Young Adult

Sugaring Off

Sugaring Off

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  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2022-11-24 09:51:33
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Gillian French
  • ISBN：1643752707
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Summary

A dazzling and evocative novel about love and loss—with a dash of thrilling mystery—for fans of Mindy McGinnis and Courtney Summers。

Left partially deaf by an early childhood tragedy that ended in her father’s incarceration， seventeen-year-old Owl is now a tracker， an explorer， a wildlife enthusiast， and always her freest self while hiking the steep forested acres surrounding her aunt and uncle’s maple sugar farm， now her home。 Owl and her aunt and uncle never speak of the brutal attack that brought her to them。 On the day she confronts a stranger trespassing among the maples， Owl’s sheltered existence is blown wide open by Cody—the magnetic， dangerous young man hired to help with the sugaring off。 Cody seems to see her， the real her， in a way no one else does。 Together， they challenge each other， learn to question their preconceptions， and risk a romance their families are desperate to stop。  
 
But when Owl learns that some part of Cody is compelled toward self-destruction， she must make a difficult decision about their relationship at the same time she’s grappling with her father’s recent release from prison。 And when a seemingly motiveless local murder draws attention to Cody， Owl realizes that Cody is in far more serious trouble than anyone knows—and it’s followed him to her mountain。

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Reviews

Stephanie | stephonashelf ，

Genre: YA Mystery Format: Physical 4🌟 - I liked it！ Thank you @algonquinyr for the #gifted copy of @gillianfrenchwriter’s newest release！ Atmospheric， immersive， and handling complex issues of identity， love， family， and friendship。 I loved seeing Deaf representation as a major theme in this book！ There is so much of Owl’s identity that she is discovering。 She is handling remote living， dealing with grief and forgiveness， navigating her identity being Deaf， and learning how to communicate effici Genre: YA Mystery Format: Physical 4🌟 - I liked it！ Thank you @algonquinyr for the #gifted copy of @gillianfrenchwriter’s newest release！ Atmospheric， immersive， and handling complex issues of identity， love， family， and friendship。 I loved seeing Deaf representation as a major theme in this book！ There is so much of Owl’s identity that she is discovering。 She is handling remote living， dealing with grief and forgiveness， navigating her identity being Deaf， and learning how to communicate efficiently with ASL。 There is love， coming-of-age themes， and mystery that made this story one easy to fly through。 This book is perfect for the fall/winter， and for those who enjoy a atmospheric book with coming-of-age themes and Deaf representation！ If you’re looking for other books with Deaf rep I suggest True Biz by @photonovic！ 。。。more

Maureen ，

There is so much to love about this book。 The setting， a maple sugar farm， the main character Owl， a young girl left partially deaf by a horrible accident， and the growth we see in her from the beginning of the story until the end。My only negatives are that I wish her aunt and uncle were fleshed out a little more。 I really liked them as characters， and loved learning their history， but I just wanted more。 I also could never connect with the mysterious Cody。 I won’t give anything away， but I just There is so much to love about this book。 The setting， a maple sugar farm， the main character Owl， a young girl left partially deaf by a horrible accident， and the growth we see in her from the beginning of the story until the end。My only negatives are that I wish her aunt and uncle were fleshed out a little more。 I really liked them as characters， and loved learning their history， but I just wanted more。 I also could never connect with the mysterious Cody。 I won’t give anything away， but I just wanted to feel a little more empathy for him， but I didn’t。Overall though， this book was good and definitely worth a read。 It does read a little slower though， so even though I’ve seen it labeled a thriller， don’t expect a fast paced page turner！😉 。。。more

M。 ，

3。5 ⭐️’sI saw a blurb comparing this to Where the Crawdads Sing which in some ways I think is very accurate， just replace a marsh with rural New Hampshire in winter。 I loved all the winter themes， the tree tapping， the syrup bottling， the vivid images of a snowy winter and a chilly small town。I also really loved the Deaf rep in this book and though my opinion on that particular subject means nothing， I thought it was well done。 There’s a scene where Owl signs something to Cody， just a single wor 3。5 ⭐️’sI saw a blurb comparing this to Where the Crawdads Sing which in some ways I think is very accurate， just replace a marsh with rural New Hampshire in winter。 I loved all the winter themes， the tree tapping， the syrup bottling， the vivid images of a snowy winter and a chilly small town。I also really loved the Deaf rep in this book and though my opinion on that particular subject means nothing， I thought it was well done。 There’s a scene where Owl signs something to Cody， just a single word， and man I had full body chills。Speaking of Owl and Cody I can’t say I liked their relationship per se as I think this was an accurate representation of a teenage romance， which unfortunately isn’t without its toxicity or issues。 I guess I was just hoping for a little more depth from their relationship， deeper conversations or something like that。The writing style in this book was also very odd。 I’ve noticed the “disconnected” or “detached” style of writing has gained popularity recently but I still feel that very few others can pull it off。 I’m sure it’s intentional but sometimes I don’t know why， and so it kept pulling me out of my reading rhythm。I thought I was totally sworn off YA but this is my third or 4th this year， and I’m still glad that I read this。 It’s a nice way to shake up my usual reads。 。。。more

