I Hear the Sunspot

November 15, 2017
Grades 10-1 Kohei holds himself away from his fellow students because of his hearing problems, but when loud, sleepy Taichi literally falls into his life, Kohei begins to see a world where he could have friendship and even love. Fumino's character-focused story is so light on romance that it barely counts as boys' love, despite its categorization as such. (Indeed, in her author's note, Fumino admits having to add the romance to satisfy her publisher.) That will disappoint readers looking for explicit admissions of love, but it does make it a decent choice for libraries wanting more subtle boys'-love titles. There is minimal plot, and forthright readers might be frustrated, like Taichi is, that Kohei doesn't realize that he needn't apologize for a disability. But the growth Kohei shows over the course of the story is heartening, especially as it doesn't require a miraculous medical cure to take effect. Fumino's art breaks no new ground but has several moments of true beauty, such as a street scene full of the sounds that Kohei cannot hear.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)