When I was much younger than I am now, a heroine by the name of Sara Howell was brought to my attention, and I was told that she was awesome because she too was a “little bit different.”

Sara Howell is the teen protagonist in Kate Chester’s Hear No Evil series, and she is deaf. She speaks verbally, reads lips and signs. She is an orphan, with only a brother to care for her, but has some really great friends.

When I was younger I wanted to be her. Or at the very least be friends with her. She was/is feisty, and determined and not someone to trifle with.

I embarked on my re-read with this series with trepidation because well, not everything 90s holds up so well. And this book is dated, but not in a way that is bad by any means. Spanning six novels, and many adventures Sara’s tales are awesome, as she uses her Nancy Drew-like intellect to solve crimes, frequently exasperating her friends, brother and then boyfriend. She is a literary friend who I’m glad to have had in my life, because maybe when I question something without just following orders it’s because it’s something she would do.

That being said, I will definitely leave the investigating to the professionals.