Erin Cunningham ，

OMG， such a good book！！ Would love a sequel but I felt that Owl developed enough as a character to maybe not need a sequel。 Also， I want a badass nickname like Owl！

Wyatt [Book Addiction] ，

2。5 Getting a hardback when I can because this cover is so pretty Wyatt

Brynn | readyourworriesaway ，

2。5 ⭐️ My favorite thing about reading this was the setting。 The author gave so many beautiful， vivid depictions of nature and it felt like I was right there。 SUGARING OFF is about life on a maple syrup farm， but you get SO much more than just that。 The main character， Owl， was left deaf in one ear after a childhood tragedy。 Being that she lives in a rural mountain community， she doesn’t have anyone to relate to。 There is also indigenous representation， and a touch of romance and mystery。 I stru 2。5 ⭐️ My favorite thing about reading this was the setting。 The author gave so many beautiful， vivid depictions of nature and it felt like I was right there。 SUGARING OFF is about life on a maple syrup farm， but you get SO much more than just that。 The main character， Owl， was left deaf in one ear after a childhood tragedy。 Being that she lives in a rural mountain community， she doesn’t have anyone to relate to。 There is also indigenous representation， and a touch of romance and mystery。 I struggled a bit with the pacing。 With this being YA， and I wanted more backstory on some of the characters。 However， this was probably the most moody， atmospheric young adult story I’ve read — and I’m not mad about it！ There are so many elements of SUGARING OFF that make it evocative and thought-provoking。 I sure learned a lot about the process of making maple syrup 🍁 。。。more

lexi （aka newlynova） ，

first of all: what a lovely cover。 folklore/evemore/biiiig autumn jacket n a pocketful of leaves vibes。。。 just gorgeous！！i liked this， but i don't think it's going to stick with me。 it's a story about owl， a partially Deaf girl growing up on a maple farm， that takes place during her senior year。 her dad's out of prison， and a new （sexy dark mysterious tortured） boy is working at the farm in stead of her beloved uncle， who has a bum knee。i loved the relationships between owl and her family as wel first of all: what a lovely cover。 folklore/evemore/biiiig autumn jacket n a pocketful of leaves vibes。。。 just gorgeous！！i liked this， but i don't think it's going to stick with me。 it's a story about owl， a partially Deaf girl growing up on a maple farm， that takes place during her senior year。 her dad's out of prison， and a new （sexy dark mysterious tortured） boy is working at the farm in stead of her beloved uncle， who has a bum knee。i loved the relationships between owl and her family as well as her ASL instructor/mentor， and i really enjoyed the complicated feelings that she had dealing with her trauma。 but the romance wasn't for me， and it was a pretty central conceit of the book; i don't get the impression that the story wants cody to be this perfect and delightful figure in owl's life， but as a reader i needed to like him a little bit more to buy the central plot。 this is the kind of book that would work better as a movie - so much of it is about the ~ambiance~ of the maple farm and the setting， and the descriptions are really beautiful。thanks to algonquin for the copy！ 。。。more

Sarah Martin ，

Once again， Gillian French has won me over with her elegant prose and a story that is heartfelt， mysterious， and evocative， all at once。 I fell in love with Owl from the start。 Her teen difficulties are unique， not just because she’s hearing impaired， but due to the weight she carries inside。 She only feels at home in her New England wilderness， away from the small-town attitudes and judgement， but even there she can’t escape her grief。 The novel is a beautiful coming of age story with a touch o Once again， Gillian French has won me over with her elegant prose and a story that is heartfelt， mysterious， and evocative， all at once。 I fell in love with Owl from the start。 Her teen difficulties are unique， not just because she’s hearing impaired， but due to the weight she carries inside。 She only feels at home in her New England wilderness， away from the small-town attitudes and judgement， but even there she can’t escape her grief。 The novel is a beautiful coming of age story with a touch of mystery， and it explores the dark side of love and human nature with grace。 Gillian French is a master at creating atmosphere， and this book transported me into a world that was new， yet still felt real and familiar。 I’m still haunted by Owl and her unique perspective， and French’s powerful words about the “beauty and brutality” of life。 。。。more

