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kelly_e's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Author: Sara Nović
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 4.00
Pub Date: April 5, 2022
T H R E E • W O R D S
Informative • Juvenile • Unresolved
📖 S Y N O P S I S
The students at the River Valley School for the Deaf just want to hook up, pass their history final, and have doctors, politicians, and their parents stop telling them what to do with their bodies. Meet Charlie, a rebellious transfer student who's never met another deaf person before; Austin, the school's golden boy, whose world is rocked when his baby sister is born hearing; and February, the headmistress, who is fighting to keep her school open and her marriage intact, but might not be able to do both. As a series of crises both personal and political threaten to unravel each of them, Charlie, Austin, and February find their lives inextricable from one another--and changed forever.
💭 T H O U G H T S
True Biz was my May 2024 pick from my 12 recommendations from 12 friends project for this year. I knew very little more than it being an own voices novel focusing on deaf culture and sign language. It was also selected as a Reese's Book pick in 2022.
I listened to the audiobook while I read along with a physical copy, and I must say what I appreciate the most about this novel is the layout. It's equal part informative with 'lessons' interspersed throughout the main plot. There is also a lot of historical detail surrounding deaf culture and pride, as well as the civil rights of the collective community. The use of the sound of sign as an additional element in the audiobook was unique and added an extra layer to the experience.
Beyond the educative aspect, the story touches on the universal power of human connection through complex relationships. The writing definitely felt very YA with so much staying very surface level and lots of angst.
What kept this from being a standout read? The ending. Plain and simple. It felt rushed and while some things were resolved, so much was left unresolved that it ended up feeling incomplete. It just wasn't it for me.
Overall, True Biz was an interesting coming-of-age story which enlightened me to the topic of deaf pride and many other aspects of sign language. I think I took away more from the learning side of things than I did from the actual story. Would definitely recommend this one to high school students and new adults.
📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• coming-of-age stories
• diverse representation
• YA fiction
⚠️ CW: ableism, medical content, medical trauma, injury/injury detail, grief, death, death of parent, car accident, drug use, alcohol, child abuse, dementia, religious bigotry, cursing, racism, sexual content, bullying, emotional abuse, vomit, pregnancy
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Sign language had been so thoroughly stigmatized that in trying to avoid it, parents had unknowingly opted for a modern version of institutionalization, locking their children away in their own minds."
Graphic: Ableism, Medical content, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Drug use, Alcohol, Bullying, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Death of parent, and Car accident
Minor: Cursing, Vomit, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Dementia, Racism, Child abuse, Sexual content, and Religious bigotry
haleyshort's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Child abuse
in_themoonlight's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Child abuse, Medical trauma, and Ableism
Moderate: Drug use, Death of parent, Alcohol, Grief, and Car accident
Minor: Forced institutionalization and Injury/Injury detail
reviewsandreadathons's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Cursing, and Alcohol
Minor: Pregnancy, Sexual content, and Vomit
clangenskiold's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Moderate: Child abuse
pandact's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Ableism, Domestic abuse, Car accident, and Child abuse
Moderate: Drug use, Adult/minor relationship, Dementia, Death of parent, and Bullying
Minor: Rape, Toxic friendship, Forced institutionalization, Religious bigotry, Genocide, Sexual content, and Injury/Injury detail
risetorecede's review against another edition
4.25
Graphic: Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Ableism, Death of parent, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Drug use, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Dementia, Alcohol, Racism, Car accident, and Child abuse
livreittoashley's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Ableism and Medical trauma
Moderate: Abandonment, Dementia, Child abuse, Death of parent, and Grief
kaywhiteley's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Car accident, Religious bigotry, Drug use, Death of parent, and Ableism
Moderate: Dementia and Child abuse
Minor: Police brutality
merylmakreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Medical trauma, Ableism, and Bullying
Moderate: Child abuse