The Interstellar Beauty Contest
Deaf children mainstreamed into traditional classrooms are at a huge disadvantage to their peers. Some children shun them because the deaf kid has a weird voice. Also, ASL uses hand gestures to communicate information and is so different from what they are used to.
Kristin T Dethlefsen introduces two deaf characters in her 220 page young adult novel, As Red as a Munka Bean. The main protagonists, Liam and Absalom, are fleeing four bullies from their high school. They hop on a bus to downtown Minneapolis, but the Enbesils, led by Topher, follow them. Eventually, Liam and Absalom hide in a field hidden by rhododendrons. There they are abducted by a little green being, Balani, and she instantaneously transports them to Kamin, the host planet for the Interstellar Beauty Contest (IBC}.
Balani chose Absalom to be the male contestant from Earth because of his beauty. To her, Absalom was as red as a munka bean with lovely flab and glowing brown skin. Liam was brought along as his translator, for all official communication at the IBC is conducted in sign language. Topher was pulled into the event by mistake, which makes watching his character evolve from bully to mensch fun to witness.
Dethlefson’s fantasy is captivating reading. She takes on social issues, like bullying and self-esteem, and moves the plot along on earthly and alien terrain. The characters are described beautifully, especially the aliens.
Reading about the beauty contest was a kick, but what I enjoyed the most was the females chosen from Earth. One of those girls, the deaf one, develops a relationship with Topher. I love how the author showed their relationship evolve.
The title words, “As Red as a Munka Bean” are referenced 5 times throughout the book. Personally, I think that title doesn’t convey the essence of the novel and perhaps causes readers to ignore a science fiction book they would normally buy. Perhaps changing the title to “The Interstellar Beauty Contest” would attract more attention.
Deaf people are often marginalized in American society. It was nice to see two deaf characters get so much attention and importance to the plot of this excellent book.
About the Author:
Kristin Dethlefsen grew up in a small town in Connecticut and began writing after her daughter was born. She lives in Germany with her family, where she teaches English as a foreign language to adults. Her novels don’t adhere to just one genre; you’ll find elements of fantasy and contemporary, books for young adults and those for middle grade readers. Travel often figures into her stories as well. To find out more about Kristin and her current projects, visit her website: www.dethlefsenbooks.com or follow her on Twitter @dethlefsenbooks.
Good to see a story where the protagonists are deaf.