Maggie Carr ，

I'm always drawn to books with Deaf and/or hard of hearing characters。 Owl's deafness is the result of a violent assault from her father when she was a child。 Rescued and adopted by her paternal uncle and Native American aunt she grows up in a small community on a maple sugaring farm。 A lot of this story reminds me of Katie McGarry's Only A Breath Apart mixed with Lauren Brooke's Heartland （books/tv show）。 I'm always drawn to books with Deaf and/or hard of hearing characters。 Owl's deafness is the result of a violent assault from her father when she was a child。 Rescued and adopted by her paternal uncle and Native American aunt she grows up in a small community on a maple sugaring farm。 A lot of this story reminds me of Katie McGarry's Only A Breath Apart mixed with Lauren Brooke's Heartland （books/tv show）。 。。。more

Gabrigeeta ，

There was quite a bit of language that I wasn't a fan of， but I did like hearing a story about a partially deaf girl！ You don't see them that often。I also like learning a little bit about the maple syrup-making process。Also， the cover is absolutely stunningDefinitely a winter read ❄️ There was quite a bit of language that I wasn't a fan of， but I did like hearing a story about a partially deaf girl！ You don't see them that often。I also like learning a little bit about the maple syrup-making process。Also， the cover is absolutely stunningDefinitely a winter read ❄️ 。。。more

Candice ，

Thank you to the publisher for my copy， all opinions are my own。I don't as a rule， read a lot of YA books， but I will say that I very much enjoyed this one。 This book is BEAUTIFULLY written， and builds such an incredible sense of atmosphere。 I also totally loved the addition of maple syrup production as the backbone to the story， which is so unique and super interesting to learn about。 The tone to this book is bang on for the characters - its the right amount of romance/scandal/drama that keeps Thank you to the publisher for my copy， all opinions are my own。I don't as a rule， read a lot of YA books， but I will say that I very much enjoyed this one。 This book is BEAUTIFULLY written， and builds such an incredible sense of atmosphere。 I also totally loved the addition of maple syrup production as the backbone to the story， which is so unique and super interesting to learn about。 The tone to this book is bang on for the characters - its the right amount of romance/scandal/drama that keeps it fully believable and has you rooting for Owl as she navigates her world。 I liked the dynamic between her and her aunt/uncle， between her and Cody and between her and her friends。 And I love a book that never lets the main character off the hook for some real life issues that come up and aren't easily resolved。 Overall， a very easy， well paced and entertaining read for lovers of a good character drama/mystery with a little dash of romance thrown in。 。。。more

Fred Henderson ，

Really liked it up until the last quarter。 Won't say why so not to give anything away but just didn't enjoy where the story went 。 The first three quarters was excellent and I would like to read more of this author。 Really liked it up until the last quarter。 Won't say why so not to give anything away but just didn't enjoy where the story went 。 The first three quarters was excellent and I would like to read more of this author。 。。。more

Nenia ✨ I yeet my books back and forth ✨ Campbell ，

Got a copy of this from the pub！ SO excited because for a while I think I ended up on one of those "reviewer is a bitch， don't give her any ARCs" lists that I'm sure exists。 T_TANYWAY I AM SO EXCITED TO HOPEFULLY LOVE THIS BOOK。 I've read Gillian French before and thought her writing was really good and I know she knows how to write sexual tension and suspense。 Got a copy of this from the pub！ SO excited because for a while I think I ended up on one of those "reviewer is a bitch， don't give her any ARCs" lists that I'm sure exists。 T_TANYWAY I AM SO EXCITED TO HOPEFULLY LOVE THIS BOOK。 I've read Gillian French before and thought her writing was really good and I know she knows how to write sexual tension and suspense。 。。。more

thespookybooknerd ，

3。5 stars！I have to start off by saying the cover for this book is absolutely gorgeous！ It instantly grabbed my attention and I just wanted to read it not knowing at all what it was about。This book was much heavier than I would have thought。 I don't think I've ever read a book with deaf （or in this case partially deaf） rep。 Other reps that were included that I personally haven't seen a ton of are foster care， adoption and Indigenous rep。 I enjoyed seeing these all represented as each of these de 3。5 stars！I have to start off by saying the cover for this book is absolutely gorgeous！ It instantly grabbed my attention and I just wanted to read it not knowing at all what it was about。This book was much heavier than I would have thought。 I don't think I've ever read a book with deaf （or in this case partially deaf） rep。 Other reps that were included that I personally haven't seen a ton of are foster care， adoption and Indigenous rep。 I enjoyed seeing these all represented as each of these definitely deserve more representation in books。It started off as a bit of a slower read for me， but about half way or maybe slightly over half way through it started to pick up。 I wasn't really a fan of the writing style， it took a while for me to get used to it and even after I finally did it just continued to bother me a bit。 However， it didn't stop me from still enjoying my read。 Another thing I struggled with at times were Owls thoughts。 I just wanted to jump into the book and let her know that not everything was a deliberate attack towards her。 Aside from that， I liked Owls character and watching her grow。 I loved her closeness with her Aunt and Uncle。 I also loved her developing more friendships。 When it comes to Cody I have mixed feelings。Overall， I enjoyed my read of this book and I have zero regrets about taking the time to read it。 Now that it's over I am left with a couple of questions and there are things I'm still curious about。 。。。more

