I absolutely loved this book. It had me gripped from start to finish. It was a beautiful love story with such a deep connection between our two main characters.

I adored our main characters and how they grew throughout the book. The theme of grief was so easy to resonate with as well.

Finally, the uniqueness of this novel was beautiful. It was refreshing to gain such a valuable insight into deaf culture and the issues that still surround it today.

Overall, one of the best romances I've read all year. I would highly recommend.

||4.25🌟||

I would read it again. I would absolutely read it again. If only just feel a pinch of what I felt reading those last chapters, I would absolutely fucking read it again.

This book had layers! Layers of beauty, emotion, grief, love, art, silence, and language. It had me constantly choked up and inspired, sometimes at the same time. I was highlighting lines, rereading passages, just sitting with my heart full.

It’s a gorgeous portrayal of yearning, of a deeper connection, of love in many forms. The way Irish Sign Language and Korean Sign Language are woven into the story.. the way culture is portrayed not just through words, but through food, gestures, silence, it’s stunning. Quietly radical and incredibly moving.

Both main characters had such emotional depth, it felt like they were reaching out of the page and touching something raw in me. Their experiences, their communication, their pain and joy. it all became personal. Their depth was my undoing.

The pacing? Absolutely perfect. Even in its slowest moments, the story stayed strong. I was completely hooked, laughing, swooning, cheesing like an idiot, desperate to know what would happen next. There were no dull moments, only rich ones.

Simon Doyle was clearly exploring a different kind of communication, a communication in silence, in presence, in love. And he portrayed it with such care and tenderness that I was left in awe. The strength and clarity of connection between people who face communication barriers, it was breathtaking.

This book wasn’t just good. It was good GOOD. Truly special. I already want to read it again.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

What a terribly sweet story. The novel opens with the death of Owen’s grandfather, so grief plays a large role in the story. Owen deals with so many big, complicated feelings that they feel overwhelming. They are all handed with compassion and his journey toward healing is every bit as moving as the romance that develops between Owen and Jun-ho. Doyle knows how to capture teenage angst and the pangs of first love which is apparent in the tenderness he imbues in Owen and Jun’s relationship.

Ryan, Owen’s best friend, is a scene-stealing character. His presence often injected humor into the story and the way Doyle writes about his friendship with Owen is wonderful. I’m not an expert on the Deaf community, but I do think representation is very important, and I think that this aspect of Jun-ho’s character was handled with sensitivity. I think The Sound of You makes very good points about allyship and recognizing that not everyone experiences the world in the same way.

Thank you SD Press and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. I absolutely loved this story! Owen has just lost someone he loved dearly. And he’s struggling to navigate the world without them. Then he bumps into Jun-Ho, and though he doesn’t speak to Owen on their first encounter, Owen can’t get him out of his head. To his surprise and delight they run into each other the next day, it’s then that Owen learns Jun is Deaf. He grew up in Korea and recently moved to Ireland with his mom who’s Irish. Jun knows ISL and KSL and he can also read lips. Which is lucky for Owen. But he decides he’s going to learn ISL and it helps but he also learns that he can communicate with Jun even without it. The two get each other and the more time they spend together the more Owen falls for him. But does Jun like guys? And Jun’s got some complicated family dynamics. Will the two fall for each other? Or will life get in the way? I loved the depiction of communication and sound in this story! And how hearing can happen in different forms and can be unique to us all! I enjoyed the slow burn romance between Owen and Jun and absolutely adored their friends and families! Especially Ryan and Ella! I also loved the exploration of grief and how Owen depicted it with his art! Simon Doyle’s The Sound Of You is a beautifully told story of love, grief, and deep understanding and communication! Funny, queer, heartwarming, and will have you feeling all the feels! Also had me crying at times! Highly recommend!!

Thank you so much NetGalley, SD Press, Simon Doyle for the ARC!

The sound of you was just so amazing! It was such a sweet story with so much heart and sappy little moments between Owen and Jun-ho. They were just so perfect and the fact that they both helped each other with difficult part of their lives was just such a great thing.

I haven’t read my books with deaf representation, but I think that Simon did an amazing job and handling that well and showing how Owen and Jun-ho’s budding relationship works. I will say though the fact that Owen learned ISL to speak with Jun-ho just made me kick my feet and giggle! I mean come on talk about romantic! 🥰

I really loved the fact that Owen fought to Jun-ho, when his father came and wanted to take him away. It just showed how much Owen cared for him and what he was willing to do. But the exhibit turned into more than just that, it really helped others take on a new perspective. That alone was my favourite part of the whole book and just a great way to lead towards the ending.

