SuitabookCan You Feel the Noise?
Stewart Foster
- Reading
- Read alongside the child, pausing after Sophie’s hearing changes to name feelings without assuming one fixed response. Afterwards, explore the book’s ideas about communication, support and finding new possibilities rather than judging recovery by a single outcome.
- Themes
- Living with sudden deafness: Sophie wakes up completely deaf after gradual hearing loss, uses lip-reading and attends hospital appointments while adjusting to changed communication. The situation is presented as disruptive and emotionally difficult, while also making space for new understanding, capability and connection.
- Music and identity: Sophie is passionate about guitar and her band, faces uncertainty about the Battle of the Bands, and discovers sound vibrations through drums. The book presents competing or mixed signals about this.
- Friendship and support: Sophie’s hearing loss changes her relationships; friends and bandmates vary in how well they understand the challenges she faces, while another deaf musician offers support. The book appears to examine support as uneven and relational, rather than treating friendship as automatically understanding.
- Worth knowing
- The book may suit a reader ready for sustained emotional attention to hearing loss, hospital appointments, communication difficulties and altered relationships. Check in if stories about sudden change or isolation feel personally close.