn’t let anything stop you from doing something that you enjoy. It shows how even if you’re deaf you can still fit in.
This book really tells a story.
This book is an incredible story about something that could happen and is written perfectly. It touched me from the start and kept me reading. At the end, I would have preferred a chapter about her life afterwards but overall, it is awesome.
Hi Lillyan, thanks for review. I did consider writing another chapter…. Maybe it’s another book 🙂
This inspirational book is encouraging to all readers but especially to anybody who has a disability. I would recommend this book to children aged 7-13 but an adult could read it to anybody younger. ‘If you need help, ask’ is the moral to the story which is very important. She overcame her adversities and fulfilled her dream of becoming a musician. I really like cliff hangers but I felt I needed closure at the end.
I absolutely LOVE this book. Once you pick it up, you can’t put it down. The cliff-hanger at the end just leaves me wanting more. I think that Sophie’s relationship with Tom is amazing, how he teaches her to feel the vibrations through the drums. The relationships of the band members is also amazing. Overall, I give this book a 10/10 and would recommend it for ages 8-18
Thanks James. I agree, I loved writing about Tom. He’s a good guy 🙂 I have this idea that he and Sophie form a percussionist group. I’d like that
Can You Feel The Noise is an inspirational book about overcoming a life-changing event and gaining back your confidence. Sophie is so brave to carry on trying to play music even after her loss of hearing. My favourite character is Mia because she is so supportive and is always there for Sophie through this tough time. I love the cliff hanger at the end and hope there is a sequel!!! I recommend this to all people who love heartwarming stories of friendship and keeping on going, even when things are hard.
I really enjoyed this book as it was relatively fast-paced, without lots of pointless dialogue. I loved the relationship between Sophie and her friends, especially when she meets Tom, a deaf boy. Their relationship was really sweet, with Tom. The only frustrating thing was that Sophie was a little weak in my opinion. I understand that she had just lost her hearing and was stressed and anxious, but she gave up playing for the band she loved after she began to find it challenging, instead of persevering and trying to rekindle her passion for music. The cliffhanger was quite intense, and I wish that Stewart Foster had written a little more about the events after Sophie’s operation. Overall, I found this book an easy, uplifting read.
I started reading this book only last week and I never want to stop reading it! Can You Feel The Noise is such an inspiring book and really gives you an insight of what life is like for deaf children. You can really relate to this book even if you aren’t deaf because Sophie the main character has to face loads of different challenges and has to find ways she can overcome them. Which really relates to a lot of peoples lives, like mine. The book is so heart warming and I really connected to it.
My favorite character is actually Sophie’s best friend Mia because she faces many challenges like having to get used to communicating with her and understanding what Sophie’s going through as well as having to always be there for Sophie as she’s the one who has become deaf. I think she is a really strong person and a really kind, loving person as well.
The only negative thing I would say is that the vocabulary didn’t challenge me as much as I’d hoped it would.
I would most definitely recommend this book for children in the range from year 5 to year 8. Its a wonderful book and I wouldn’t be surprised if it won!
Can You Feel is an inspirational book based on a girl called Sofie who loses her hearing overnight. Sofie is a guitarist but so she is close to losing hope she doesn’t as she has her 3 best friends to help and regain back her confidence. The plot twist at the end is both inspiring for readers and an amazing way to recognize neurodiverse people well done Stewart Foster
I really enjoyed this book because it felt very heart-warming to read.My favourite part was when she finds the drum set. I would recommend this book to 9 plus because younger readers would not get the story.
I really enjoyed this book as it shows the perseverance that Sophie has to overcome her challenge and that even though shes struggling with her hearing and doesn’t think she could hear again her friends are their to help her through it. the only bad thing about it was that it could’ve been a bit longer with a bit more depth to the story.
I greatly enjoyed this book and felt that the message it gave was very powerful. However, Sophie losing her hearing was very sudden, and although the author led up to it by describing ‘the noise’, it felt to unrealistic to me. The character of Mia seemed like a very good friend who cares greatly about Sophie and her health. Also, Sophie is very persistent and brave as she did not give up music and carried on doing the things that she loved.