Susan Ballard ，

3。5 🌟This book offers so much from the beautiful natural setting on a maple syrup farm to folklore， deaf representation and an atmospheric drama。 The narrative seemed a bit literary for YA and there were aspects I had hoped would be fleshed out more。 But if you love a moody， earthy coming-of-age story， grab this one！Thank you @algonquinyr for this gifted copy。

Jessie Carvalho ，

Check triggers**Read this book if you like: Deaf representation， come back from trauma stories， small towns Owl was left partially deaf by an early childhood tragedy that ended in her father’s incarceration。 She is now 17 years old and has been living with her aunt and uncle。 She is a tracker， an explorer， a wildlife enthusiast， who loves to hike the steep forested acres surrounding her aunt and uncle’s maple sugar farm。 Owl， her aunt， and uncle never speak of the brutal attack that brought her Check triggers**Read this book if you like: Deaf representation， come back from trauma stories， small towns Owl was left partially deaf by an early childhood tragedy that ended in her father’s incarceration。 She is now 17 years old and has been living with her aunt and uncle。 She is a tracker， an explorer， a wildlife enthusiast， who loves to hike the steep forested acres surrounding her aunt and uncle’s maple sugar farm。 Owl， her aunt， and uncle never speak of the brutal attack that brought her to them。 On the day she confronts a stranger trespassing among the maples， Owl’s sheltered existence is blown wide open by Cody。 He's a magnetic， dangerous young man hired to help with the sugaring off。 Cody seems to see her， the real her， in a way no one else does。 Together， they challenge each other， learn to question their preconceptions， and risk a romance their families are desperate to stop。   Firstly， what a gorgeous cover。 I was immediately drawn into it。 The story is good。 It's very focused on dealing with your past traumas and growing from them。 Owl is still learning how to navigate the world， partially deaf。 Cody and Owl seem to trauma bond in a way。 I enjoyed the story but I was left wanting a little more。 I think it was the ending for me that needed it。 The atmosphere of the book is fascinating。 I do recommend this！@AlgonquinYR @GillianFrenchWriter Thank you to the author and Hachette for the gifted book。 ❤️ 。。。more

Serene Chamberlin ，

I’m not ashamed to admit that it was the cover of this book that first caught my attention， but the story quickly pulled me in。 Left partially deaf after a childhood accident， Owl spends her days exploring the forested hills of her aunt and uncle’s sugar farm in New Hampshire where she lives。 The author does a beautiful and melancholy job of bringing the setting to life， creating an atmospheric mood to what is an overall heartfelt story。Sugaring Off relies heavily on the trauma and tragedy that I’m not ashamed to admit that it was the cover of this book that first caught my attention， but the story quickly pulled me in。 Left partially deaf after a childhood accident， Owl spends her days exploring the forested hills of her aunt and uncle’s sugar farm in New Hampshire where she lives。 The author does a beautiful and melancholy job of bringing the setting to life， creating an atmospheric mood to what is an overall heartfelt story。Sugaring Off relies heavily on the trauma and tragedy that left Owl with her particular disability， without it becoming a personality trait。 Owl is more than just her disability。 Meanwhile， the author wrote her character， and the deaf rep， with care and sensitivity。 She’s headstrong and stubborn—at some points almost frustratingly so—but it resonated with moments of my own awkward adolescence of trying to gain a voice and footing in a confusing world I was seeing through a new lens。Sugaring Off has a bit of everything—mystery， romance， tragedy—while leaning into a slower-paced story。 While it may disinterest some， I found the pace realistic and refreshing， considering YA novels tend to err on the side of an overabundance of events in order to keep the reader entertained。 It reads very much like a coming-of-age story that is represented through subtle moments of growth。 The romance， however， wasn’t as gripping as I usually prefer， and I didn’t particularly like the male romantic interest， but it didn’t deter me from enjoying the story as it unfolded。 It was there at the ending that the book really blossomed into something beautiful and worth pushing through the slower pace。 With a gripping twist that could rival some of the best thrillers， Sugaring Off is a story worth reading， whether or not you enjoy YA。 It’s a lovely story of perseverance and self-discovery that most anyone could find something relatable to after enduring the awkwardness of our teen years， despite the complexities and hardship of Owl’s story。 I give Sugaring Off by Gillian French four stars。YA Contemporary | TW: Child abuse/domestic violence resulting in physical disabilities， incarceration of a parent， themes of verbal abuse | 345 Pages。Recommended for fans of Nova Ren Suma， Brigid Kemmerer， Courtney Summer， Rory Powers， and Jenn Bennett。Thank you to Algonquin Young Readers @algonquinyr， Workman Publishing， and Gillian French @GillianFrenchWriter for providing a finished copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Britt ，

