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A review by tigger89
True Biz by Sara Nović
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
While this book was a bit more coming-of-age-drama than I'd anticipated when I picked it up, I found so much in it that I loved that I wound up not minding the plot. I loved learning about Deaf culture through Charlie's eyes, and thoroughly appreciated the between-chapter ASL guides. I laughed out loud when (very mild spoiler) there was a fade-to-black for a sex scene, followed by a full page showing various applicable signs. The notation for signed speech was very clear, to the point where even my mother, who isn't known for picking up on things like that on her own, figured it out without needing instruction(I'd handed her the book before I'd read it myself).
The drama was well-done, tugging me along on the roller-coaster ride right along with everyone else. I liked how the twin dramas(that of February and of the students) mirrored each other, both in terms of the romantic drama and the more climactic issues regarding Deaf rights and safety. I also really enjoyed the ending(particularly the conclusions regarding what exactly it means to fight), though I will say that if you want everything tied up in a neat bow, this is not the book for you. It's left open-ended, but the characters do a pretty good job of pointing in the direction they intend to travel. Whether or not they succeed, however, is left to the imagination of the reader.
The biggest thing I didn't like about this book was that I felt it could have been more racially diverse. To the best of my recollection, we had one good Black side character(Charlie's roommate), and then a bunch of white people. She wound up carrying more than her fair share, and that burden could have been better distributed with a more diverse cast. I also want to warn potential readers that this book has an unexpected amount of teen sexuality and drug use in it. It's not anything that offended me, but I probably wouldn't have handed it to my mom if I'd known! It made for a bit of an awkward "so, what'd you think?" conversation, let me tell you.
The drama was well-done, tugging me along on the roller-coaster ride right along with everyone else. I liked how the twin dramas(that of February and of the students) mirrored each other, both in terms of the romantic drama and the more climactic issues regarding Deaf rights and safety. I also really enjoyed the ending(particularly the conclusions regarding what exactly it means to fight), though I will say that if you want everything tied up in a neat bow, this is not the book for you. It's left open-ended, but the characters do a pretty good job of pointing in the direction they intend to travel. Whether or not they succeed, however, is left to the imagination of the reader.
The biggest thing I didn't like about this book was that I felt it could have been more racially diverse. To the best of my recollection, we had one good Black side character(Charlie's roommate), and then a bunch of white people. She wound up carrying more than her fair share, and that burden could have been better distributed with a more diverse cast. I also want to warn potential readers that this book has an unexpected amount of teen sexuality and drug use in it. It's not anything that offended me, but I probably wouldn't have handed it to my mom if I'd known! It made for a bit of an awkward "so, what'd you think?" conversation, let me tell you.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism
Moderate: Drug use, Sexual content, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Physical abuse, Racism, Violence
A major theme of the work is parents making medical/social decisions against the stated wishes of their minor children.