I really enjoyed this book. I feel this way because the book is about a deaf girl named Sophie who loses hope of ever playing music when she wakes up deaf and cannot hear anything. However, when she meets another deaf band member, she realises she is able to feel the vibrations of the music and becomes a drummer. What I really like about this book is that besides Sophie being challenged, she is still able to pursue her dream about being a musician. I feel like in order to make this book even better, the author could have added more vocabulary to make the story intriguing.
Honestly, what an amazing book! As I read I felt as though I was deaf myself, Soph’s friends are hilarious and as a musician myself, going deaf would be so hard! It’s so difficult to write a story from someone’s point of view especially a deaf person, it’s like telling a blind person to draw a painting in front them but to my surprise you wrote it so perfectly and i was so upset when it just ended with her hearing her dads cough but that ended it perfectly as well! Lovely book and I can’t wait for more.
I would recommend this book because of how it delves into a deep topic that most readers wouldn’t be able to experience firsthand.
One of my favourite things is the characters: they all have unique personalities that bring them to life- my favourite characters are Powell, Tom and, of course, Sophie.
Sophie is swept up on an emotional rollercoaster but her passion for music allows her to cope- I love how her spark is reignited when she discovers music again by feeling the vibrations of a drum kit. She is extremely brave and struggles on a day-to-day basis and has a beaming personality.
Tom, being another deaf musician, helps Sophie to play music again, empathizes with her and inspires her to do so while allowing her to open up and express her feelings in a touching and heartwarming manner, having a massive effect on her confidence.
Powell, meanwhile, is HILARIOUS. On the surface she acts crazily and doesn’t care what people think but deep down she is an incredibly kind person who is self-conscious and also is extremely funny. I love how her friendship with Sophie reveals and sheds light onto her true personality.
Overall, this book is humorous, emotional and absolutely fantastic.
Rating: 10/10
Wow. The description of the main character made me feel like I was the character! A mix of highs and lows ; very low lows. An incredible book wrote by a great author. This was one of my favourite books that were recommended to read. An incredible book written by a great author.
Personally, I could kinda relate to this. I actually play Grade 2 drums (my grade exam is next week) and the theory of playing the drums by feeling the vibrations was pretty cool. I tried resting it, but it didn’t really work for me.
My favorite character was Sophie, because she persevered and learned a whole new instrument in weeks. Respect!
I think as I was reading, I almost felt like the world around me went silent as I read. I really admire Sophie as she managed to get back up again, even if it includes giving up guitar or even her hair.
I really loved this book! I enjoyed the writing style and the lyrics you came up with for Sophie’s songs. Although in some parts of the book, I think Sophie was being a bit dramatic: she didn’t even let Rocco explain! In fact, some of the arguments weren’t necessary ! Overall it’s an amazing book and I give it a 10/10!
Can You Feel the Noise is a captivating book that highlights peoples’ hardships. The book was relatable although some of the readers aren’t deaf.
A band guitarist suddenly becomes deaf and regularly visits the hospital. Unexpectedly, she becomes friends with a deaf musician who rekindles her love of music by teaching her how to play the drums
My favourite character was Tom because he welcomed different people to be inclusive in everything.
By using a mixture of real life scenarios, the author achieved a relatable story line that was quite dense but lacked a strong hook for the reader. It lacked strong characterisation (which made all the sub characters unrealistic) and weak description which created an unrealistic setting. Nevertheless, the storyline was quite stable throughout.The complexity of the main plot and the backstory of the main characters made it one of its kind. I would recommend this book to people aged 7-9 because of the lack of strong character and setting description
What a wonderful book to end my JBA with! How a young girl gets over a terrible event in her life! I loved this book, especially how Sophie hears something again. Well done Stewart Foster!!!
Wow! An amazing read! I believe Can You Feel The Noise is an amazing book. Sophie (the protagonist) has gone through hard times in this book. Rocco was the type of character to really annoy me. Sophie has to work hard to be able to understand her friends and classmates. She has a great character arc and I can really relate with being a musician; Sophie gets a lot of support from Mia (her best friend) and her family. My favourite character would have to be Tom because of how talented he is. He is hopeful, kind and very supportive.
Overall I think this an wonderful book and it is a very powerful contender for these prestigious awards.
Thank you Stewart Foster for making a great book.