3。5 stars rounded to 4 for Goodreads。I think we can all agree that the cover is amazing。The storytelling is beautifully written in this coming of age YA novel。 There is a lot of great representation as well。However， not a lot happen for 2/3rds of the book。 I wanted more， but at the same time I did enjoy the book。 The story had a grip on me because I was waiting for something more to happen。 Would i still recommend this？ Yes！ Overall， this is a beautifully written story of being 17 and experienci 3。5 stars rounded to 4 for Goodreads。I think we can all agree that the cover is amazing。The storytelling is beautifully written in this coming of age YA novel。 There is a lot of great representation as well。However， not a lot happen for 2/3rds of the book。 I wanted more， but at the same time I did enjoy the book。 The story had a grip on me because I was waiting for something more to happen。 Would i still recommend this？ Yes！ Overall， this is a beautifully written story of being 17 and experiencing life at its worst。 。。。more

Hannah Sutherland ，

Thank you @AlgonquinYR and @GillianFrenchWriter for the finished copy of this novel！ There are some TWs for this book， so make sure to look those up before reading it。 First off， look at this freaking cover。 It is absolutely gorgeous and just draws the reader in！ I feel like the cover also does the story justice because it gives you an idea of how beautiful the story of love and tragedy can be。 French does an amazing job at showing the readers tragedy at its finest and how it can leave lasting e Thank you @AlgonquinYR and @GillianFrenchWriter for the finished copy of this novel！ There are some TWs for this book， so make sure to look those up before reading it。 First off， look at this freaking cover。 It is absolutely gorgeous and just draws the reader in！ I feel like the cover also does the story justice because it gives you an idea of how beautiful the story of love and tragedy can be。 French does an amazing job at showing the readers tragedy at its finest and how it can leave lasting effects on people。 There were some slow parts in the middle where I would have to put the book down， but overall it was such a good story。 I also have to say that French does such a great job with the deaf representation and make sure that the readers understand where the characters are signing to talk and I feel like it just showed through on the pages。 。。。more

CR ，

The cover is why I wanted to read this one。 I didn't care what it was about。 I just needed to read it because man this cover is so gorgeous！！ Pacing and romance of this one was slower than I normally read。 But I think for this story it worked out well。 I liked how it slowly unfolded and we learned the truth about a light mystery and was really just along for the ride。 The cover is why I wanted to read this one。 I didn't care what it was about。 I just needed to read it because man this cover is so gorgeous！！ Pacing and romance of this one was slower than I normally read。 But I think for this story it worked out well。 I liked how it slowly unfolded and we learned the truth about a light mystery and was really just along for the ride。 。。。more

♡Ellie ，

First， can we take a moment to appreciate how gorgeous this cover is！😍Reading Sugaring Off felt like watching a suspenseful， yet mysterious， moody worthy drama。 I live in the Pacific Northwest and the beautiful outdoor scenery descriptions felt like my own back yard。🌲 
We follow the story of our main character， 17 year old Owl， who is hearing impaired， a character representation so much appreciated and need more of among YA novels。 Owl’s story brings the reader into a hopeful state of mind， with First， can we take a moment to appreciate how gorgeous this cover is！😍Reading Sugaring Off felt like watching a suspenseful， yet mysterious， moody worthy drama。 I live in the Pacific Northwest and the beautiful outdoor scenery descriptions felt like my own back yard。🌲 
We follow the story of our main character， 17 year old Owl， who is hearing impaired， a character representation so much appreciated and need more of among YA novels。 Owl’s story brings the reader into a hopeful state of mind， with a touch of heartbreak💔This novel will bring you to tears， it will shake your core， and the way it unfolds will mesmerize you。 A unique story I am so glad I picked up， but also sad it had to come to an end。 Pick it up today！ Highly recommend！ 。。。more

Melanie （lemonyreads） ，

I wanted to DNF this but pushed through because I thought the plot had potential and let's be real， I love the cover。。。Ironically， the cover is the ONLY thing I liked。 The deaf representation was not explored enough。The "romance" was nonexistent and lame。The writing was terrible。The ending was depressing， weird and confusing AF！The characters were flat/annoying， and I didn't like any of them。 Don't ask me specifics。 I've already started to forget everything， and I don't care。 I'm begging you not I wanted to DNF this but pushed through because I thought the plot had potential and let's be real， I love the cover。。。Ironically， the cover is the ONLY thing I liked。 The deaf representation was not explored enough。The "romance" was nonexistent and lame。The writing was terrible。The ending was depressing， weird and confusing AF！The characters were flat/annoying， and I didn't like any of them。 Don't ask me specifics。 I've already started to forget everything， and I don't care。 I'm begging you not to read this。 Characters - 0Atmosphere/Setting - 0Writing Style - 0Plot - 3Intrigue - 1Lo/Relationships - 0Enjoyment - 0Total: 4Divided by 7 = 1。0 （1 stars）1。1-2。2 *2。3-4。5 **4。6-6。9 ***7。0-8。9 ****9。0-10 ***** 。。。more

