What happens when the woman with all the answers meets the man who is looking to change the world?
AJ finds pride in the deaf community. His greatest desire is to bridge the gap between the hearing and deaf worlds. He thought all he needed was order, precision, and dedication...
He was wrong.
All he needed was a little chaos.
Jody was a vortex of non-stop chaotic information and turbulence. A spicy disaster waiting to take out anyone who got in her way.
She'd never been able to view the world through a wide lens, until she met AJ.
He taught her to see people. She taught him to “hear” music.
Together, can they bridge the gap between the hearing and deaf worlds and turn music on its head?
Silent Words, the sequel to Silent Song is just as powerful as the first book. Silent Words is from the POVs of Jodi and AJ - both of whom we met in Silent Song, Jodi being Presley's best friend and AJ being a very close friend of Barrett's. Whilst this is Jodi and AJ's story, I love how Presley and Barrett play a major role. There is also another valuable addition to the story Trent, who is deaf but can speak. Presley has set up a not for profit company which takes the Silent Song around to schools to bring awareness of the deaf community to hearing people and bring a music experience to deaf students. Jodi comes on board as a creative director to help come up with new material.
Jodi and AJ are as different as can be, but have the same aim of bridging the gap between the deaf and hearing worlds. Jodi's non-stop brain has a brilliant idea of how to do this. This is so powerful and their is plenty of emotion in this story. I had a few 'happy' tears reading on the train.
As with Silent Song, Silent Words is written in a mix of English and ASL (American Sign Language) which I really enjoyed. I really learned a little more about the the deaf community from Silent Words. 5 amazing stars!
Another amazing and powerful story from Jaci Wheeler! I loved Silent Words. Jodi, AJ, Trent, and Presley were brilliant. AJ is deaf and has always wanted to bridge the gap between deaf and hearing people, whereas Jodi can hear but hasn't really been able to relate to deaf people much. When AJ and Jodi begin working together there is a lot of chaos, because they are complete opposites. Soon Jodi's chaos melds with AJ's organization and they balance each other, creating a perfect couple. The song they created was so powerful. With one song they created so much more than they had ever hoped for. They made people feel so many emotions, just as this book did for me.
4.5 stars!! I loved this book! I loved seeing Presley and Barrett together again and seeing Jodi and AJ’s relationship grow throughout the book. I loved the meaning behind the story and how it gives insight into the deaf world. Many times throughout the book I wondered what it would be like to be deaf and hear nothing. I wish these shows were real so I could get the experience! Jodi was a real joy to read. I loved her personality and how spunky she is. She definitely balances out AJ and his need for order and organization, as well as healthy foods of course! This is such a great story with such lovable characters! I really think Trent needs his own book!
Silent Words is a beautiful follow up to Silent Song, which I absolutely loved. Jaci Wheeler does a fantastic job at bringing her readers into the world of Deaf Culture and explaining as she goes. While Bennett and Presley are present, this time around we focus on Jodi and AJ, a perfect opposites attract couple.
Jodi was awesome from the get go. She's a bit neurotic and brilliant at the same time. She exudes confidence that hides her insecurities. Something she didn't think people noticed, until she met AJ. After accepting an offer to help Presley with another song, Jodi finds herself creatively immersed in Deaf Culture. This girl is shot out of a cannon 24/7, something the strict, rigid AJ knows nothing about.
"Sometime silence my prison. Sometime my home."
AJ is deaf and also works with Presley. He isn't impressed with Jodi at first sight. She is confusing to him and frankly everything he doesn't like in a woman. What he didn't expect is to learn from Jodi's chaos. AJ wants to spread the word of Deaf Culture to others and never in a million years did he think Jodi would be able to help him with that.
These two are fantastic together! I absolutely loved Jodi's personality. She was balls to the wall, not caring what anybody though of her. AJ was always on a schedule, color coordinated and sadly, a bit boring. The back and forth between these two was hilarious and heartwarming at the same time.
The book is well written and while predictable, a fantastic glimpse into Deaf Culture once again. You learn a lot reading this book, however it doesn't feel preachy if that makes any sense. Jodi Wheeler has a great letter to the reader explaining how the deaf communicate, which is eye opening to say the least. Silent Words is a fantastic companion read to Silent Song.
I started by reading the 2nd book in the series (Silent Words) and then I realized I want to read the first book also (Silent Song). Although they both can be read on their own, as standalone books, I’m glad I chose to read them both.
The book is not just about merging two worlds, that of those who are able to hear and those who are deaf. There are lives intertwined, relationships, and friendships. Those books are kind of strange. I read them and they made me feel like the world is a better place now because there are those books out there. They also made me feel like just reading those books has made me somehow a better person and has made my world somehow richer. I absolutely appreciated the chance to see what American Sign Language actually looks like when translated into “regular” words. That is something I have always been quietly wondering about, but somehow never dared to ask anyone. I felt like it might be too intrusive to go and bother people with my weird questions. But now I know. Both of those books are so different from anything I have ever read so far. I am truly amazed.
Somehow I connected with Aj and Jodi even more than Barrett and Presley.
When I read the first book in this duo I remember thinking how hard it was to read the sign language scenes given ASL isn’t just an exact English translation. Shortly through the book I thought “well that’s kind of the point of this whole dang book series so keep reading”
When I started silent words I found how easy it was to read now, how much sense their language makes, how the words weren’t even remotely as important as the feelings that were palpable from the pages.
Wheeler is an excellent writer and storyteller and just like our characters in the book, she’s able to evoke a feeling without the words being the most important part even in a book. That’s talent.
I am really sad to be leaving this found family. This was an excellent read.
This book was hard for me to rate. I am hearing and taking classes in ASL so I loved the fact that it centered around bridging the gap between the deaf and hearing community and totally agree with it. That part had me totally excited about the book. Jodi's invention of introducing music to connect the two worlds is so awesome, I wish I could experience it. The hard part for me was the characters. The Jodi character was really interesting, not that the other characters weren't, but if the story didn't work around the music aspect I don't know if I would have enjoyed the book as much. There was just something missing. I can't even honestly say what, just something. With Silent Song by Ms Wheeler, I was all in. The plot, the characters, the storyline, everything. However with that being said I would still recommend reading them both.
This is the second book in this incredible series, and this is AJ and Jody’s journey. Jody is the creative director for Presley’s non-profit organization, which brings awareness about the deaf to the community. AJ and Jody are complete opposites, but they complement each other perfectly. These two works together to bridge the gap between the hearing and the deaf worlds. This is a beautifully written story which is a powerful page turner, which has emotions, intrigue, and love, which leads to an entertaining and compelling read. I look forward to reading more from this talented author whose work I highly recommend. I received a free copy of this book via Give Me Books and am voluntarily leaving a review.
There isn't enough inclusivity in romance, and I'm so excited to find another series with Deaf/deaf/HoH characters, this time an #ownvoices story.
AJ and Jodi are such great characters, and I love that they each have a journey of self-discovery to go on in this book. Their love is quiet and unassuming but no less beautiful because of it.
And the themes of inclusivity and taking up space in society are so important.
I'd class this as an NA book - the adults are still quite young and there's no steam in these either. It's written in dual POV first person.
I received a copy of this book from the author and have chosen to leave an honest review.
Book 2 in this duet is just as special as book one. AJ and Jodi couldn’t be more different- or so they think. When they open their eyes and hearts to the one close to them, they see they can learn so much from each other. And change the world at the same time.
AJ wants to bridge the hearing world with the deaf. Jodi has a gift of bringing ideas to life. When these two work together, amazing things happen. There is a lot of push and pull. A building of a friendship that becomes so much more.
This story touched me as much as book one. I loved the family these friends created. Such a special duet!