‘Can You Feel the Noise’ is an amazing book that focuses on the journey of a young girl who suddenly turns deaf overnight. While I do admit that the vocabulary could have been a bit more challenging, it is overall a great book that I think young people can relate to, as in today’s society. It is not uncommon to have a loss of hearing. People who have lost their hearing may find this book to be quite comforting, knowing that someone (ever if they are not real) has gone through the same or similar journey as them. This book may also encourage them to try to live life to the happiest, though they don’t have something everyone else has. Side characters like Rocco are also examples of people who might have someone they know that has lost their hearing and might understand or relate to how Rocco is feeling because they have been through it before. I might even go as far as saying they now understand what that person felt when they lost their hearing and can attempt to make that person more comfortable.
(Contains spoilers)
Can you Feel the Noise? is a book documenting the life of a girl named Sophie (the main character in this story) in an informal style. Sophie is hearing noises all the time, it never stops, but no one else can hear it. At age 10, like any other person, she went to visit Dr Cowan. Dr Cowan recommends for Sophie to wear headphones because he thinks this could distract her from the noise and make her life easier and less irritating. Sophie wakes up after she got her headphones only realising, she couldn’t hear herself speaking, she could only feel her voice at her chest. Screaming and crying her mum came down to comfort her. But her hearing doesn’t get much better, till the end.
Characters:
In this book, there are many characters, but the more important characters are Mia, Rocco and Ty this is because they all are Sophie’s friends and support her even though she is deaf. Sophie has been hearing the noise for a long while which goes on to make her deaf one morning after she woke up. She is in a band with her friends called ‘The Band with No Name’ – she once played guitar for the band but currently is playing the drums. Mia tries her best to help as much as she can throughout the book – constantly trying to fix the friendships and keeping everyone together and pointing out the flaws. However, she sometimes fails to see and understand Sophie’s side and tries too hard to fix the unfixable.
Setting:
Can you Feel the Noise? is mostly set at Sophie’s home or sometimes at her school, however Sophie spends most of her time at home and not at school because she doesn’t feel comfortable because she is deaf unlike the others at her school. This shows the other challenges that someone deaf can go through in their life and that anyone can suffer physically and mentally.
My Opinions:
Altogether, I found this book quite interesting and I would definitely recommend it to other people who like stories about overcoming bad moments, bad times or anything that could bring someone down and friendships. If I were to rate this book out of ten, I would give it an 8/10, this is because I liked how Stewart Foster didn’t only write about Sophie’s physical issues (being deaf) but how she felt about doing simple daily things. Although mental health and physical health are very different things, they can both be felt and are equally important. I also liked how Stewart Foster added Mia into the book, not only was Mia one of my favourite characters, but she helped the friendships throughout the whole book. She kept everyone close together and always tried her best to help. The reason I give it an eight and not a ten, is because I thought the book was finished, but the author ended on a cliff hanger and I found this quite annoying because I really enjoyed reading and now I want to know what happens next!
In the story ‘Can You Feel the Noise?’ it begins with Sophie being in a hospital operating theatre. She becomes deaf gradually and joins a band. Sophie, (the main character) plays the guitar and enjoys it a lot. In the band there are 3 other members (Ty, Rocco and Mia) her friends from her school. This book was all about her journey and her recovery. In the middle, she meets someone named Tom through a man called Powell (his brother). Tom also was deaf. In the semi-finals, Rocco didn’t tell Sophie that they are changing the song that they are going to perform. Luckily, they still made it into the finals. They…won! Sophie got her hearing back by having surgery and her implant in and the first time she could hear again was when she heard her dad coughing. In the book, the time passed was about 9 weeks. The circumstances Sophie is in are quite unusual but quite ordinary at the same time.
The main characters are Sophie, Mia, Rocco and Ty as well as Sophie’s parents and Tom. They all have different personalities that stick with each of them throughout the book. They are described with a bit of detail, but I think that it could describe the setting more as well as the appearance of the characters to help visualise the scene described. I understood Mia the most because I feel like she is the most sympathetic and you can understand her feelings a lot because she is openly kind and even had to be Sophie’s hearing buddy and it takes someone with a warm heart to do something like that for someone else. There was a relationship between Sophie and her friends, they all have a very strong bond with one and other.
This story is written in first person (as if we are Sophie.) The person changed the whole story because the reader in her perspective is more interesting than if we were not in her perspective and if we were with her.
I would rate this book a 2/5 because it wasn’t really my style of book but it was still written fantastically.