Kylie ，

This review is going to contain a few spoilers because I feel so strongly I need to spoil。 I will put a warning though。I feel like this book gave me a lot of all kinds of feelings。 Our main character Owl lives on a maple farm with her aunt and uncle。 She is partially deaf from something that happened when she was younger。 One of her neighbor's grandsons Cody， comes to work on the maple farm to help Owl's uncle Seth who needs a knee replacement so he can't do all the work he used to。 Cody is kind This review is going to contain a few spoilers because I feel so strongly I need to spoil。 I will put a warning though。I feel like this book gave me a lot of all kinds of feelings。 Our main character Owl lives on a maple farm with her aunt and uncle。 She is partially deaf from something that happened when she was younger。 One of her neighbor's grandsons Cody， comes to work on the maple farm to help Owl's uncle Seth who needs a knee replacement so he can't do all the work he used to。 Cody is kind of a bad boy， maybe running from something bad。My absolute favorite part of this book was the atmosphere。 Owl lives in extremely rural New Hampshire， like her entire school has 11 kids in it K-12。 The woods that Owl lives in are just described so well it felt like I was right next to Owl the whole book。 You could feel Owl's love for the woods and her life radiating out of every single page。 My sister's in-laws make maple syrup， so it was even more immersive having that bit of extra first hand knowledge about something that took up so much of the book。 I also really liked the characters， especially Owl。 Since she is partially deaf， not fully， she does not sign with her aunt and uncle。 She either hears them or reads their lips。 She has a one-on-one teacher at school for signing， but since she does not sign at home， she is not fluent like her teacher。 She has such an inner struggle trying to find out where she belongs and feels she does not belong with either the hearing community or the deaf community。 Her relationship with her aunt and uncle absolutely warmed my heart。 I don't think this a spoiler because it's in the synopsis， but her father was abusive to her and the reason she is partially deaf and you can tell that Owl values the safe relationship she has with her aunt and uncle。 I also really liked the relationship Owl formed with Cody at first。 You could tell that it was something new and scary for Owl， but she also stood up for herself。SPOILERThough when Owl caught him with another girl after asking her to move away with him， and he said "it was just sex， it was just a hookup， it didn't mean anything。" NO。 That makes me cringe so hard， I HATE it when people say that。 Especially since he knew that everything happening between them was brand new for Owl。 Like， I get why it happened and I'm so proud of Owl for being like nope， we're done， but in the moment of reading， just personally， no。Also just going to throw this in the spoiler section， I about threw up when the fox den caved in and the mama couldn't get to her babies。 I knew something was going to happen to them but my poor heart cracked and I almost DNFed the book with like 40 pages left。 Then at the end when mama comes out with one baby that had survived， I almost screamed。 Like， no it wasn't ideal but I cried happy tears for mama fox。END SPOILERThis is not a fast paced book until the very end。 I never really struggled to pick it up， and while I did enjoy the entire time reading it， I did think that it was slow going。 It was just a really atmospheric， flowy book until BOOM the end grabs you by the hand and sprints away。 My heart was absolutely pounding in my chest and I couldn't put it down until I had read the last page。 It was such a drastic change from the rest of the book and it was just fantastic。 This is the perfect book to read this fall or maybe in the spring when there's still snow on the ground and it hasn't quite warmed up yet。 Thank you to AlgonquinYR for a copy of this book！ 。。。more

Mel Rose （Savvy Rose Reads） ，

Out now！ [Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review！]Rating: 4/5 starsSeventeen-year-old Owl leads a simple life of peace and quiet on her uncle’s maple farm—well earned after a tragedy changed her life as a child。 But when a new worker shows up on the farm， his presence （and his secrets） threaten to upend Owl’s calm forever。This is the perfect fall novel （and will make you crave maple syrup！）。 The setting is lush and enveloping， making you f Out now！ [Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review！]Rating: 4/5 starsSeventeen-year-old Owl leads a simple life of peace and quiet on her uncle’s maple farm—well earned after a tragedy changed her life as a child。 But when a new worker shows up on the farm， his presence （and his secrets） threaten to upend Owl’s calm forever。This is the perfect fall novel （and will make you crave maple syrup！）。 The setting is lush and enveloping， making you feel as if you’re really sitting on a rural maple farm， and the characters are fascinating and three-dimensional。 I loved Owl， but felt for almost every character， and， best of all， felt like I got to know them all over the course of the book。Sugaring Off is a book that is somehow nostalgic even as you realize you’ve never read anything quite like it。 It’s a coming of age story of the best kind。 And it’s an incredibly fun read。 If you don’t already have this on your fall TBR， add it now！Recommended to anyone， but especially if you like: coming-of-age stories; disability representation; slow burn suspense。CW: Animal death; domestic violence/child abuse; alcoholism/drug use。 。。。more

