True Boz is the story of a school for the deaf. It follows dual narratives-the story of the school headmistress fighting to keep the school open and the story of children attending the school.

This is not only an interesting novel but provides interesting insights into the deaf community, differences in the ways people think of deafness, and raises ethical concerns around cochlear implants.

I’d recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about the deaf community and the unique challenges deaf schools and their students face.

Very interesting look into Deaf culture and some complexities within the culture.
I found the chapters dealing with challenges faced by the different deaf groupings to be very enlightening.
Thanks to Netgalley and publisher Little Brown for an ARC

I loved this book so much. Such dynamic interesting characters and a great story. I also learned so much about deaf culture and sign language. I already recommended it to my book club! Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Ahh I loved this, so passionate and different and never at any point what I expected. It's beautiful to see how radical the deaf community is written about in fiction. Makes it feel more real, somehow. I loved the characters, the main ones and the side ones that weaved in and out, the differing perspectives coming together to form something complex. I rolled through this in one day with the same enthusiasm I usually read a thriller, and it didn't even have to trick me. I wish there was a bit more drama, but I appreciated how it all ended up. It felt real.

A unique, rich story inside a world few get to experience - Deaf boarding schools. The straddling of cultures that the main character has to do is really well told, at the same time keeping the sense of typical teenage adventure, angst and exploration of who you are.

"True Biz" is definitely a YA novel, and a slow one at that. I had two false starts but did finally make it through. The information about Deaf Culture, ASL, and how some kids with cochlear implants can hear but not process what they're hearing, was interesting. The plot and character development, not.

True Biz by Sara Novic is a book about a teacher and her students at a deaf boarding school. I gave it 3 stars. This book was not my favorite and I really wanted it to be. You really do learn so much about sign language. There are informative pictures in the book. There is a mystery in the beginning where some students go missing. This book fell flat for my and I was not interested in the story. Then the book just abruptly ended. Thank you to NetGalley for the arc.

I actually ended up getting approved for this book after I'd purchased a copy but that isn't so say I won't leave a review here on NetGalley. I love that so many diverse disability stories are getting the air time they deserve to encompass the vast landscape of peoples realities and lives. This was a difficult read at times and at the same time I know it will stick with me for a long time. I really appreciated the chance to read this and am happy to know I have a physical copy on my shelves as well.

Charlie is a bit of a rebel, but she’s eager to start at River Valley School for the Deaf, a boarding school where she will learn sign language, meet other deaf people, and finally fully communicate with the world. Austin is a popular student from a long line of deaf family members–and his new baby sister is shaking up his usually solid world. February, meanwhile, is the headmistress who is fighting to keep the school open (and her marriage intact).

There’s a lot happening in this novel, and in addition to fantastic characters and an absorbing story, it’s filled with revelations about Deaf culture and rights, language, cochlear implants, and so much more. Don’t miss this one.

LIKES:
📝 visceral, vivid but also informational writing
📑 history assignments + ASL diagrams
👥 multi-pov
🆔 explores the spectrum of Deaf identities
🦻 + deep dive into Deaf culture
👩‍🏫 academia & boarding school vibes
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 explores family dynamics
🫀 + complex love stories
💰 themes of class & status
👩‍⚖️ + politics
🌱 + personal growth & coming-of-age
🚑 + medical treatment/mistreatment
🖤 loss, betrayal, & grief
💭 thought-provoking
🥺 heart-wrenching & heartwarming
•
DISCLAIMERS:
⚠️ dm me for TW!
🤔 one part of the story felt out of place
💨 ending felt rushed
•
VERDICT: an incredibly thought-provoking & emotional coming-of-age drama exploring Deaf culture & identity through multiple perspectives - a must read!

Instagram link: https://instagram.com/p/CddvK47rnm0/

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for review.

High schoolers and up = Read this book. I wish I could tell you ALL the reasons why. I can give you some.