(Contains spoilers)
This book is about a girl who loses her hearing and must go through some tough challenges and challenging times with her friends. In the book the girl loses her hearing but didn’t tell any of her friends until later and sometimes they forget about it and turn away when speaking so she can’t lip read them. The book covers a course of 6 weeks of her having no hearing and getting an operation and then 3 weeks for having activation day to get her hearing back.
In the start of the story it was quite slow moving and dull but when the reader gets further into the book it becomes more exciting and you get more engrossed to the book. The events of the story follow on by telling the reader that this happens next in the book and continues with the story that doesn’t go off topic.
The main characters are the band (Sophie, Rocco, Ty and Mia), Tom and Powell and Sophie’s family (Mum, Dad, Liam). The main characters can be childish in the book but there were some times during the book when they were serious. They weren’t physically described very well because it doesn’t really tell us about what they looked like but their personalities were shown through the book. There were quite a few conflicts but the main one was between Sophie and Rocco when Rocco tried to pull Sophie back to the band without knowing that she was deaf, so he tries to make her come back and play in the battle of the bands. There is one character that changed the most throughout the book and that WAS Rocco because he went from being excited to sympathetic when he learnt that Sophie was deaf. He then went back to being excited when they did the Battle of the Bands, but when his voice broke and he went back to being sympathetic. I found Rocco (for me) the most sympathetic because he felt sorry for Sophie and for what he put her through before knowing that Sophie is deaf.
The story is in first person from Sophie’s point of view of things that happened to her, and it is not in third person. This is important to the story because it tells us what it is like for that person and not for someone who thinks they know what they are feeling. When it was inside the place where her ears had pictures taken of them, that was described very well but for some other places like her school – that wasn’t explained as well as other places. The feelings and attitude are described in depth when Rocco gets really excited, ‘he was bouncing up and down’, and it was described well when Sophie lost her hearing so you could tell she was sad. It was a good story because it told the people reading what it is like for people who are deaf and how hard it is for them to learn and progress through school. I felt like I learnt how people feel when they turn deaf and how sad it is when your own friends don’t understand what it is like. My favourite moment in the story was when they were playing in the finals of the Battle of the Bands because it was like the world stood still because it was a really happy and exciting moment for the whole band.
I would recommend this book because it was a good tale through time and helps people understand how people feel when they get treated differently. It also tells people how people work and feel when they are deaf and can’t do some things that people who aren’t deaf can do. This book is a book that is factual whilst being an interesting book to read and that is why I would recommend this book.
(Contains spoilers)
This story commences with a girl named Sophie who realizes she has a high-pitched (irritating) noise in her ear, and lasts for a chaotic 9-week period. After this occurs multiple times, she is taken to the doctor reluctantly. Her doctor informs her that she is deaf at only a mere age of 11. This all happens to her very abruptly and she is also in a competition called The Battle of The Bands where she plays the guitar. The guitar is Sophie’s passion: how is she meant to disregard it and leave it? Of course, the plot is quite unusual, as an 11 year old experiencing being deaf at 11 and still having the desire to play an instrument is a very captivating plot. The opening is a prologue that reflects the idea that Sophie is in a hospital and passes out because of a throbbing pain in her hand.
The main characters tend to aid Sophie whenever she has a feeling of melancholy or exasperation. She mainly depends on one parent as her dad must work a vast number of jobs to retrieve income whereas her Mum has promised to stay with her for comfort. Her friends try to help but make conversations awkward. Over time they develop the sense that they have to be more sympathetic towards her. This means the author has changed the characters throughout the story to match different scenes. My personal constructive opinion on this is if there was a character who differed to all the others. I say this as some characters were irrelevant at times and if there was another character who was more unique maybe the story could have been improved.
The book is written is the first person which means the main character can let her emotions flow out and it can be in her own words. If it was from the narrator’s point of view, they may not be able to dig deep into every detail. I think the feelings of the characters were explained in depth as complicated words were used to describe them, which made the story even better. I think generally it was a good story but sometimes there were times the story was very predictable and could have had a bit more suspense to give it a bit more interest.
I think that it’s very good how the writer used personal experiences to base this book on as it makes the story heartfelt and more lifelike. I would recommend this book as it can connect to real life and makes you think about some of your personal experiences that may have been sad, unpleasant, astounding and perplexing. I have learnt many morals from this book which is intriguing as many other books I have read do not make me think like this. It gave me a feeling of hope as I was hoping that Sophie would gain her hearing back.
