As a Deaf person, I love seeing good Deaf representation. As a Deaf sensitivity reader, I’m always on the lookout for accurate portrayals. I do not personally have experience with a cochlear implant, so the areas where that was mentioned were particularly interesting to me. I found the sections regarding hearing levels to be fairly consistent, though I would have liked to see more. In the first part of the book, there were moments when the protagonist mentioned being unable to hear or understand something, but after a while, that aspect just kind of stopped being addressed. 

Regardless, I did appreciate the Deaf representation. As a sensitivity reader, I feel I would have edited a few things. However, with the theme of glass, I initially thought the protagonist would grow into a stronger sense of her Deaf identity. Unfortunately, by the end, I didn’t really feel like that actually happened.

The idea of being able to hear the dead was such a cool idea! That space between being deaf and her implant being the space of communication was fascinating. I loved it, but I wish it had been explored more thoroughly. Instead, it felt like it was pushed to the background and didn’t contribute much to the overall story.

Some positives I enjoyed about the story. 
I love the descriptions. The metaphors and comparisons. I liked the idea of glass, as a deaf person I fully related to that portion of the book. I do wish it had been developed further. 
The concept of hell was a really interesting take as well. 

Some things I didn’t love. 
The first half of the book felt like it was just opening doors and starting plotlines—barely mentioning things and leaving readers expecting answers. While some threads did come together by the end, many doors felt left open or unresolved.

Each chapter felt like its own standalone story in many cases. Often, it jumped to a new day, week, or topic without much connection, and the last page or so would try to tie it back to previous events while simultaneously opening more questions. When the big answers finally came, they didn’t feel fully developed—more like placeholders that needed more explanation.

Toward the end, things that had been dropped and never spoken of suddenly resurfaced for a quick resolution. For example, the “being” inside Delaney: she and Colton spent what seemed like weeks trying to figure it out. But by “Delaney and Colton,” I mostly mean Colton, because Delaney didn’t really contribute. Eventually, Delaney asked her powerful friends for help—but only one of them—and even then, they mostly did the work for her. That was a whole page or so for McKenzie, but Adya is no where to be found.

 Adding to that, they had a whole school full of knowledgeable professors they could have consulted, but they didn’t. (While this choice is somewhat explained by the end, it still felt odd.) Then, suddenly, McKenzie’s mom is an expert, and the professors conveniently reappear. This felt like a half-solution that wasn’t fully explained.

Adya and McKenzie were absent for about 60% of the book, but when they returned at the end, they were somehow fully aware of everything that had happened.

I also thought there would be more magic or a structured magical system, but instead, it was mostly just repeating Latin phrases and hoping they worked. That was disappointing.

Colton. Yes, his actions were explained eventually, but did he have to be so irritating and gaslight everyone the entire time? I struggled to understand the love story here. Why would anyone fall for a guy who’s such a jerk? It wasn’t even in a misunderstood, redeemable way—he flat-out said he didn’t want to be friends and then, a page later, acted confused about why Delaney wasn’t coming around anymore.

One clever aspect, though, was the revelation about Delaney’s power to command the dead. I didn’t expect that at all. Initially, I thought Colton was finally just realizing he was being an asshole and deciding to help. That twist was well-executed.

My biggest two wtf moment. One was page 299 when Colton said that Delaney anger was unearned. And he threw a little tantrum in the elevator. Like (this didn’t happen in the book, but it’s a good comparison.) let me slap you across the face. Then ask why you’re mad/ hurt. 

There was another quick part that suddenly Colton knew some sign language. That didn’t make any sense. Speaking of sign language, I had hoped Delaney would explore more of her Deaf identity and pick up more ASL. That didn’t happen. Only her parents used some, and then there was that one brief sentence where Colton used it. It felt like a missed opportunity

I was originally going to give the book three stars, but I changed my mind because I actually enjoyed the ending. It left me content to a certain extent. I also appreciated seeing a Deaf character in a dark academia setting.