Overall, 10/10 and would def read this again.

I loved "The Sound of You" on so many levels. I did not want to stop reading it!
The story gives us a beautiful picture of grief, personal growth as a teenager, embracing cultural differences and bridging communication between deaf and hearing people.

My personal highlight was the exhibition they did at the end, which really showed how deaf people aren't as different to hearing people as many think. This is also supported by how effortlessly Jun and Owen communicate throughout the book. At the beginning it's a little difficult, but Owen adapts and with time it becomes second nature.

I would recommend everyone to read this book!

This is an honest review in exchange for an e-ARC. Thank you to SD Press, Simon Doyle and NetGalley for the e-ARC

Whoa ! This was amazing I loved Owen and Jun so much.
Owens story was so sad . He's grandad seemed so sweet .

I loved his friend and their banter .

Jun was so cute and the sign language part was interesting.
It was a joy to read .

Thank you to NetGalley and SD Press for a complimentary copy of The Sound of You by Simon Doyle.

This was a delightful read! The Sound of You has lots of good messaging surrounding grief of a loved one and finding yourself in the world. I thought the author had written both of these subjects beautifully. It shows that moving on doesn’t mean forgetting and that silence can truly be the loudest as we speak with more than just our words.

I loved all of the characters in The Sound of You, the main relationship between Owen and Jun was very wholesome, I found so many of their interactions to be so cute that I couldn’t help but coo and laugh with them. Another aspect that I really enjoyed about this book was the found family, the friendships and relationships in this book were lovely. It was nice to see that all of them cared and loved one another, it was even nicer to see them all come together! I’m very pleased with the friendships/relationships, I’m happy that the characters are happy, I’m glad many of them have found their special person in the world!

Overall this was a lovely book with great messaging! The Sound of You has a good mix of fluff and angst moments that I enjoyed. The relationships both romantic and platonic are solid in here! I’ll definitely be reading this authors other books Snow Boys and Runaway Train soon! As a side note the mention of Ao3 caught me off guard but it was so funny!

A sweet story, very emotional and beautiful.

It touches upon some heavy topics, and it makes you reflect a lot on your own experiences, and you just don’t notice how quickly you become so invested in the story.

The main characters are just so sweet, and the whole cast of others is so great as well. The found family, the friendships, parents-children relationships, it was very interesting to see them all.

Overall, a great read, would definitely recommend 🤍

The Sound of You is a queer YA romance that intimately explores themes of grief, disability, culture, art, and unconditional love and acceptance, as the profound first-love shared between MCs Owen and Jun has ripple-effects that positively impact the very heart of the community that surrounds them.

This was a truly heartfelt reading experience and I appreciated the way Doyle handled the story, emotionally and tonally speaking. It managed to walk a steadfast line between too emotionally exhausting and too sweet and fluffy, which isn’t always the case when dealing with YA stories of similar themes.

The growing romance between artistic, grief-stricken Owen and half-Korean Jun, a deaf boy with his own familial and cultural challenges, was very heartwarming and tender in its rendering. But beyond their smile-inducing first-love romance, it was in the ensemble cast of characters and the emotionally engaging themes they represented that this story truly shined.

For me, the opening of the story was my absolute favourite part, as we followed Owen in the days and weeks after the loss of his beloved grandfather. The way his grief was handled was very moving and so intensely relatable in its telling, that I hold huge respect for what Doyle managed to capture in those quieter, more contemplative scenes, which served to endeared me deeply to MC Owen very early in the piece.

However, I was just as engaged with the rest of the story, too, especially once the boys became friends and their romantic feelings began to take flight, fully enjoying the larger arc involving Owen’s artistic expression and the eventual explorations of human communication and unique methods of connectivity we use in a shared diverse world.

As my second time reading a story by Irish author Simon Doyle, I can confidently say that I’ve enjoyed his characters, his themes, and his style of storytelling very much, at least from what I’ve seen and experienced thus far. I’m definitely keen to now backtrack so I can fill in missing gaps in his backlog, but I’m also super eager to see what he does next on his writing journey.

The Sound of You was a real pleasure to read.


***A special thanks to the publishers (via Netgalley) for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very romantic book. The prose was gorgeous and I highlighted several passages simply because they are incredibly beautiful.

I loved the grief journey. Owen’s loss of his grandfather shadowed everything he did, and I really felt for him. The art project he did was so incredibly emotional and stunning, I wanted to hug him.