Overall, I would give it a 9.5/10 as it’s an astonishing book with a good amount of detail and emotion but sometimes in the book there were characters that did not fit with the motive of the story. There could have been an extra character that maybe was rude to Sophie but then became one of her best friends.
(Contains spoilers)
Can you Feel the Noise? is about a young girl musician who discovers she is going and eventually goes deaf. The story follows a teenage girl called Sophie navigating this life changing event and learning how she can still express herself through music even after becoming deaf.
The book follows nine weeks of her life covering her before and after going deaf. I felt as though the story was very well paced and easy to pick up and put down while still being a very compelling read. The story also explained situations in a lot of detail about emotions and feelings giving a very human-like feel to the book.
The opening is excellent at hooking you into the story and instantly grabs the reader’s attention, the build up is suspenseful, and the structure is definitely unique and different to other books I have read with the fact that the story starts at the end.
The main character is Sophie, a teenage girl who enjoys playing guitar. I noticed that Sophie’s character makes very snap decisions on the spot, however she is forced into most of these decisions so this may be a particularly good decision on the author’s side as it can make the story progress faster and creates a more rounded and realistic character.
Most of the characters in this book do not really have their character traits explained – they have them shown either through another character’s emotions for them or just act in that way at the beginning of the book giving you, the reader, a certain emotion, or trait that you identify them with.
Taking in consideration the above paragraph this gives most characters human mannerisms and very intricate thought processes which we can see winding throughout the book, changing the plot and character development.
My favourite character was Rocco as he had many flaws, and we can see him working through these in the book and that’s exactly what makes us human – the ability to have flaws and work on them.
One of the greatest conflicts is when Sophie gets “replaced” by the band. As the reader, you can clearly see the two different sides and why Rocco might do this, as in a way it’s a kind and thoughtful idea, however Sophie took it as an act of replacing her because she was deaf. This is a great example of two different sides and that you just don’t know how someone’s going to take your actions and why people should always take a minute to consider their actions from another’s point of view. This scene also creates tension between the rest of the group. This whole scene is an example of thought-provoking characters and a beautifully written plot.
The story is written in first person, meaning that you can only see one person’s views and emotions. This works well for the book as its mostly centred around Sophie and her dealing with being deaf. The settings are set up very well, with each setting seeming to have an emotion linked to it such as her home being a refuge and a safe space, while school seems to be where she associates anxiety about not hearing what the teacher says.
I feel as though the book was an exceptionally good representation of real life; the fact that not everyone has the same challenges and the fact that life is a shade of grey – not white or black – and that people are struggling even if we don’t see them struggling.
Can you Feel the Noise? is an excellent book, which flings you into drama and suspense as soon as you open the book – with the opening being an important glimpse into the future that occurs much later in the book, when the main character seems to be undergoing an important operation. Told in the first person, and from the main character’s perspective, this exhilarating novel tells the story of a young girl overcoming challenges even when they begin to seem impossible to be face, and teaching readers about deafness in a new light.
Throughout the past year, Sophie has started to experience a major loss in her hearing and realises that she is subconsciously lip-reading the people around her when a strange noise overpowers the noise of the surrounding environment and grows louder as negative emotions take control. And Sophie begins to worry when this noise, which differentiates between a whining, buzzing, rumbling and others, seems to not be able to be heard by others. Constantly going to the hospital for check-ups, everything seems fine. Until it isn’t. And one day, Sophie wakes up to a world of silence.
Along Sophie’s increasingly difficult journey through her adoration of music, Sophie is introduced to a new friend who faces the same difficulties but took back control of his life by feeling vibrations in music, and she feels inspired by him. Belonging to a band who will soon be playing in a major competition, Sophie finds people from strangers to her closest friends harder and harder to trust. Will she give up or will she fight back against the odds and follow her dreams when times feel tougher than ever before? Spanning over six weeks, this book is full of enticing twists and turns, strong emotions and heartfelt experiences.
