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lovelymisanthrope's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I received a copy of this book as a gift.
"True Biz" is a story that follows several students, and the headmistress, at a school for deaf students. The students at River Valley School for the Deaf just want to act like every other teenager in the world. February, the headmistress, is fighting to keep the school open, because she knows how important a school like this is for deaf students. Charlie is a transfer student who has never spent much time with other deaf people. Austin is trying to come to terms with the fact that his baby sister was just born and can hear, despite being born into a predominantly deaf family.
I believe this is the first novel I have read that has deaf representation. I found the commentary on ableism and racism associated with American Sign Language to be fascinating, and something that I had never really thought about. When segregation was still mandated, there were separate deaf schools for those who were white versus black. Because of this separation, American Sign Language developed differently, and some signs actually mean different things depending on which community the person is a part of. I always thought American Sign Language was seen as a universal language, and it was really eye-oping to realize it is not, and it too suffered from racism.
Overall, I enjoyed the story and themes in this book more than the characters. I think it was great that we got to read from a few different perspectives, and they all had a different relationship towards being deaf or the deaf community in general, but I was not overly invested in any specific character's story. I think all of the characters represent an important experience, but as a whole, I did not find any of them especially interesting.
I think this is a great story, and I recommend it to anyone who wants to read about deaf characters or who wants to read a story about human connection.
"True Biz" is a story that follows several students, and the headmistress, at a school for deaf students. The students at River Valley School for the Deaf just want to act like every other teenager in the world. February, the headmistress, is fighting to keep the school open, because she knows how important a school like this is for deaf students. Charlie is a transfer student who has never spent much time with other deaf people. Austin is trying to come to terms with the fact that his baby sister was just born and can hear, despite being born into a predominantly deaf family.
I believe this is the first novel I have read that has deaf representation. I found the commentary on ableism and racism associated with American Sign Language to be fascinating, and something that I had never really thought about. When segregation was still mandated, there were separate deaf schools for those who were white versus black. Because of this separation, American Sign Language developed differently, and some signs actually mean different things depending on which community the person is a part of. I always thought American Sign Language was seen as a universal language, and it was really eye-oping to realize it is not, and it too suffered from racism.
Overall, I enjoyed the story and themes in this book more than the characters. I think it was great that we got to read from a few different perspectives, and they all had a different relationship towards being deaf or the deaf community in general, but I was not overly invested in any specific character's story. I think all of the characters represent an important experience, but as a whole, I did not find any of them especially interesting.
I think this is a great story, and I recommend it to anyone who wants to read about deaf characters or who wants to read a story about human connection.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Physical abuse, Grief, Toxic relationship, Violence, Torture, and Ableism
Moderate: Pregnancy and Racism
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
jennp28's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
This book was a really fascinating and arresting look into deaf culture. The cast of characters and the varying POV really worked to show all the angles of the story and the interstitials of non-fiction deaf history, sign language etc really added to the book. I listened to the audiobook, perhaps ironically, but I really appreciated the inclusion of the sound of the signs being made.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism
Moderate: Medical content, Car accident, Grief, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Violence
leaflit's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Death of parent, Dementia, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Ableism
Moderate: Sexual content, Alcohol, Drug use, Bullying, and Racism
lindsayhotrod's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Body shaming, Bullying, Car accident, Child abuse, Medical content, Physical abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Ableism, Gaslighting, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical trauma
brogan7's review
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Really enjoyed reading this book. It's a new generation's Train Go Sorry (Leah Hager Cohen, 1995). I loved the ASL illustrations and explanations of how ASL works. I also enjoyed the different POVs (although I thought it was a mistake to give Charlie's mother a chapter of her own at the end. It felt forced and not that empathetic, where we hadn't heard from her before.
I was disappointed in Novic's sometimes clear bias...even though I agreed with her, I felt that at times she was really pounding it in about the anti-CI point of view.
And finally, I was a little startled at the ending. I don't believe the principal would have let Slash walk away with the makings of a bomb, saying only, "Not tonight." I thought we were going somewhere interesting when she and Wanda speculated the kids were up to leaving flaming bags of dog poo in strategic places... and their game was clearly of another level entirely. I expected their shock, surprise, need to distance themselves from this form of action...(come on, you met an adult lately?)...and instead it was a pretty implausible denouement.
My only other drawback was the portrayal of dementia. If your mother still remembers your birthday, and she is still someone you go to for emotional support, how exactly does she exhibit having dementia? It just didn't feel realistic.
However, overall the story was great, Charlie is a strong and engaging character, and the setting of the Deaf school is interesting and revelatory in terms of the difference Charlie experiences there, as compared to her previous hearing school.