John Clark ，

Sugaring Off will evoke feelings and memories for a lot of teens living in northern New England。 While set in New Hampshire， the situations here could as easily take place in much of rural Maine。 When she was very young， Owl survived a terrible assault by her dad， one that left her with severe hearing impairment as well as physical scars。 She's spent most of her life with her aunt and uncle who adopted her。 Her mother vanished very early on and hasn't been heard from since。There are several plot Sugaring Off will evoke feelings and memories for a lot of teens living in northern New England。 While set in New Hampshire， the situations here could as easily take place in much of rural Maine。 When she was very young， Owl survived a terrible assault by her dad， one that left her with severe hearing impairment as well as physical scars。 She's spent most of her life with her aunt and uncle who adopted her。 Her mother vanished very early on and hasn't been heard from since。There are several plot elements that wind together to make this a most interesting story。 There's the sugar maple operation that provides most of the family income， there's Cody， nearly eighteen who has his own demons and has come to live with his hard-edged grandfather。 He's been hired by Owl's adoptive father to help with this year's sugaring because of a knee injured in war that's been further damaged by a poorly performed surgery。 There's Owl's sensitivity to where she is on the hearing impairment spectrum， as well as her slowly eroding friendship with Aida who lives in a semi-unrealistic world of her own。All of these come together to create a scary finale that nearly costs Owl her life。 They result in her changing in ways she never could have foreseen at the start of the story。 It's satisfying in that somewhat grim way that real life often is。 。。。more

Caitie ，

This is a beautiful book， one about how tragedy can effect someone for years afterwards and how sometimes the simple things do make people whole again。 There are some content warnings such as child abuse， missing parents， parent in prison—things along those lines。Sugaring Off follows a girl named Owl， who is living in a remote part of New Hampshire with her aunt and uncle。 Left partially deaf because of an abusive father， she enjoys being free in the outdoors。 When she meets a boy named Cody， he This is a beautiful book， one about how tragedy can effect someone for years afterwards and how sometimes the simple things do make people whole again。 There are some content warnings such as child abuse， missing parents， parent in prison—things along those lines。Sugaring Off follows a girl named Owl， who is living in a remote part of New Hampshire with her aunt and uncle。 Left partially deaf because of an abusive father， she enjoys being free in the outdoors。 When she meets a boy named Cody， her whole world （and world view） changes， making Owl more willing to open up。 However， tragedies from her past and her present are wanting to overtake her。 。。。more

Dana ，

Owl lives with her uncle on a maple farm in a remote village。 She is an expert on sugaring season and balances her farm responsibilities with school。 With people her age she always feels a little out of place due to her partial deafness caused by a traumatic past with her father。 During sugaring season， her uncle must hire help and that comes in the form of a handsome teen stranger。 The two bond over their traumatic pasts and help each other grow as they learn more about one another's emotional Owl lives with her uncle on a maple farm in a remote village。 She is an expert on sugaring season and balances her farm responsibilities with school。 With people her age she always feels a little out of place due to her partial deafness caused by a traumatic past with her father。 During sugaring season， her uncle must hire help and that comes in the form of a handsome teen stranger。 The two bond over their traumatic pasts and help each other grow as they learn more about one another's emotional baggage。This is a book about recovering from trauma， discovering your self worth and using your voice。 Owl is the perfect mix of vulnerable and strong willed。 Her confidence in her role in the natural world was a good balance to her uncertainty and social awkwardness with other people。 We get to see her coming of age and learning in the most visceral way about the nature of people and that no one is all good or all bad。 She knows she must face her past traumas and her life as a differently abled person。 I liked the heart of this one although I wanted a little more from the ending。 I also really loved learning about the maple syrup business， that was one of the more interesting parts of this book for me。Thanks to Algonquin Books for the gifted copy。 All opinions above are my own。 。。。more

