Not all of Maya’s struggles stem from her Deafness—some are just typical of adolescence. What are these struggles? Which typical adolescent struggles are made more complex because of her Deafness?

Maya uses hearing aids but does not want cochlear implants. How does Maya portray the benefits and drawbacks of each of these technologies? What is her reasoning for accepting one but not the other? How does this choice characterize Maya, and how does it relate to the book’s thematic concern with The Role of Deafness in Shaping Identity?

How does the title The Silence Between Us relate to the central conflict of Maya’s story? How does it relate to the theme of The Importance of Communication in Healthy Relationships?