You Gave Me the Word, I Finally Heard by LeighKelly

Title: You Gave Me the Word, I Finally Heard
Author: LeighKelly

Fanfiction: Glee (alternate universe)
Link: Archive of Our Own

Review:
There are three ways I could begin this review:

1) This is the kind of book where I wouldn’t be surprised to be one of the few people to give the book 5 stars for reasons related to how the book is set up/structured . . .
2) To start with: this book falls within the fandom of Glee, though an alternate universe version in which Brittany Pierce and Santana Lopez meet in their late 20s (Britt – 29; Santana – 26). And: Santana is a radio personality while Brittany is a successful children’s artist (illustrates children’s books) & is deaf.
3) Then there’s the way the review actually starts –

This book needs to come with a warning: Warning: drink plenty of fluids while attempting to read this book as fluid loss, directly from your eyeballs, may occur.

This is not a book I would have expected to read but for one very specific reason: I put ‘deaf’ (or was it ‘deaf character’?) into the search box over on AO3 and came up with several book length works. Two of which I ‘captured’, this being one of them. It is unlikely I would have otherwise attempted this book for several reasons: fandom (wasn’t sure I had a huge desire to read a Glee fanfiction); but mostly because of the writing style – more on that later.

Fandom – Unlike, say, Killjoys, The 100, and other television series that pop up when I search for possible things to read on AO3 (Archive of Our Own), I actually have watched episodes of Glee. I have some kind of . . . issue with music based shows, so I always kind of ‘snuck’ peaks in on the series, though. I sneaked peaks at episodes throughout the first 3 or so seasons before dropping it from my vague fringe orbit of things to maybe pay attention to (and thus stopping one season short of Supergirl’s appearance on the show – or, I should say, I suppose, Melissa Benoist). I mention so I can note that unlike these other fanfictions I’ve read or could read, I actually did have some vague understanding – pre-understanding I suppose, of both Brittany Pearce and Santana Lopez.

I have to immediately dive into the main reason why I believe this would be a tough sell/read for many readers – writing style. Hmm, ‘writing style’ might not be the correct way to enter this topic. Bah, no matter. This book is, I believe, the only book I've read that uses the ‘second person point of view’ that wasn’t a choose-your-own-adventure book. Despite the use of you, the reader has no control over this story. Other than reading or not reading. There are two points of view – both use you during their own sections (though not when that person is in the other persons sections, as in, you’d have Brittany’s sections be like: ‘You gazed down at Santana . . .’ instead of the super complicated ‘You gazed down at you . . .’ because that’d just be weird and difficult to read).

This is a 132,472 word book. I thought from the near beginning that this might be better as a short story – not because of the information coming in, not because of the plot, not because of the story, but specifically because of reading alternating ‘you’ sections is tough over the long haul. Yet I did it. And, barring a few moments here or there, I loved every second of it. Well that’s odd – now I have tears in my eyes just thinking about the book. Not sure that’s happened before.

Right so, story: Brittany and Santana meet in their late twenties in something like a split second random event type way. The way in which neither might have known the other except for this random split second event occurring. Brittany, you see, accidentally slammed into Santana while both were out walking on the Philadelphia city streets. Coffee splashing all over Santana’s expensive coat. Anyone who has seen Glee probably could predict how Santana would react to this type of situation. And she did begin to react that way – angry, belligerent, etc. Until something about Brittany made her slow and stop. It might have been the deaf thing, it might have been the attractiveness of Brittany, it might even have been the cute dog, but something stopped her angry words.

The two then begin a slow burn type of relationship that occurs over many years. With the book ending something like six years after the start of the book (I think it was six years), during which time, a romance occurred, family issues occurred (both positive and negative), holidays, travel, life occurred. Then the nice introduction of another character near the end.

A good solid book. And bloody hell, I’ve tears in my eyes and it’s hard to see now. Ah, blinking. That helped.

Rating: 5+

October 5 2017