I was disappointed in Novic's sometimes clear bias...even though I agreed with her, I felt that at times she was really pounding it in about the anti-CI point of view.
And finally, I was a little startled at the ending.
My only other drawback was the portrayal of dementia. If your mother still remembers your birthday, and she is still someone you go to for emotional support, how exactly does she exhibit having dementia? It just didn't feel realistic.
However, overall the story was great, Charlie is a strong and engaging character, and the setting of the Deaf school is interesting and revelatory in terms of the difference Charlie experiences there, as compared to her previous hearing school.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism
Moderate: Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Drug use, and Injury/Injury detail
ashton_n's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I was hooked from the first chapter. I loved the chapters with information on Deaf Culture, the history of Anarchism, and of course our favorite girl, Charlie.
Favorite Quote: “This is not your fault; this is the way it always has been; there is nothing any of us can do; I love you so much for trying”
Favorite Quote: “This is not your fault; this is the way it always has been; there is nothing any of us can do; I love you so much for trying”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, and Child abuse
Minor: Addiction, Death, Death of parent, Abandonment, Body horror, Alcohol, Dementia, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Grief
shirarweiss's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Death, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Medical content, Car accident, Medical trauma, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Ableism, Death of parent, Dementia, Drug use, Gaslighting, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, and Religious bigotry
sorenzs's review
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I haven’t gotten so wonderfully immersed into the world of a book for a while until reading this. At its core, True Biz is about being human.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Car accident, Ableism, Alcohol, Medical content, Child abuse, Medical trauma, Religious bigotry, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual content
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Suicidal thoughts, and Racism
Minor: Vomit
tree_swallow_in_flight's review
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This book follows three characters at a Deaf boarding school in Ohio, all having come to Deaf culture from a different perspective: The CODA headmistress, February; the popular multi-generational Deaf student Austin; and the new transfer student, Charlie, who's been struggling with an ineffective cochlear implant in mainstream school her whole life. Some main themes of the book are the effect of isolation from their language and community on Deaf kids, the threats to the Deaf culture, and the contrasting opinions on cochlear implants.
(Disclaimer: I as a hearing person cannot speak from experience regarding the representation in this book, but given the author and illustrator are both Deaf, I think it's safe to say there was care and authenticity put into it)
I can't quite pinpoint how I feel about this book. It was absolutely worth the read, and I'd recommend it to anyone who's curious about the Deaf community. It finally pushed me to learn the ASL alphabet. It captured my attention and I devoured it in a matter of days. And yet, there were aspects of the storytelling that didn't quite click for me.
So, let's do some +/-!
What I liked:
(Disclaimer: I as a hearing person cannot speak from experience regarding the representation in this book, but given the author and illustrator are both Deaf, I think it's safe to say there was care and authenticity put into it)
I can't quite pinpoint how I feel about this book. It was absolutely worth the read, and I'd recommend it to anyone who's curious about the Deaf community. It finally pushed me to learn the ASL alphabet. It captured my attention and I devoured it in a matter of days. And yet, there were aspects of the storytelling that didn't quite click for me.
So, let's do some +/-!
What I liked:
- building suspense (through dramatic irony, slowly hinting toward reveals, etc.)
- nuanced discussions regarding raising/educating Deaf kids
- Charlie's conflicted relationship with her mother. This dynamic felt very realistic, allowing us to feel the repercussions of damaging decisions in the past and the humanity of both characters
- watching Charlie gain confidence in her Deafness
- pacing/plot held my attention for extended periods of time
What fell a little flat:
- - the many POV changes
- Personally, I found Charlie's story and character the most compelling and developed. While there were some interesting differences in perspective showcased by February's and Austin's points of view, ultimately I felt that having so many points of view left a lot of underdeveloped characters and relationships, and lots of side characters and backstories to keep track of. We even got random chapters from side characters, which felt unnecessary. If they have something important to add, can't that be revealed in dialogue?
- - the ending
- This might come down to personal preference, but the ending, to me, felt unresolved, like it was just abruptly cut off right after the climax. There were a couple of established conflicts where the outcomes were left hanging, and the climax itself did not feel like it actually resolved anything.
- - the romantic relationships
- I felt like we only ever saw the surface level of romantic relationships, and the moments where we got to witness the characters actually connecting were rare.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Vomit, Dementia, Death of parent, and Child abuse
jialianyang's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Loved this book. A perfect mix of plot, character development and education. I loved the perspective switching, the incorporation of ASL and Deaf culture and Deaf slang. It was a perfect supplemental book to my ASL class, but it would be great standalone read as well because it is so compelling. Definitely more of a young adult book, but in a good way.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Addiction, Alcohol, Violence, Ableism, Cursing, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Adult/minor relationship, and Misogyny