The romance with Jun was so intimate and stunning, I loved how they communicated with each other and that epic grand gesture of love and friendship at the end had tears rolling down my cheeks.

Very sweet and lovely,

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

If you want a tender love story with so much depth and heart, this is definitely the book for you. I thought this book was beautifully written, and I appreciated how well it tackled the topic of grief and love. It was also enlightening to read a book with a main character who is deaf. Jun-ho and Owen have my entire heart, and I think their love story is so intricate and developed. I wanted to keep reading about them forever. This novel is so much more than just a love story, though. It is about navigating grief and discovering who you are and how to be in times of loss and hardship. Discovering more about yourself is always something I enjoy reading about.

Overall, 5 stars!

I have enjoyed reading all of Simon Doyle’s books. His latest one is an endearing love story between two teenage boys: one Irish (Owen) and the other half-Korean, half-Irish (Jun). Jun is also deaf. In addition to Owen and Jun there are many supporting roles, including Owen’s grandfather who dies right at the start of the book; we see Owen struggle with his grief over this loss.

The burgeoning relationship between Owen and Jun is delight to observe, despite the challenges of Jun’s lack of hearing (which he makes up for in other ways) and the cultural differences between Ireland and Korea, including Jun’s difficult Korean father.

This was a rewarding read. Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC.

The Sound of You absolutely stole my heart. This is the kind of book that creeps up on you softly, then hits you with all the feels when you least expect it. Owen Kelly is such a relatable, raw character — dealing with grief, loneliness, and the sense of not being seen. I connected with him instantly.

But then comes Jun-ho Lee — quiet, observant, and Deaf — and everything changes. Their connection is so tender and meaningful, built on gestures, glances, and trust. I loved how their relationship blossomed in the quiet, in the spaces where words sometimes fall short. The representation here is powerful and so needed.

This story isn’t just a romance — it’s about identity, communication, and learning how to be heard in a world that often ignores the quiet voices. It's slow-burn, it's queer, it's emotional, and it's just real. Think Heartstopper meets I’ll Give You the Sun with a dash of The Perks of Being a Wallflower — yes, it's that good.

If you're looking for a book that will make you cry, smile, and maybe believe in a quiet kind of miracle, The Sound of You is it.

I could not put this book down! Seriously, I only got 3 hours of sleep last night because I stayed up to finish it. Sorry not sorry for my irresponsible reading choices.

These characters were just too cute. I literally had no choice but to keep reading in order to find out how everything turns out with them.

Doyle handles Jun's marginalization well. I was surprised to see no evidence on his socials that he has any intimate knowledge of life being deaf or as a person of color in a predominantly white culture so perhaps someone close to him does have that experience or he did his research well and respectfully.

My only complaint is that I'm concerned this book is going to become extremely underrated. And that's because I'm not sure the trope marketing does it any justice (obviously that's more a statement of the marketing choices and the publishing/marketing industry in general than any of the writing). Obviously trope marketing works, so if its bringing more readership to the book, I probably SHOULDN'T complain, but while its totally accurate to describe the book as "friends to lovers", "found family", "safe with me", etc. I also feel like that overly simplifies the book and undermines the brilliance of the prose.

While the prose in this book is simple and still distinctly YA, it also does this brilliant thing I've seen from a fair number of Irish Literary (capitol L) writers like Claire Keegan and Salley Rooney where it takes a really simple and straightforward narrative such as: "Character goes into the kitchen, gets a glass, fills it with water from the tap, stares at the motes floating in the cloudy water, sets the glass down, notices a chip in the countertop, walks out of the kitchen" (except you know, in real sentences) and in between each line of the simple and straightforward narrative voice, there is nothing but subtext! Its just jam packed in there. Like you can feel Owen's grief without mention of his emotions, his body posture, his tone of voice. and all those other overdone recommendations for "showing not telling". You can feel it in the way everything he does seems tiring and meaningless without that having to be spelled out for you. And later, you see the change from the tiring and meaningless to the bordering obsessive and infatuated without that having to be explicitly spelled out either.

I don't mean to imply that only Irish writers do this, but based on my own reading experiences it does seem to be a feature of some of the Irish literary canon. And I feel like the incredible heart and emotion in this book needs more advertising air time. I wouldn't call this a cute, queer lighthearted romp. HeartWARMING? Absolutely! But every bit as deserving of a place in literature that covers serious topics such as grief and belonging.

I'd recommend this book to anyone and everyone that I can convince to read it and I will definitely be buying a copy to join the rest of my personal collection of queer books and be revisiting it again and again.

The Sound of You by Simon Doyle is a heartwarming, wholesome, and beautifully told story. It centers on two main characters: Owen, a sixteen-year-old aspiring artist grappling with the recent loss of his grandfather, and Jun-ho, a kind, deaf and mute boy who has just moved to Ireland with his mother.

Their paths cross by chance — but that moment of serendipity becomes something deeply meaningful for both of them, arriving at a time when they each need it most.

This is a tender, moving story about grief, love, and acceptance. Simon Doyle draws you into their world from the very first encounter, and I was completely immersed in their journey as it unfolded.

It was an easy five-star read for me. If you’re drawn to heartfelt connections and queer love stories, this is one you won’t want to miss.

The Sound of You by Simon Doyle
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (4.5 out of 5 stars)

This one quietly crept into my heart.

The Sound of You is a beautifully written YA queer romance that takes you through grief, healing, and unexpected connection. We follow sixteen-year-old Owen, who’s still reeling from the loss of his grandfather — the one person who really understood him. Life feels a bit muted for Owen… until a random encounter with Jun-ho, a Deaf, Korean-Irish student, shifts everything.

What I loved most? It’s not loud or dramatic. There’s no over-the-top spice, and the drama is minimal — but that’s exactly why it works. It’s gentle, emotional, and real. Watching Owen slowly learn ISL (Irish Sign Language) and step into Jun’s world felt so natural. Their connection builds through quiet moments, glances, and little gestures — and it felt authentic.

This isn’t just a love story. It’s a story about learning to listen, even when there are no words. About processing grief, discovering joy again, and learning to connect in new ways. Some parts made me smile like an idiot. Others? Hit right in the feels.

And yes, I actually laughed out loud more than once. The humor is soft and sweet, and the writing just flows — like you’re slipping into someone else’s memories.

Final thoughts:
If you’re looking for something heartwarming, inclusive, and refreshingly low on the drama — The Sound of You is a wonderful choice. A sweet slow-burn romance with a whole lot of depth. 4.5 stars from me, and definitely one I’d recommend to anyone who wants a story that speaks through silence.

Thank you to NetGalley and SD Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review

This was just too precious! The story picks up so fast and we're quickly introduced to our protagonist, his best friend, and his grieving family after the loss of his grandfather.
These characters felt real and heartfelt, and I really believed in their struggles at school or with their relationships. I was so happy for our boys falling love that I was smiling for multiple chapters at a time, and didn't want their story to end.
It was also great to see how a few frequently asked questions were answered through the book, my pet peeve one being "why don't all deaf people use the same sign language?"

An absolute must-read!!

I started this book in the evening after finishing another book. I read the first chapter—and it made me so sad I had to put the book down for a full 24 hours before I could pick it back up again. And I live for the emotional pain, hurt/comfort trope!!

That being said, once I picked it back up the next day, I didn't want to stop reading! Straight from the start, I absolutely adored Owen and Ryan's friendship—Owen is mourning the loss of a family member, and I adored how Ryan was there for him. This continues throughout the book, even as life moves on for both of them, with school work and friends and dating, and I was so happy Owen had Ryan in his life! There are other friends throughout the story too, whom I absolutely adored, but Ryan stood out, being the oldest friend and also the first one that we meet early on in this story!

Whilst trying to cope with his grief through art, Owen meets Jun-ho, a half Irish half Korean boy, in the park. He quickly discovers Jun is Deaf, and a big focus of the story is the two of them communicating in ways that most people wouldn't even think about: body language, texts, lip reading, and of course through sign language, which Owen starts to learn. It was such a beautiful story line; I especially loved a moment where Owen noted that they'd had a whole conversation without speaking or signing, and that communication was flowing more naturally between them now than when they first met 🥰

The romance plot line was exquisite—there's so much yearning, so many beautiful moments, talk of butterflies and feeling content just sitting and holding each other and trading kisses and agghshjd it was just such a gorgeous portrayal of young love!! 💖 I felt absolutely giddy reading their story and remembering that feeling of first falling for someone as a teenager, and I was awe-struck and teary-eyed reading about what they'd do to stay together, even when things try to keep them apart (I won't spoil the story, but things got really tense there for a while and I was legit scared of how few pages there were left to reach a resolution!!!).

