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4.2 AVERAGE
4.2 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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:
Complicated
True Biz tells the story of a high school for deaf students through the eyes of several different characters. I really liked how many different POVs we saw in this book - a deaf student raised by deaf parents and immersed in deaf culture, a deaf student with a faulty cochlear implant raised by hearing parents and communication starved by the time she reaches the school, a hearing CODA (child of deaf adults) staff member, etc etc. There are so many different perspectives and it really helps explore the deaf world and see it in new and different ways.
I will say, I do think the adult POVs had too much focus for a YA book - I wish we had seen even more of the student characters' perspectives throughout. The ending also felt very anticlimactic for me, a little rushed. But I learned a lot and feel like this is an important viewpoint.
I will say, I do think the adult POVs had too much focus for a YA book - I wish we had seen even more of the student characters' perspectives throughout. The ending also felt very anticlimactic for me, a little rushed. But I learned a lot and feel like this is an important viewpoint.
adventurous
emotional
informative
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:
No
4.25/5. Such a unique book and I loved it. I learned so much about ASL. The characters were super like-able and the plot kept me intrigued. The audio book includes the sound of sign language during dialogue. Would be intrigued what the printed book is like.
The best book I’ve read this year! I learned so much about deaf culture through this book and the story kept me invested. Loved the informational sections on ASL and deaf history.
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
8/10 : True biz (adj/exclamation; American Sign Language): really, seriously, definitely, real-talk.
Pupils at River Valley School are no different to most teenage students, they have all the same angst, hormones & pastimes. They just happen to also be deaf. Charlie lives with her Dad, who won the custody battle after her parents divorce, & signed her up to Deaf school - she’s never met another deaf person before. Austin is from a well known deaf family, he’s somewhat of an entitled golden boy, but suddenly his new baby sister is born hearing, bucking the family ‘tradition’. February is River Valleys headmistress, grappling with personal & professional crises, whilst trying to remain calm on the surface. This book is complex, it’s compelling, it’s a foray into the world of sign language, lip reading, & the history of deafness. It’s rebellious, it’s political, it’s emotional. I’ve never read anything like this before, & was absolutely hooked on it, getting insight into a world I {shamefully} know little about. This is honestly one of the most brilliant books I’ve experienced, & I am enlightened having read it. The actual story, in places, didn’t grip me at all times, but the structure certainly did.
Pupils at River Valley School are no different to most teenage students, they have all the same angst, hormones & pastimes. They just happen to also be deaf. Charlie lives with her Dad, who won the custody battle after her parents divorce, & signed her up to Deaf school - she’s never met another deaf person before. Austin is from a well known deaf family, he’s somewhat of an entitled golden boy, but suddenly his new baby sister is born hearing, bucking the family ‘tradition’. February is River Valleys headmistress, grappling with personal & professional crises, whilst trying to remain calm on the surface. This book is complex, it’s compelling, it’s a foray into the world of sign language, lip reading, & the history of deafness. It’s rebellious, it’s political, it’s emotional. I’ve never read anything like this before, & was absolutely hooked on it, getting insight into a world I {shamefully} know little about. This is honestly one of the most brilliant books I’ve experienced, & I am enlightened having read it. The actual story, in places, didn’t grip me at all times, but the structure certainly did.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
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:
Yes
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense