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Reviewed by: Kathy Jaccarino, High School Librarian Title: True Biz Author: Sara Novic Publisher: Random House
Year: 2022 Good for Grades: 11-Adult Genre/Type of Book: Realistic Fiction
Content Warnings, or things that other School Librarians should be aware of: Drug use, sexual behavior Recommended for a school library: Yes Reason(s) for choosing the book: I was interested in finding books about people with other abilities and this one was an Alex Award winner with deaf characters. If you were tasked by the publisher with writing a short quote for the back cover of this book, what would it be: True Biz? A great book, and you'll learn all about the Deaf Culture we didn't know all about!
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Review:
True Biz was a 2023 Alex Award winner and received starred reviews from both Booklist and Publishers Weekly. It was published as an adult book (hence the Alex Award) but the characters are high school aged. As I noted, there is drug use and sex, so I would suggest upper high school grades. True Biz is ASL slang for seriously, definitely, “real talk.” This story is the “real talk” about life in the deaf community. Charlie, the main character, is a deaf high school junior, who has never met another deaf person. She has been “main streamed” in the public school system, is not allowed to learn American Sign Language (ASL), and has cochlear implants, which were supposed to “heal” her. Her mother insists that she talk and adjust to life in the hearing world, to appear “normal.” Charlie’s response to not fitting into this hearing world is to rebel. During this time, she struggles and falls behind socially and academically. After a custody battle, she is allowed to live with her father and attend River Valley School for the Deaf. It is here that Charlie learns that deaf students are like any others- they want to pass tests, have fun, have dates, have friends, and have rights- in their case, the right to make decisions about their own bodies and education.
The book is also an immersion into the Deaf culture. The author explores implants, eugenics, sign reading, lip reading, civil rights, discrimination, Black Sign Language, and more. Charlie is required to take a “history of Deaf Culture” class with the headmistress, and it is through the “lessons” on this history, which are interspersed between the chapters, that we learn about Deaf culture and its history- which is fascinating in and of itself. The parallel story within the novel is the story of the head mistress, February, the hearing daughter of deaf parents. She is queer and navigating her relationship with her wife, a lawyer; trying to cope with her mother, who is suffering from dementia; and struggling to keep River Valley School open.
Charlie struggles to catch up with learning ASL at River Valley, but overall feels at home among other deaf students. She also struggles with coming-of-age issues, as any teenager would, plus, she wants her mother to accept her deafness, and allow her to find her way in the deaf community. Charlie does not always make smart choices, which frustrated me! But she meets Austin, the River Valley golden boy and part of a family with generations of deafness. Austin and his family are regarded as “deaf royalty.” Charlie and Austin’s relationship has the potential to help them both, but it is not without struggles! Their lives get more complicated when they get involved with a group of young people out to rebel and “stick it to the man.”
Slow to start, the book rockets through the second half to a satisfying ending. No spoiler alerts. But hands down, I loved learning about Deaf culture, there is so much that is overlooked and not taught. This book is enlightening. Its maturity level might make it difficult to use in the curriculum, but in an upper-level high school class covering diverse perspectives, this book would be a great fit. Also, historically speaking it could be helpful- an alternative historical perspective. Maybe in an AP curriculum as an additional read?
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Find this video and more about True Biz at Teachingbooks.net
For more information about this book, see the Publishers Website
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