TRUE BIZ by the very talented Sara Novic (Girl at War) is a fascinating read. The main focus of the story is Charlie, a hearing-impaired high school student who has struggled for years to communicate and finally is allowed to attend River Valley School for the Deaf. There is drama and angst in her relationships with her parents and her peers. This is a young woman working hard to find herself and along the way readers are privileged to learn background information and see diagrams about American Sign Language and Black American Sign Language (developed separately in part due to the legacy of segregated schools). Charlie has a cochlear implant which functions poorly and provides another opportunity for Novic (who is deaf) to provide asides and information about Deaf Culture, particularly in contrast to the experiences of classmate Austin, whose family has had deaf members for generations. Charlie, like so many adolescents, makes some poor choices, but there is caring adult support from February Waters, the headmistress at her new school who is a hearing child of deaf parents. The often troubled relationship between Feb and Mel, her wife, is part of another story arc within this many-faceted novel. If anything, it tries to accomplish too much, but readers will relate to the characters and learn much from this ambitious work. TRUE BIZ received starred reviews from Booklist ("Moving and revelatory… will draw YA readers.") and Publishers Weekly ("This is brilliant.").

4.5/5

I absolutely loved loved this book. I can’t even begin to put into words all the feelings this book provoked. The stories of the 3 main characters was written and played out so beautifully. I loved how the author integrated ASL mini-lessons and other related literature between chapters. It def added to the experience. Each persons story gave a very unique POV in the Deaf experience. I was so glad to see the author include the experiences of historically marginalized Deaf communities.

I ALMOST gave it a 5, but there were a couple places the book fell short. I was disappointed in the way that Black ASL was brought into the story. I think Black Deaf person should’ve been given more than a side character role and her identify as Black was not revealed until the “incident” occurred. I wanted more accountability as well. I wanted better for Charlie, I kept waiting for her to stand up for herself and eventually she did but it was just frustrating to watch the dialogue at points. Also, I also felt like February’s marriage was not healthy and was hoping for a better outcome in the end.

I say all this to say, it’s a MUST read. No book is perfect but Nović really did her thing with this book. I want it added to school curriculums where Deaf history and culture isn’t often told/shared. These experiences are crucial to inclusion and creating less ableist systems.

Sara Novic immerses the reader into the alternating viewpoints of three deaf people: a teacher and two students at a school for the deaf. It's an enlightening and refreshing perspective, showing deaf perception as a culture not understood by those who place so much emphasis on hearing. While nominally a novel, this tale is most successful as a workbook, giving lessons, information and pictograms so the reader can better understand the richness and diversity of being deaf. This is a book that will be shared widely.
#netgalley #truebiz

I really really enjoyed this book! I felt like it was an extremely educational representation of deaf culture, however I am not deaf or hard of hearing so I can only speak from a hearing experience!

I really liked all the different topics this book explored: racism in the deaf community, the ethical considerations of cochlear implants, what a failed implant can do to affect patients, the historic and current movements to eradicate deaf culture, and more. I also liked the "lesson plans" included at the end of chapters, it was a neat way to include more education resources, to make me think of how the world is set up to exclude deaf people, and how to sign a few words! I know some people don't like lack of quotation marks, but speaking convos in this book did not have them! I normally wouldn't like this, but I thought it was interesting in the context of the deafness and of how Charlie struggled to distinguish speaking conversations. As a reader it almost make the spoken words disappear a little bit which felt true to the character's experiences IMO!

This book reminded me of Parachutes by Kelly Yang; it touches on a lot of different aspects of deaf culture without really diving into one topic in huge detail. I will say that it was more of an exploration of identity and a representation of different identities within deaf community with the plot falling more to secondhand! I don't think this is something negative, but rather something readers should know before going into it with different expectations!!

I would definitely recommend this book if you are looking to expand your reading choices to include more deaf and/or disability representation or if you want to learn some more about deaf culture!

PUB DATE: 04/05/2022. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC!

a few CW/TW: homophobia (minor), death of a parent (graphic), repeated ableism (moderate), toxic evangelicalism (one instance, graphic), dementia (moderate), racism (minor/moderate), teen bullying (minor), medical malpractice (graphic), medical trauma (graphic)

This was the first book I've read that had actual deaf representation, they were not side characters in this story, this in fact, highlighted their culture. I appreciated how there were parts of the book that served to teach the reader basic ASL, the history of sign language, the discrimination the Deaf experience, and how schools for the Deaf in the past were shut down. The latter is one of the major conflicts in this book, alongside the controversy of cochlear implants. It was interesting to read about which also showed how there was a lack in resources for these.