Both books in this series are incredible. I learned so much about the deaf community and fell in love with these characters. By midway through the second book, I caught on to the new language and followed without stopping to think it through. I feel Jaci has done as much for me as the entire gang did for the fictional hearing impaired community by putting to words these exceptional people.
Rarely do I write a review. But this series has brought me to my knees and opened my eyes. As a college student I took a sign language class, just because. I have also taken care of a few deaf individuals as a nurse. But I know I never really looked and understood the culture. Beautiful written Jack Wheeler!
What a phenomenal series. I love both of these books. I love what they represent and how the music changes throughout the story. I love how dating Jodi is and she brings out a completely different side AJ. I love how they show their families and bridge that gap between the hearing and the deaf. One of my favorite books!!
This series brought so much joy and understanding to me. I learned so much about the deaf community and love Jaci for giving us a glimpse into their culture!! Thank you so much! I’ll be sharing these two books with my teenage daughters, maybe they can share with their friends and so on!! ❤️
The brilliance of bringing together different worlds, cultures, abilities and everything in between, Wheeler has hit all of my deepest emotions in this spectacularly written novel. I want to live in the world of the Silent Song Group continue to be apart of bridging gaps.
This is a great book! The beautiful friendships, wonderful realistic characters, and the absolute love of detail will keep you reading this book even if you normally read thrillers or fantasy (like me). Read this book - it is worth every penny!
Another wonderful feel good read. You make the best characters… I laugh and smirk as I silently read, sad those around me can’t feel these wonderful emotions you share with us. Really! Thank you and keep writing.
I really enjoyed this book and got lost in the story. Jaci is a wonderful storyteller. I also learned a lot about the deaf community. Can’t wait to read more of Jaci Wheeler’s work.
The first book brought me to tears. This one gave the chills. I could literally feel the understanding and what a gift that is. I have recommended these two books to several people!
5/5 would recommend. This is characters from Presley and Barrett’s prior lives continuing something amazing and finding love themselves. So much emotion in these books.
LOVE these characters & their stories. Very eye-opening and lots of information all spun i to 2 amazing stories/books. Hope more will be coming-need Trent to have a story!!
The Silent Duo books opened my eyes to a world I knew nothing about. I appreciated the lessons provided about the deaf community. Loved the story and the characters.
Silent Words is an excellent follow up to Silent Song. I loved this book even more than the first (which is rare for me)! Jaci Wheeler does such a great job demonstrating the Deaf culture and community through these characters. In this sequel, the characters are a little older and more mature. As adults their interactions and relationships are engaging, emotional, comical, and endearing. I loved learning more about each character as they learned more about each other. The project they were working on is something I wish was real! What an amazing idea!
I particularly loved that the ASL dialog was written in the syntax as it would be signed. It helped me envision those interactions in ASL, rather than reading them in English and interpreting/ envisioning them in my head as ASL. I could feel and see the language as I was reading. What a beautiful way to illustrate the American Sign Language. Jaci also did such a great job in articulating the hearing characters who were learning to sign through how the dialog was written. When I was learning to sign (I am hearing) I remember only being able to sign certain words / phrases to get my point across. I truly felt these characters and where they were in expressing themselves across two languages. Well done!
I loved Silent Song from the beginning, the summary really and once I finished it, I had to read this and I’m so beyond glad that I did.
Once more, I cried tears but this time mostly of joy. The scene with the soft opening of Silent Words had me in tears, emotionally wrecked and uplifted, with complete joy and chills breaking out all over my body. It’s so moving to read this beautiful book.
I will definitely be buying this as well, paperback too. I want to congratulate the author on an amazing book with so much deaf pride and culture representation as well as making me fall in love with each and every character.
I also appreciate the story we got and how while there was romance, it didn’t overshadow the story itself and the beauty at its core.
This is something EVERYONE needs to read because of how well it’s written, how well it evidences deaf pride and culture and how beautifully it touches your heart.
AJ & Jodi are absolutely adorable and I love them just as much as I love Barrett & Presley.