The last thing I want to draw attention to is the use of art throughout this story. I loved how it was always there, in the background or right front and centre. I could feel Owen's feelings through his drawings and the way he used art to express his grief and his love and, most of all, his desire to help Jun with his family issues. It was a beautiful reminder that so much of life is art and expression, and I loved that! 💖

To sum up, The Sound of You is a beautiful YA story, with themes of friendship and love, grief and communication, artistic expression and determination, and I one hundred percent recommend this book, without reservation, to absolutely everyone!! Doyle's writing is beautiful and funny, with banter and heartfelt moments, and characters that feel real and relatable, in a setting where it's easy to imagine the events unfolding, and I've adored every minute I've gotten to spend in this world!

Without a doubt, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 from me, and I can't wait to own and reread this book!


I want to thank the author, Simon Doyle, for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! I absolutely loved this story, and I can't wait to read anything else you might write in the future! 😁

This was such a great book! Owen is struggling after a great loss, until one day he meets a quiet boy in the park, Jun. After realizing that Jun is deaf and communicates through sign language, Owen is determined to learn to speak to him.

Jun has his own personal struggles in his father, who lives in South Korea. His father is determined to fix Jun, despite what the boy wants for himself.

Can the boys work together to convince Jun’s father that he isn’t someone that needs to be fixed? Will the boys be able to stay together?

This book was a pure delight, beautifully written, with some absolutely amazing characters. Both boy have some amazing growth during this story. If you enjoy YA and MM stories, you should definitely give this one a read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher/author for this copy of this book.

This was a really cute and emotional story about grief, love, disability and acceptance. The pacing was really good and I enjoyed the writing very much. The characters were so likeable, but there wasn't that much character development.
I will definitely recommend this book!

The Sound of You by Simon Doyle is a gentle and moving story about loss, healing, and finding connection in unexpected ways. Owen, a boy struggling with grief, meets Jun, who is Deaf and communicates without words. Their friendship grows slowly but deeply, showing how silence can speak louder than words.

The book is full of quiet moments that feel very real and heartfelt. Doyle’s writing is clear and thoughtful, making it easy to understand the pain and hope the characters experience. If you enjoy stories about friendship, love, and learning to be heard, this tender romance will stay with you long after you finish.

I received an e-ARC and am giving my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and Simon Doyle for this opportunity!!

It’s no secret that ‘This Isn’t a Vampire Story’ was an arguably life changing read for me, so I was ecstatic for this novel. I’m hard of hearing, should have been using a hearing aide since I was a child but it never happened. A queer love story with a deaf love interest is something I’ve always loved the idea of, and have read at least one other that was a manga. This completely exceeded expectations.

I know ASL, not ISL, so can’t personally speak to the accuracy of the signs but they seemed to be correct based off what I do know. The ways that Owen immediately jumped into researching ISL, going to a class all for a boy he’d barely met in passing a couple of times? It was so sweet and caring, despite having just lost his grandfather and feeling a bit lost in life. He still went out of his way to learn how to communicate with Jun, even if it took a while.

Speaking of Jun, I adored how he was written. The nuances of his family dynamics, how rough it is and how he felt the need to isolate himself from Owen. The pressure that asian families put on their children was incredibly written. Owen feeling so certain he can change Jun’s father’s mind, not having grown up with a parental figure like him, while Jun has grown up with him and knows how impossible that would be and struggling to convey that.

I adored Ryan. Loved how his and Owen’s friendship was able to continue on as normal even though Owen once held feelings for him. Their friendship still being just as silly, jokes of them being boyfriends, with no awkwardness. It was so endearing and sweet, each scene Ryan was in made me smile.


This was a beautifully sweet book, with incredible commentary on the social divides with hearing and the d/Deaf, as well as differences with asian family expectations. It helped me to feel more connected to the literary world, seeing someone on page similar to me. This was truly lovely.

Everything about this story is so unbelievably beautiful… I am in love with the way Simon Doyle writes. He tells us a story of grief and memory, of fear and courage, of learning to listen to yourself, of community and found family, of love and connection… this book touched me deeply.

Owen has lost someone very precious and he and his family are learning to navigate that when he meets Jun who is Deaf and new to Dublin but building a community… it’s honestly so bright, they way first love blooms, how they step forward and withdraw and step forward bravely again. I adored all of the other characters too.. Ryan and Mia and Ella and Pauline and Sean and Eileen and Mick and Owen’s Mom and Callum and even Tommy.

Taking us on a journey ranging from funny to poignant to touching to triumph, Simon Doyle writes a tale of loss, love and overcoming forces that could keep them apart in a truly moving way. This is probably the first YA I’ve read and I found it to unbelievably well developed tacking mature coming of age themes and topics which even adults grapple hard with in such a sensitive manner.

Highly recommend reading!