Through the eyes of the three main characters we get to see three different experiences in the community as well. One is February Waters, the headmistress of River Valley School for the Deaf and hearing daughter of deaf parents; Charlie Serrano, deaf daughter of hearing parents; and Austin Workman whose family was deaf generations back. Through them rise the themes of rebellion, and respect; these remain strong all throughout. The book starts with the announcement of missing students in the school and the rest of the chapters move back in time to see why and how that came to be. This wasn't very heavy on plot and was slow to build on conflicts, it's more of a day in the life kind of book, and considering what the author wanted to achieve based on the author's note, I think it suited well. The writing was great and flowed smoothly. I liked the characterization of the three main characters, but considering that this was mainly set in a high school, the two teen mains and some side characters could have that petty streak now and then. And thinking of these side characters, I think some of them deserved some more page time as well.

However, despite the book's slow build up, I was surprised by how abrupt the resolution was. That said, I would have appreciated the book more had there been a more definite ending. The main characters were left with their problems still unresolved and it was unclear whether or not that would remain so or things could be better for them. Aside from that, the romance irked me (it was heavier on it than I expected). Nevertheless, this was a very easy and enlightening read. Hoping to see more books like these in the future.

It’s official, I’ve found one of my most favorite books of 2022! Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for sending this book my way and making my year. True Biz portrays a year in the lives of two students and their headmistress at a boarding school for the Deaf. Each of them faces both personal and political crises that will change them forever… ⁣
⁣
True Biz is a five course meal for the reader. It delivers on absolutely every level from the plot to the characters. I learned SO much about sign language, Deaf culture, disability rights, the cochlear implant debate, and language development through this book. It was truly mind-blowing. At the same time, I was thoroughly entertained and moved by the story. The book was enriched even further by the inclusion of Brittany Castle’s ASL illustrations. ⁣
⁣
I don’t want to tell you too much about the plot because I think it’s best to discover it for yourselves. The characters go on an intense journey of self-discovery that is inspired by real issues and events. The ending itself left me feeling conflicted… It felt perfectly right and yet I wanted things to go a little differently in the last third of the book. Although I’ve seen it marketed as both YA and adult fiction, it’s hard to pin down but seems to combine both worlds.⁣
⁣
This book was a treat in every possible way. I could not put it down and since I’ve finished it’s continued to haunt me. This was a 5 star read for me and I’m certain it will be a highlight of 2022! Please go out and preorder this book as you will not want to miss it when it releases next month! ⁣

Trigger/content warnings: drug use, underage drinking, ableism, discrimination, racism, dubious consent in the past, death of a parent, grief, and questionable parenting.

I really liked this novel. And I'm going to be a nerd and admit that I enjoyed the illustrations of various ASL signs, the "homework" suggestions, and the history of the Deaf community and ASL interspersed throughout the story. Charlie is a transfer student to River Valley School for the Deaf. She's a sophomore, and has never learned to sign (her parents tried cochlear implants), thereby creating a massive language deficit. Austin is the golden boy of campus, coming from a deaf family that proudly has deafness stretching back generations. They form a connection, despite all odds. I really enjoyed all of the characters in this novel, and found myself rooting for all of them. It's an interesting and lovely novel.

"'True biz (adj/exclamation; American Sign Language): really, seriously, definitely, real-talk'

True biz? 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. This revelatory novel plunges readers into the halls of a residential school for the deaf, where they'll 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.

This is a story of sign language and lip-reading, cochlear implants 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."

Thanks to NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Calling all book clubs..calling all book clubs..This is a novel that was meant for you. Fascinating, instructive ,and insightful, it is unlike other books that I have read. Depict a boarding school for the deaf. Combine coming of age. Examine the controversy within the deaf world about cochlear implants. Toss in love and loss and mortification. Stir with teenage angst, political rebellion, self respect vs humiliation. Combine well and bake for several months and you will discover the elements of True Biz.
When a teenage girl named Charlie is shipped out to a deaf boarding school, she is confronted with her own insecurities of being in a deaf world and not knowing how to perform ASL.It is a story of parents who cannot accept the reality of a child's "otherness" from main society. As Charlie becomes more proficient she teams up with a few more people and adventures abound, some laudable and others beastly. Interspersed with each chapter is the history of sign language, actual diagrams of how to sign different words and actions, and the fascinating facts how BASL, 'Black American sign language" differs from ASL. School segregation was the impetus for the difference, so one can find this generally in the southern states. Those sections were particularly interesting to me.
Alongside the teenagers' emotional reaction to their world, the story highlights the struggles of the mistress of the school who was gay and deaf and a CODA (child of deaf parents). At this time, it is particularly fascinating to watch the movie Coda because so many of the same feelings are expressed in a film that presents two deaf parents with a speaking child. It would be a great companion piece to this novel. My own experience is having a CODA friend with 4 brothers who are exceptionally confident and secure. How each family copes having a child in this world is another topic for discussion.
The one caveat of the novel is the inclusion of the headmistress 's mother whose dementia was increasing. I found that superfluous to the novel and thought it could be eliminated
Written in simplistic prose, this book might be written off, but there is so much food for thought and even questions posed by the author, that gives this a flavor to be savored.