The coverage of d/Deaf Culture is one of the most amazing I've ever read. My immersion in the Culture was 30(!) years ago now, but man is this spot on. As a hearing woman, this may help understand to some why I didn't feel comfortable staying in deaf education. This book also helped me realize for the first time, maybe my major's name, "Communicative Disorders" isn't entirely accurate when describing deaf ed.

The POVs of the story were spot on. Three main characters are followed, but the inclusion of others here and there are absolutely necessary for the plot and for the learning.

Novic covers so. many. topics. Which I usually hate, but this time was, again, SO educational as well as fitting in with the plot.

Which brings me to the best part: in addition to great storytelling, there are sign dictionaries, history lessons, racial discussions (30 years ago I was not thinking of racial culture within Deaf culture. Shows my self centeredness), children of deaf adult issues, and cochlear implant controversy.

You will love this book. February, Austin, and Charlie will bring you into their lives, and you will learn about yourself in the process. I feel like Sara Novic has been a therapist to me as I read these pages. True biz.

Big thanks to Random House and NetGalley for an advanced copy of True Biz.

I loved this book so much! My original college major was Deaf Education and when I heard a podcaster discussing this book, I knew I had to read it. I was thrilled to find it on NetGalley and requested it immediately. I'm so glad I did! True Biz features characters from all aspects of the spectrum - hearing, hard of hearing, Deaf, CODAs (children of Deaf adults), and those wearing hearing aids and cochlear implants. Because of my ASL (American Sign Language) classes and college experiences, I already knew a fair amount about Deaf culture and ASL, but I still learned a ton from this book. It's a very enjoyable and readable story yet highly informative and powerfully representative. My only complaint is that the ending felt rushed. I wanted more. Hopefully, there will be a sequel because I really enjoyed this one!

This terrific novel is set at a residential school for Deaf students in Ohio, told primarily from 3 different perspectives - February, the headmistress of the school who is hearing but fluent in sign language and very much a part of the Deaf community as a child of a Deaf mother; Charlie, a Deaf daughter to two hearing parents, who has a cochlear implant that doesn’t really work right, and after a not great experience in mainstream schools, starts at February’s school as a high schooler who doesn’t know ASL at all; and Austin, another student at the school with almost celebrity status for being from a multi-generational Deaf family.

In addition to great characters and a great story, this also is one of those books that is just so great about teaching you something about another culture and way of thinking, in the way that good fiction can do so well. For example, did you know that Deaf with a capital D denotes not just a lack of hearing but a cultural identity, one which Deaf people are super proud of? I actually did know this because I have Deaf relatives, so I actually knew a fair amount before reading this book - yet I still found the book eye opening and really made me think more not just about the characters but also about my Deaf family’s experiences and the ways in which the hearing parts of our family have perhaps failed to be as supportive as we could have been - and which led to a great conversation with my aunt about all of this and this book! The book was also interesting in that interspersed between the chapters are illustrations and information about sign language and other information about Deaf history and culture.

My only quibble with this book was that the ending felt a bit abrupt/unresolved - I think I understand why but yet I wanted to know more about what would happen to the characters.

4.25 stars

Thank you Netgalley & publisher for this e arc of True Biz by Sara Novic.
This is a fiction novel. 4*.
Synopsis: "A boarding school for the deaf... 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 hearing headmistress, a CODA (child of deaf adult(s)) 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. ... This is a story of sign language and lip-reading, disability and civil rights, isolation and injustice, first love and loss, and, above all, great persistence, daring, and joy. Absorbing and assured, idiosyncratic and relatable, this is an unforgettable journey into the Deaf community and a universal celebration of human connection. ... a story of sign language and lip-reading, disability and civil rights, isolation and injustice, first love and loss, and, above all, great persistence, daring, and joy. Absorbing and assured, idiosyncratic and relatable, this is an unforgettable journey into the Deaf community and a universal celebration of human connection. "
3 things I liked:
1. The pace
2. Easy read
3. Some of the insights pointed out I had not thought about in relation to sign language
3 things I disliked:
1. Read too much like non-fiction because of wanting to educate vs. just telling a story; not bad, but not expected
2. The story didn't draw me in as much as the information and I wanted a fiction read
3. I felt the book had too much of an agenda
I was a good engaging read if interested in learning more about the trials the deaf community faces and about community responses to what some would and some would not consider a disability. It defiantly left me thinking and I always like that in a book.