Carole （Carole's Random Life） ，

This review can also be found at https://carolesrandomlife。com/I thought that this was very good。 I admit that the cover of this book is what first captured my attention but once I realized that the main character was hearing impaired， I knew that I needed to read this book。 This is a slower story that touches on Owl’s day-to-day life and some pretty big events that may have an impact on her life for a very long time。Owl lives with her aunt and uncle since her father is in prison。 They live in a This review can also be found at https://carolesrandomlife。com/I thought that this was very good。 I admit that the cover of this book is what first captured my attention but once I realized that the main character was hearing impaired， I knew that I needed to read this book。 This is a slower story that touches on Owl’s day-to-day life and some pretty big events that may have an impact on her life for a very long time。Owl lives with her aunt and uncle since her father is in prison。 They live in a very small rural town and run a maple syrup farm。 They have always run the farm on their own so Owl is unhappy to learn that her uncle has hired a boy just a bit older than her to help out this year。 They soon warm up to each other and develop a bond。 The question is whether he is good for her。 In addition to the romance， Owl is trying to decide if she wants to respond to her father’s attempts to communicate and learn how to best utilize the help from her ASL teacher at school。This book deals with a lot of different things but that is usually the way that life works。 I liked that Owl is a character with a disability but that it is just one aspect of who she is and doesn’t take over the whole story。 I liked the connection that Owl made with Cody but I can’t say that I was a fan of the romance between them。 The pace of the book does pick up at the end and there is a bit of a mystery to solve。I listened to the audiobook and thought that Caitlin Davies did a fantastic job with the narration。 I think that the slower pace of this story worked well on audio for me。 I found the narrator's voice to be very pleasant and had no problem listening to the book for hours at a time。I would recommend this book to others。 I loved being in Owl’s head as she dealt with all of the things going on in her life。 I thought that the book did an excellent job of illustrating how someone with partial deafness might feel excluded in some situations。 I would not hesitate to read more of this author’s work in the future。I received a review copy of this book from Algonquin Young Readers and I purchased a copy of the audiobook。 。。。more

Betty Culley ，

With Sugaring Off， Gillian French has created a work of great beauty。 Part mystery， part a story of love and loss， it’s all heart。 The setting in a New Hampshire sugarbush is authentic and atmospheric， and Owl’s struggles to make sense of the harshest realities are heartbreakingly real。 Both gorgeous and suspenseful， I wanted to keep turning the pages at the same time that I didn’t want it to end。

Olivia ，

SUGARING OFF is an intriguing YA contemporary with a hint of mystery。 Owl lives with her aunt and uncle on their maple tree farm， where she helps them with harvesting and production。 Owl is deaf from an injury when she was a child。 She can read lips and she struggles with finding her place between deaf and hearing because she still has a little bit of hearing in one ear。 At school， she gets special instruction from a teacher to learn ASL， but mostly she reads lips and responds verbally。Her uncle SUGARING OFF is an intriguing YA contemporary with a hint of mystery。 Owl lives with her aunt and uncle on their maple tree farm， where she helps them with harvesting and production。 Owl is deaf from an injury when she was a child。 She can read lips and she struggles with finding her place between deaf and hearing because she still has a little bit of hearing in one ear。 At school， she gets special instruction from a teacher to learn ASL， but mostly she reads lips and responds verbally。Her uncle is having trouble with old injuries and decides to hire Cody， the boy staying with a relative nearby。 Cody immediately gets off on the wrong foot with Owl， but they must work together。 As they do and begin to learn more about the other， an attraction grows。 At the same time， Owl's father is getting out of prison and trying to get in touch with her - something Owl is sure she does not want。 As she struggles with the trauma of the past and worries over the future， Cody is beginning to self-destruct from his own trauma。What I loved: Owl is a really compelling character， and the inclusion of someone who is deaf is really important。 Her being deaf is a part of her story， but it is only a small part amidst the relationship challenges she faces。 Themes around language， the importance of speaking in your own way， trauma and healing， the complexity of family， and teen relationships （friendship and romantic） were intriguing and drive the story in addition to the mysteries。 The reason that Owl's father is in prison is because of what happened to Owl， but this is not something the reader learns until later。 This mystery as well as those around Cody and what will happen with her father newly released are what keep the reader going。What left me wanting more: The pace is quite slow， particularly early on。 I struggled with really getting into the story， and this was mainly because of Cody。 He is particularly cruel to Owl at times， particularly earlier on， and this is not fully resolved。 However， this type of relationship is certainly true to real life， but it was like watching a crash you can see coming。 It would have been great to have more conversations about the problems there， but it was really hard to read their scenes with that foreboding feeling。 Having more of his perspective or discussion from his side could have helped with this as well。 Regardless， given that most of the story is about Owl， if the reader maintains that focus， it could be clear how young love changes someone， even when it's not the best。 Final verdict: SUGARING OFF is an intriguing YA story about Owl， and her journey in the aftermath of trauma， with young love and coming to terms with her deafness。Please note that I received an ARC。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Sugaring Off

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Sugaring Off&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Sugaring Off&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0