Super interesting characters and premise. I appreciate the chance to learn about Deaf culture through fiction and enjoyed following the story line from different view points and age groups. Will definitely purchase and recommend.

I really enjoyed this book! As a speech-language pathologist, Deaf culture is something that I've always learned about and I loved learning even more through this book. It was especially interesting to view Deaf culture through the lens of high school students as the main characters, with their families secondary. The debate about cochlear implants was an important and intriguing theme throughout, though I did feel as though it was often vilified. It is clear that people who are born Deaf have different experiences depending on their parent/guardians' decisions, which they don't have a say in. Overall, extremely thought provoking and I do wish the ending wasn't so quick. I will definitely recommend this book to others, especially those in my career.

I think my hopes for this were too high, given that her previous novel Girl at War was one of my favorite books of the last decade. I enjoyed reading this, but it felt more like a didactic tool than a novel. There were literal Wikipedia articles pasted into the book! The three main characters were chosen to give us three different experiences of Deaf community: a hearing child of deaf parents, deaf child of hearing parents, and deaf child of deaf parents.. Of course part of the draw in reading this was learning about Deaf community and communication, but I wanted the teaching moments to be less obvious.

Goodness, I’ve never read a work of fiction that captures so many aspects of the Deaf experience as True Biz. As a former teacher at a school for the Deaf, I had several students like Charlie. Students deemed “failures” in their mainstream settings who thrive when they step on the campus of a Deaf school. Where they once struggled to understand their teachers and peers, they quickly learn ASL and become an integral part of class discussions, the star forward of the basketball team, or the lead in the school play. I loved seeing Charlie come into her own at River Valley, and I appreciated the honest look at cochlear implants and how they are not the “cure” so many medical professionals make them out to be.

There were a few chapters that felt rushed, particularly the ones with a lot of action, but I didn’t mind that as much because the true heart of the story is what it means to be Deaf and how to find your true Deaf identity. I loved the informative sections between chapters to educate readers on ASL and Deaf history. Anyone interested in deafness needs to read True Biz. Thank you, Sara Novic, for writing this book.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved True Biz by Sara Novic. I fell in love with all of the POVs in this book - so much so that I hardly favored one over the other (something that happens to me often during multiple POVs). I really enjoyed falling into this world, the school, the relationships and families. I learned a lot more about ASL and the ASL community too.

I have nothing but praise for this incredible novel, and the seamlessness with which Sara Novic has managed to weave together intricate strands of love and loss, hope and despair, pride and shame. This is, by all accounts, a novel on the Deaf experience: the language and culture of the community are central in every aspect of the story. That's why I found myself drawn to it in the first place, desperately hoping to get my hands on an advance copy and read a story deftly and knowingly crafted by an author who belongs to the community which she portrays.

Yet, for those who have only read stories of deafness and Deafhood through the eyes of the uninitiated, I feel compelled to assure you that this is a book for you as well. One that you genuinely ought to read to soak up the beauty and the pain and the immense, immense hope that can only be properly explained through having first been felt. And one that you genuinely ought to read, too, because I cannot think of anyone for whom the central themes of this novel would not resonate.

"True Biz" is about our search for autonomy amidst our desire to belong. It's a story of how community is found and lost and found again. It's a novel that manages to convey a myriad of worldviews with respect and generosity, while also serving up a few valuable and much-needed lessons. I lost track of the number of times I cried while reading it. Sometimes out of sorrow, but mostly out of the relief to see myself written and reflected on a page in a way I didn't even know that I so desperately needed.

I'd give this five more stars if I could.

I wanted to like this more than I did. I understand the rights of deaf people and wanting to be understood, as well as the ever debated issue of cochlear implants because I am half deaf myself. I have never needed sign language. I liked the main characters and different family backgrounds and the overall writing was good.

However, this book just was not for me after reading some shocking nonfiction, OMG thrillers and other gut-wrenching literary fiction books. I just think I was not the intended audience for this book. It is still a readable book.

Thanks to Netgalley, Sara Novic and Random House Publishing Group Random House division for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 4/5/22

A phenomenal, lively story of disability and community that will resonate with many readers, Deaf or otherwise.

TRUE BIZ is the American Sign Language translation of the English phrase "for real". There is a brief scene where Charlie is reminded by Austin that English words like "is" has no place in ASL. This novel is told from the perspectives of Charlie, a deaf teenager born to hearing parents, Austin, a deaf teenager from a four generation Deaf family, and February, a hearing child of Deaf parents also known as CODA - child of Deaf Adults.