Highly recommend!! My first book to read by this author but definitely not my last!! Uniquely and beautifully written, this story and its characters stay with you long after you finish the book.

A fantastic and important look at deaf culture and struggles for teenagers in a world where they are not properly taken care of. A very interesting read and I learned a lot.

👌 REVIEW: TRUE BIZ 👌

By Sara Nović

📖 SUMMARY: February is the headmaster of the River Valley School for the Deaf, where Charlie and Austin are students. Outside of school, they all have a lot going on in their personal lives: February is struggling with the strain that her job and her mother’s declining health are putting on her marriage, Austin’s generationally deaf family is shocked when his sister is born hearing, and Charlie is dealing with a stressful home life exacerbated by the fact that her mom still can’t seem to accept that she is deaf. These three stories collide in a way they didn’t see coming.

💭 THOUGHTS: First of all, I really enjoyed all of the ASL diagrams and informational blurbs throughout the book. I didn’t know much about Deaf culture so that was valuable to me as a reader. This was one of those stories that I went into with no idea where the plot was going, but I enjoyed following along with February, Austin & Charlie as they navigated a changing environment. I think I liked the teens’ chapters more, but February’s background story added a lot to the story for me! Some characters acted in a way that I didn’t agree with, or encountered horrible situations because of ignorance and discrimination. (Look up trigger warnings.) While hard to read, I’m sure this very accurately portrays the experience of Deaf people in our world. My only complaint is that the ending came kind of abruptly and didn’t feel like it tied up anything. Overall, I think most people would enjoy and learn a lot from this novel!

This picture is of the physical book, but I did read most of this on my kindle, so thank you to @netgalley and @randomhouse for the ARC. This one came out on April 5.

✨ RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🥰 YOU’LL ENJOY IF: you like to learn about other cultures & have an interest in social activism

A highly anticipated read. Sara Novic takes readers on a journey through many different stages in life in the deaf community. She pulls you in and really makes you question how we all do not know even basic ASL as a standard in any country. You follow people who are born deaf, who have parents who are deaf, and families that are proud to be multi generational deaf. Written from various viewpoints this novel is brilliantly done.

True Biz by Sara Nović is fascinating stand out book about the deaf community that incorporates feelings of being different, being included, fighting the system, bettering the system, and normalizing the stigmatism of deafness. This author shows great range in her writing. I loved her last book, Girl at War, which is entirely different than this one.

There was a lot to like about this book, most importantly the awareness it brought to the non-deaf community. Through a well-paced plot and good old-fashioned storytelling, I learned so much about the struggles that this community is faced with. I had no idea about the problems with cochlear implants or the immensely varied instructions parents are given when raising a deaf child. It burned me to the core that parents wouldn’t learn ASL or have it taught to their deaf child. It broke my heart to see that even in a school for the deaf, there is still bullying and cliques. However, by exploring this, Nović shows us how similar we all are and that hearing or not, we all deal with the same nonsense of adolescence.

Because this takes place at a school, I thought the sections the author devoted to teaching the reader some ASL, information about deaf education and other interesting facts were warranted and welcome. With so much going on with the kids, I didn’t feel like the storyline with February and “other woman” was necessary.

When the book ended, I continued to think about the characters and wished them well. There are so many talking points for book clubs – it’ll be a doozy!

Best book I've read this year. A good book makes you feel things. A great book makes you feel things and learn things. With characters that jump off the page, a world I'm immediately immersed in, history and cultural lessons, eye opening information, and flawless writing Tru Biz swept me up tumbled me along and spit me out and I loved every second of it. I keep wanting to pick it up and read it but it's done, there's no more. And yet I can't pick up another book because I'm still in Ohio with these people that feel like my friends now. And I've always been interested, intrigued, with deaf culture but now I feel inspired and called to action and ally-hood (if that's even a word) Five stars and so far the book of the year for me.