Many characters enable Sophie to succeed in this novel, whether it be because they are her friends, or because they know how she is feeling. Mia, her best friend, looks past Sophie’s quick temper, and uses her kindness and care to help Sophie realise that she is not alone. Another person in the band is Rocco, who may sometimes be reckless and quite annoying, but has his heart in the right place and only wishes for what is best for the band. Sophie’s brother Liam, a key figure in her family, might sometimes take it too far with his joking which cause arguments and tension between the two of them, but always apologises in his own way, like getting sweets for her in the shops she visits even when she refuses, and is continuously there for her when it matters most, along with Sophie’s parents. Powell, the strange older girl that goes to Sophie’s school isn’t so weird after all, and introduces Sophie to Tom, a fellow deaf person, who shows Sophie how to feel vibrations in music and truly opens her eyes to new ways of discovery. The author brilliantly describes these characters in detail, and makes you feel as if you’re on the page with them as you’re guided through the story with them as more and more of their personality is described. The character whom I found most relatable was Sophie, as although she had her flaws as every human does, she always does the right thing in the end, which is what matters most in the long run.
This story is set in an ordinary town in England, and the main plotline revolves around Sophie’s house, the secondary school that she goes to, the hospital where she goes for check-ups and about her deafness, and the stage where the Battle of the Bands takes place. The atmosphere in different sections of the story is always helped by the location that is set in, like the
overwhelming lights and machines within hospitals, the familiarity and cosiness of home, and the exhilarating energy of performing on a stage in front of a crowd.
This story is phenomenal, proving that no matter what challenges you face, you should always do what you love and dream of. An insightful view of conflicting emotions and choices, this story is a beautiful introduction to deafness and helps to raise awareness. Recommended to anyone who wishes to read a story about deafness, music and friendship, this book is a strong five out of five stars.
(Contains spoilers)
In this book, a 12 year-old guitarist girl called Sophie goes deaf overnight. Before this, Sophie had an annoying ringing noise in her head called tinnitus. She went to see a hearing consultant who proposed a cochlear implant to maybe get her hearing back.
When she went deaf, her love of music had to come to a halt. She and her friends were preparing for the Battle of the Bands, but Sophie felt like quitting when she couldn’t hear the songs, but then she meets Tom, who teaches her to feel noise through drums, and she perseveres with music.
In the end, Sophie has an operation and on activation day it is revealed that her hearing might have come back but it ends on a cliff-hanger; “Sophie, did you just hear your dad cough?” The story spanned nine weeks in total.
The main character in the book is Sophie and we are made to feel sorry for her because she and her problems are described in detail. In the book there are many strong relationships such as Sophie and Mia, because they are best friends and Mia becomes Sophie’s hearing buddy. This means that Sophie is supported by Mia in classes. Sophie also has a strong relationship with Tom because he has gone through the same experience of going deaf, and he supports her in the hardest of times. She doesn’t have a strong relationship with Doctor Cowan because she doesn’t like being tested.
The story was written to make the reader feel emotional as it covers sensitive issues in depth. I think the author wrote this to raise awareness of deafness because he is deaf himself. I would recommend this book to people who know someone who is deaf, to support them.
I would give this book: 4.5/5
(Contains spoilers)
This story is an amazing, moving and inspiring book about a young musician named Sophie losing her hearing overnight and how she copes with this life changing event. One day Sophie wakes up with no hearing whatsoever. She can’t hear the creaky floorboard, she can’t hear herself clapping her hands, she can’t even hear her own crying, all she can hear is the everchanging noise that has been playing in her head since the day before. Her parents do what they can. They drive her to the hospital but when they can’t find the problem so Sophie spends the next week in her room alone. She feels like she could never play her guitar again but once she goes back to school and meets Tom (another young musician who suffers with loss of hearing) she discovers the delight of drums and how she can feel the vibration beneath her feet. After this event she feels a lot more comfortable with her loss of hearing and even feels more ready to join her band at the ‘Battle of the Bands’ contest. Then one day she is told that she may be able to regain her hearing with the help of cochlear implants. Sophie does not know what to do until Tom reminds her that he would do anything to regain his hearing.
This book has left me wondering about what happens next as it is left on a cliff hanger although it leaves a lot to the imagination of the reader and is a fun way to end the story.
I really enjoyed this book and how Sophie overcomes her devastating loss of hearing. I believe there may be a moral to this story that is to never give up and keep trying. I rate this book seven stars out of ten and I would recommend this book to anyone over the age of 10 and those who enjoy longer stories.