The Deaf School, in the Deaf ASL world, is referred to as an Institution, though the novel uses the term "Deaf School". It is a boarding school situated in a factory town. As more factories close, there is a sense of economic depression with many people losing their jobs. The public schools are overwhelmed by the lack of money and the shrinking resources. Some families have chosen to send their children to the Deaf school so the children can have food and shelter.

The characters of Charlie and Austin are well developed. We learn about Austin's roommate Eliot later in the novel. And we catch glimpses of Kayla, Charlie's roommate, and Black Sign Language. As a reader, I would have liked to know more about them. I think their characters may be developed more in the movie version?

The headmistress, February, is a CODA and she is in a gay marriage. She is representative or many CODA.

The author's perspective eloquently reaffirms the ASL Deaf world's feelings about the Cochlear Implants. Many are worried about the closure of Deaf schools and the eradication of Sign Language. I disagree because, once upon a time, they feared that with the advent of hearing aids , but people continue to Sign. Sign Language will always exist. Even with Cochlear Implants, they are still deaf.. Like prosthetics, when a person takes off a prosthetic leg, they cannot walk. It is like that with a Cochlear Implant. When a person takes off the Speech Processor, they cannot hear anything.. Even if people do not "speak" Latin, they still use Latin in some of the Catholic church services. There will always be some people who study Latin. Even in places where a language like Gaelic seem to have died out, there are still people speaking Gaelic. And many people around the world still rely on some form of Sign Language.

The author discusses the recall of Cochlear Implants and it really happened.

In sum, this novel offers a fascinating glimpse of a World that many of us are unaware of. Many people do not know Sign Language nor have they met a Deaf people. This novel reads like a fable. For example, how does Charlie manage to stay healthy despite the drug abuse?

Content warning: drug/sex, physical violence, clergy abuse, dementia

Thank you to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

I learned so much reading this. Novic deftly immerses readers into deaf culture, including a thought-provoking exploration of cochlear implant usage. But some of the writing is awkward, and I don't think the headmistress' chapters add as much to the story—I'd rather have seen more development of the other students, like Kayla or Elliot. Overall, an enlightening, worthwhile read.

"True Biz" is an ASL idiom meaning "for real." The truth in Novic's novel may be open to interpretation (see what I did there?) or, more accurately, positionality. There are multiple narrators, but the primary two are Charlie and February. Their turns are signaled by the ASL character for the first letter in their names--same for the other occasional narrators. Sometimes I don't like philosophical or instructional asides in books, but in this case, the ASL and deaf history lessons/lesson plans are contextual and enriching.

"DID YOU KNOW?
"Deaf scholars have proven that Deafness meets the requirements to be considered an ethnicity."

and

"Black American Sign Language (BASL) is a dialect of ASL used by Black Americans in the United States, often more heavily in Southern states. ASL and BASL diverged as a result of race-based school segregation. Because student populations were isolated from one another, the language strands evolved separately, to include linguistic variations in phonology, syntax, and vocabulary."

February, a CODA (child of deaf adults) is the headmaster at a school for the deaf, and Charlie, who has hearing parents and cochlear implants is failing to thrive, is February's newest pupil. Charlie arrives without much sign language and a lot of frustration with her shitty implants and inability to speak and be heard--especially by her mother. She's been mainstreamed her whole life, which concerns February. Language acquisition is much harder after a certain age--and acting out when you can't communicate is common.

"It was hard to imagine what the world might be life if deaf people had as short a fuse about hearing people's inability to sign, their neglect or refusal to caption TV, or, hell, the announcements on this bus. Of course, that was their privilege--to conflate majority with superiority."

Charlie actually does pretty well, though. Despite keeping up with a Bad Boy from her old high school, she's also got a flirtation going with the Deafest boy in the school--Austin, whose family's deafness goes back four generations. Austin's dad, though, is hearing, and an interpreter, which gives the family access to the hearing world, as well as the Deaf one.

I liked living in Charlie and February's world. They're both complex characters--Charlie with her grubby musician lover and February with her hearing wife and passion for Deaf education--and both with a tiny penchant for self-destruction.

The grubby musician is part of a revolutionary punk band/anarchist cell who says at one point, "I mean, this shit's all over the internet. The trick is being able to look it up without getting tracked. We used to have an in for burner library cards..." lol--love "burner" library cards!

Thanks, NetGalley, for the digital review copy!

I've been a big fan of Sara Novic's since reading Girl At War, and I loved this book SO MUCH. I couldn't put it down! It's only the second novel I've read in which deaf characters are fully realized (the first was The Castle Cross the Magnet Carta) and I am just in awe. I loved the inclusion of deaf history, Wikis, ASL and BASL manuals. Just so good. I can't wait to buy it for my friends and family when it's out!