Start gifting
Libro.fm for Business
Start a membership, get two free audiobooks
New This Week
New release
Send as gift
Add to Wish List
Almost ready!
In order to save audiobooks to your Wish List you must be signed in to your account.
Log in Create account
Limited-time offer
Get two free audiobooks when you make the switch!
Now’s a great time to shop indie. When you start a new membership supporting local bookstores with promo code SWITCH, we’ll give you two bonus audiobook credits at sign-up.
Make the switch
Gift audiobook credit bundles
You pick the number of credits, your recipient picks the audiobooks, and your local bookstore is supported by your purchase.
Start giftingOn the Bright Side
Length
8 hours 40 minutes
Language
English
Narrators
Jesse Inocalla & Elizabeth Robbins
This audiobook uses AI narration.
We’re taking steps to make sure AI narration is transparent.
Learn moreA hopeful novel about love, disability, and the inevitability of change by the author of Give Me a Sign.
“Poignant, romantic, and deeply heartfelt.” —Amber Smith, New York Times bestselling author of The Way I Used to Be
Ellie’s Deaf boarding school just shut down, forcing her to leave the place she considered home and return to her hearing family. But being mainstreamed into public school isn't exactly easy. So her guidance counselor pairs her with Jackson, a student who’s supposed to help her adjust. Can the boy who tries to say the right things, and gets it all wrong, be the lifeline Ellie needs?
Jackson has been avoiding his teammates ever since some numbness in his legs cost them an important soccer match. With his senior year off to a lonely start, he’s intrigued when he’s asked to help the new girl, initially thinking it will be a commendable move on his part. Little does he know Ellie will soon be the person he wants most by his side when the strange symptoms he’s experiencing amount to a life-changing diagnosis.
Exploring what it means to build community, Anna Sortino pens a story about the fear of the unknown and the beauty of the unexpected, all wrapped up in a poignant romance that will break your heart and put it back together again.
"Tender, honest, and utterly human." —Adib Khorram, award-winning author of Darius the Great Is Not Okay
Anna Sortino is the author of Give Me a Sign, On the Bright Side, and other stories about disabled characters living their lives and falling in love. She’s Deaf and passionate about diverse representation in media. Born and raised in the Chicagoland area, Anna has since lived in different cities from coast to coast, spending her free time exploring nature with her dog or reading on the couch with her cat.
Reviews
Praise for On the Bright SideAn Amazon Best Book of the Month
★ "A sweet, well-written romance with just a touch of drama for excitement. The book never feels preachy or lags narratively in the interest of didacticism, yet it also tells a meaningful story about ableism, audism, and self-determination....A skillfully executed, nuanced, and engaging book." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
★ "Ellie and Jackson...make for an adorable pairing who slowly get to know one another and overcome the hurdles of communication through accommodations with tenderness and humor. In a story that could have easily become didactic, Sortino instead brings depth and care to discussions around disability pride, the difficulty of a disability that is constantly in flux when others think you “look” healthy, and the desire for a cure for painful and progressive illnesses." —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, starred review
“On the Bright Side is a poignant, romantic, and deeply heartfelt story of resilience in the face of life’s most challenging and unpredictable circumstances—and how love can be the thing that sees us through. You will be thinking about Ellie and Jackson long after you’ve turned the last page.”
—Amber Smith, New York Times bestselling author of The Way I Used to Be and The Way I Am Now
"Tender, honest, and utterly human, On the Bright Side is a sparkling story that reminds us to live life on our own terms, even when it throws us a curveball." —Adib Khorram, award-winning author of Darius the Great Is Not Okay
"[Ellie and Jackson’s] sweet courtship leans into missteps and aching human moments in this empathetic romance that intricately depicts Deaf and disabled experiences." —Publishers Weekly Expand reviews